Mr. Rat Connors superintended the arrangement of the car. The Honorable Alexander was requested to take the wheel, and the lady to sit at his side. Mr. Connors disposed himself in the tonneau, from which vantage-point he issued orders after the fashion of an Admiral from the bridge of his flag-ship.
Two hundred yards from the railroad track Mr. Connors gave the word to halt.
Having disembarked, he marshalled his cavalcade in what he deemed the most advisable formation.
“Let de lady go foist,” he suggested. “Dat’s de perlite system.” As they took the indicated order of precedence Mr. Connors added, “An’ den if yer makes a break, I won’t haf ter shoot t’rough de lady ter git yer, see?”
While they were picking their way through a bit of woods the Honorable Alexander Hamilton Burrow was moved to speech.
“You see, Miss Asheton—Mary—I may call you Mary, mayn’t I? Life is full of chances. You need a protector. You had better reconsider and give me the right to act always——”
But Miss Asheton interrupted him with a clear peal of laughter. Despite the guard at the rear, she halted in her tracks.
“Certainly you may call me Mary,” she said, “and you may protect me, too. Protect me now. Take the gun away from this person.”
The halting of Miss Asheton forced the Honorable Alexander to halt, and the halting of the Honorable Alexander brought the cold muzzle of the revolver against the back of his neck.
“Move on dere!” ordered Mr. Connors. “Cut out de chin-music an’ keep hikin’!”