CHAPTER XIV.--ON THE ROAD AGAIN.
The Comet had now a guide. No more excursions into the wilderness of theunknown for him. Timidly and cautiously he crept along as close to thetracks of the Union Pacific Railroad as the highway permitted, for theywere about to go through the wild rugged country where rise thesnow-capped ranges of the Rocky Mountains.
With a sigh of relief they said good-by to Steptoe Lodge.
"It was interesting, but uncomfortable," Miss Campbell had said. For awhole day Billie's experience had quite shaken Miss Campbell'senthusiasm in the journey. It was not a permanent distaste, however.Having remained quietly in West Haven for a quarter of a century, thelittle woman was now possessed with a thirst for travel. She haddeveloped into a high-toned Gypsy with a disposition to perpetualwandering.
The partings at Steptoe Lodge had some of them been quite moving; butnot Rosina's, who had bade them a chilly farewell. Her nature was astormy one, a strange mixture of hot and cold, anger and humility,courage and fear.
"I don't know whom she's angriest with," Billie had observed, "ourex-teacher, Maria, for putting her brother up to such lawless tricks orus because we were the victims."
"I hope they catch him," said Miss Campbell firmly. "I do, indeed, andshut him up in prison for a long, long time. Such dangerous charactersought not to be allowed to run at large."
"They'll catch him if Brek Steptoe has any influence," put in Nancy."Barney told me his cousin was never going to put up with Hawkeseyeagain. He had stood all he intended. Rosina was now to choose betweenthem."
"What is that you're looking at, Nancy?" demanded Elinor, changing thesubject.
Nancy blushed and laughed.
"A parting gift from Jim," she replied.
Poor Jim had ridden for some miles beside the Comet and they had goneslowly in order to enjoy his company. Then, with a last hand-shake allaround and a heart-breaking sigh, he stopped in the middle of the road,his sombrero in one hand and his horse's reins in the other. And therehe stood as still as a statue until the motor car was reduced to a smallscarlet dot on the horizon. When he had shaken hands with Nancy, hethrust a small package into her lap. There were tears in Nancy's eyeswhen she looked at the contents of the package, although her laugh rangout as merrily as her friends' as she drew forth the hind foot of a jackrabbit mounted on a plaited loop of horsehair.
"Does he expect me to wear this thing around my neck," she crieddangling the clumsy paw between her small thumb and forefinger.
"There's a note," said Mary, leaning over Nancy's shoulder.
Nancy smiled again as she read the note, first to herself and then outloud:
"Dear Miss Nancy:
"I killed the rabbit in an Indian burying ground in the dark of the moon. The hair came from my horse's tail. He's a fine little animal, my horse. I love him best in the world next to--something else I like better. I wish it were a gold rabbit's foot set in diamonds, but it's a long ways here from a jewelry store, and this is the best I can do. I've had it a long time, and it's brought me good luck at last, because I've met you. I hope it will bring you luck. Good-by. It's the hardest good-by I ever had to say. If I ever strike a gold mine I'm coming East. Good-by again.
"Jim." "P. S.--Don't forget me."
"Poor, lonely soul!" exclaimed Miss Campbell, wiping the moisture fromher eyes. "Where are his people, I wonder?"
"He hasn't any," answered Nancy. "His father was a miner and he diedwhen Jim was a little boy. He's worked in lumber camps and lived aroundlike this all his life. I think he's very gentlemanly, considering. Hesays Tony has taught him a lot. Jim is only eighteen, you know, althoughhe looks much older."
Deep down in her heart Miss Campbell made a resolution that she wouldlike to do something very nice for Jim.
They slept that night at Cheyenne, which had once been a rude littlefrontier town, and was now a handsome city, and the next day pushed ontoward Laramie. After riding hundreds of miles over level prairiegrounds, the eyes become accustomed to wide stretches of landscape andthe mind, too, takes a broader and more generous outlook on life. Whatis called "the peace of the plains" seems to brood over the traveler.
