“What was that?” she asked.
I explained to her, and, after making connections, I called Sanders. Much to my surprise, the agent responded. I was so astonished that for a moment I could not believe the fact.
“This is the queerest hold-up of which I ever heard,” I remarked to Miss Cullen.
“Aw, in what respect?” asked Albert Cullen’s voice, and, looking up, I found that he and quite a number of the passengers had joined us.
“The road agents make us dump our fire,” I said, “and yet they haven’t cut the wires in either direction. I can’t see how they can escape us.”
“What fun!” cried Miss Cullen.
“I don’t see what difference either makes in their chance of escaping,” said Lord Ralles.
While he was speaking, I ticked off the news of our being held up, and asked the agent if there had been any men about Sanders, or if he had seen any one board the train there. His answer was positive that no one could have done so, and that settled it as to Sanders. I asked the same questions of Allantown and Wingate, which were the only places we had stopped at after leaving Coolidge, getting the same answers. That eight men could have remained concealed on any of the platforms from that point was impossible, and I began to suspect magic. Then I called Coolidge, and told of the holding up, after which I telegraphed the agent at Navajo Springs to notify the commander at Fort Defiance, for I suspected the road agents would make for the Navajo reservation. Finally I called Flagstaff as I had Coolidge, directed that the authorities be notified of the facts, and ordered an extra to bring out the sheriff and posse.
“I don’t think,” said Miss Cullen, “that I am a bit more curious than most people, but it has nearly made me frantic to have you tick away on that little machine and hear it tick back, and not understand a word.”
After that I had to tell her what I had said and learned.