The circumstances had devolved upon me the responsibility of capturing the treacherous friend. Half a dozen times I threatened to shoot him if he did not stop the engine, but somehow my muscles did not seem to have the power to execute the threat. Christy had placed himself where I could not see him through the cab window. I examined the revolver, which contained two charges, and then walked up to the window. The villain had crouched down by the fire-box, evidently having a wholesome regard for the weapon in my hand. The engine was going at the rate of thirty miles an hour, and I judged that we had gone about ten miles.
“Christy Holgate, I don’t want to shoot you, but I’ll do it, as sure as you live, if you don’t stop her!” I shouted, as loud as I could yell, while I aimed the revolver at him again.
“Don’t fire, Wolf, and I’ll stop her as soon as I can,” he replied; and I think his guilty conscience terrified him quite as much as the pistol.
He stood up, and I saw the pocket-book sticking out of his outside breast pocket. I concluded that he had taken it out to examine its contents, and I felt pretty confident that I should have the satisfaction of restoring the lost treasure to my father. With the revolver, containing two bullets, I realized that I was master of the situation.
Christy shut off the steam, and put on the brake just as we entered a dense wood. As the speed of the engine slackened, I climbed upon the roof of the cab, and jumped down upon the wood in the tender. I took care not to go very near the villain, for, even with the pistol in my hand, I thought he was fully a match for me.
“Do you mean to shoot me, after all I’ve done for you, Wolf?” said he, in a whining tone, as the engine stopped.
“I didn’t think you would serve my father such a mean trick as you did,” I replied. “I will shoot you if you don’t give up that pocket-book.”
“I didn’t mean to take your father’s money, Wolf. He and I have been good friends for a great many years, and I wouldn’t hurt him any more than I would myself.”
“But you did take it.”
“I didn’t mean to keep it. I was only joking. I meant to give it back to him; but when he flew at me so, he made me mad.”