"I was afraid you'd have to let the express go first," said Kent, when the train-master came his way again. "How much time have we?"
"Five minutes more; and they are on the way down—there they come."
Kent looked and saw a group of six men making for the nearest exit in the grille. Then he smote his fist into his palm.
"Damn!" he muttered; "they've got the vice-president of the Overland with them! That's bad."
"It's bad for Mr. Callafield," growled M'Tosh. "We're in too deep now to back down on his account."
Kent moved nearer and stood in the shadow of the gate-keeper's box, leaving M'Tosh, who was on the track platform, free to show himself. From his new point of espial Kent checked off the members of the party. When Major Guilford left it to come back for a word with M'Tosh, there were five others: the governor, his private secretary, Hawk, Halkett, the general superintendent, and the Overland's vice-president.
"All ready, M'Tosh?" said the receiver.
"Ready and waiting, Major," was the bland reply.
"Who is our engineer?"
"Patrick Callahan."