"What! that beautiful girl that kept my little one from starving? We must save her!" cries the engineer, getting hold of his own darling from Buck, who has come up.
"We will!" whispers Lawrence. "Those road agents will only trouble her and Wells, Fargo & Co.'s express. The express must take care of itself—we'll take care of the girl!"
"But how?"
"By running her down to safety on your locomotive!"
"Great goodness! I never thought of that!" replies the man of the throttle-valve.
A moment after, he says: "I haven't got coal to reach further than Granger."
"That'll do! Get up steam as fast as you can, but don't let anybody see you're at work on your locomotive."
With these words, Lawrence goes into consultation with the engineer and Mr. Powers as to the details of the transaction.
It is arranged that Harry is to do the work of the fireman, who is on the train, and whom they dare not take the risk of arousing; Buck is to turn the switch to put the locomotive on the main track, and to board them as they pass him, which they will do very quietly.
Leaving the engineer quietly making his preparations, Lawrence walks cautiously across, not towards Miss Travenion's car, but towards the sleeper behind it—the one he occupies.