e a right to be proud, Mr. Cullen," I said. "You fellows
did a tremendously plucky thing, and, thanks to you, we didn't
lose anything."

"But you went to help too, Mr. Gordon," added Miss Cullen.

That made me color up, and, after a moment's hesitation, I
said,--

"I'm not going to sail under false colors, Miss Cullen. When I
went forward I didn't think I could do anything. I supposed
whoever had pitched into the robbers was dead, and I expected to
be the same inside of ten minutes."

"Then why did you risk your life," she asked, "if you thought it
was useless?"

I laughed, and, though ashamed to tell it, replied, "I didn't
want you to think that the Britishers had more pluck than I had."

She took my confession better than I hoped she would, laughing
with me, and then said, "Well, that was courageous, after all."

"Yes," I confessed, "I was frightened into bravery."

"Perhaps if they had known the danger as well as you, they would
have been less courageous," she continued; and I could have
blessed her for the speech.

While we were still eating, the mail clerk came to my car and
reported that the most careful search had failed to discover the
three registered letters, and they had evidently been taken. This
made me feel sober, slight as the probable loss was. He told me
that his list showed they were all addressed to Ash Forks,
Arizona, making it improbable that their contents could be of any
real value. If possible, I was more puzzled than ever.

At six-ten the runner whistled to show he had steam up. I told
one of the brakemen to stay behind, and then went into 218. Mr.
Cullen was still dressing, but I expressed my regrets through the
door that I could not go with his party to the Grand Canyon, told
him that all the stage arrangements had been completed, and
promised to join him there in case my luck was good. Then I saw
Frederic for a moment, to see how he was (for I had nearly
forgotten him in the excitement), to find that he was gaining all
the time, and preparing even to get up. When I returned to the
saloon, the rest of the party were there, and I bade good-by to
the captain and Albert. Then I turned to Lord Ralles, and,
holding out my hand, said,--

"Lord Ralles, I joked a little the other morning about the way
you thought road agents ought to be treated. You have turned the
joke very neatly and pluckily, and I want to apologize for myself
and thank you for the railroad."

"Neither is necessar