Allen said he could and proceeded to do it; after which, under Sprague’s direction, the case was trundled out to the platform, and the three of them, with Maxwell’s private-car porter to help, loaded the coffin upon the front platform of Maxwell’s car.
“We’ll take it back with us,” said the Government man, with a sober twinkle in his eyes. “It’s a passably good coffin, you know, and with a little repairing it will do to use again—say, when we have found the man it belongs to.”
While the night operator, the porter, and the two enginemen were carrying the wounded express messenger to the private car and making him comfortable in Maxwell’s own state-room, the superintendent’s curiosity got the better of him.
“You’re not saying much, Calvin,” he offered. “Have you found any clew to the mystery?”
“Clews?—yes; I’ve found plenty of them. They’re slightly tangled as yet, but we’ll get hold of the proper thread in a little while. When do we start back?”
“Any time, if you’ve seen all you want to. I’ll have Allen get orders for us right now, if you say so.”
The big-bodied Government man stood aside while the Corona operator called the despatcher and obtained the order for the return of the two-car special to Brewster. But after the bit of routine was finished he made another suggestion.
“I’d like to know, in so many words, exactly what was taken from the passengers on the train, Dick,” he said. “Can’t you have this young man catch the train somewhere and instruct the conductor to find out for us?”
Maxwell nodded and gave Allen the necessary directions. “Tell McCarty to wire his answer direct to me at Brewster,” he added; and then, as the train was ready, the start was made for the return.
At the curve in Cromarty Gulch they found only Tarbell awaiting them. When the ex-cowboy had climbed aboard and the homeward run was resumed, Tarbell made his report. Harding and his posse were following the automobile tracks on foot. It was the sheriff’s theory that, sooner or later, the men in the machine would have to stop somewhere, whereupon the dogs would once more be able to take up the trail. Harding was convinced now that he was trailing the Weber gang, and he believed that the start toward Brewster was only a blind.