Our five motorists were filled with this quietude as they went Westward.All the difficulties of the trip and past dangers were forgotten. Theywere as peaceful as holy pilgrims journeying toward Mecca. At last, latein the afternoon, Billie suddenly stopped the car and pointed silentlytoward the setting sun. She had caught her first glimpse of the RockyMountains.
Far in the distance they lay, the first vague misty opalescent peaks ofthe great chain which divides the West into countries. They were onlythe earliest indications of the wild and beautiful scenery of Wyomingthrough which they were about to pass.
"And after Wyoming comes Utah," observed Mary Price, thinking aloud.
"And in Utah comes Evelyn," called Billie.
The girls thrilled at the thought of Evelyn. What might not havehappened to her since she had been compelled to return to Utah.
"Perhaps her father has made her marry a Mormon," suggested Mary in anawed tone of voice.
"Or shut her in a dungeon," pursued Nancy, who had a vague idea suchthings might take place in this strange city.
"It's like the story of the wicked king and the princess," here put inElinor, her thoughts running on royal blood as usual.
The girls smiled, but the notion was a disquieting one at any rate andBillie began silently to calculate how long it would take before theycould reach Salt Lake City, weather and Comet permitting.
"I wish--I wish----" she began, but the whistle of a locomotiveinterrupted her.
"It's the express," exclaimed one of the girls.
"It's going to stop."
"But there's no station."
"A man is flagging it, don't you see. It's the track walker, I suppose.Perhaps something is the matter ahead."
A very tall man with a lean figure, broad shoulders and a floppingsombrero hat was, in fact, waving a red flag in front of the Westernexpress, which slowed up and presently, almost opposite the motor car,came to a full stop. The Comet also paused and waited to see what wasthe trouble.
The engine was too far in front to hear the conversation between theengineer, who now thrust his head out of the window, and the individualwith the flag. But what happened next was exceedingly strange. Theflagman, casting aside his signal, followed the engineer down the trackto the first coach, which was the baggage car, and presently emerged onthe platform leading to the next coach.
And now the engineer was not alone. Several baggage men and trainofficials had joined him, and they walked with their arms held up in theair. So absorbed was the motor party with the strange actions of thetrain people that they failed at the moment to notice what the leanindividual was carrying in his hand. Neither could they tell what wastaking place in the first passenger coach, but as the train officialswere herded across the platform, still with arms uplifted, they suddenlybecame aware that the pockets in their coats, trousers and waistcoatswere turned wrong side out, and that the man who was driving them infront of him like a herd of cattle held a pistol in his right hand, onthe barrel of which the sun shone brilliantly.
"Billie, Billie, go on as fast as you can go, they are train robbers,"whispered Miss Campbell hoarsely, almost bereft of her voice fromfright.
Billie jumped out of the machine, wishing with all her heart thatsomebody would invent a motor car that wouldn't need to be cranked up.
"Beggin' your pardon, Miss, will you kindly stay where you are?" said asoft, drawling voice behind them.
They turned quickly and faced another broad-shouldered individual with asombrero half covering his lean, sunburned face. His gray eyes twinkledwith amusement when he saw their consternation.
"We won't do no harm to you, ladies, except to ask you for a lift afterthis little business is over. Jes' keep perfectly quiet and ask noquestions, and we'll tell you no lies."
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Somehow, Billie did not feel frightened at this gentle, humorous person.
"Suppose we don't care to give you a lift," she said, her hand on thecranking lever.
"That would be a pity, Miss," answered the man coaxingly, "because," hewent on slowly, "you see----" his hand slipped in his hip pocket anddrew out a small, dangerous-looking revolver.
"Billie, darling, don't oppose the creature!" cried Miss Campbell in astrangled voice.
"Steady! steady!" said the man. "Don't git nervous, lady. You'll comethrough the ordeal as well as you ever was in your life. Jes' draw in abit."
Never had the moments dragged so slowly as they did now. Through the carwindows they could see men and women with arms uplifted. Was it possiblethat one man could rob fifty? No; not one. They perceived twoconfederates, who had sprung up from somewhere, followed behind with apistol in each hand. An intense quiet seemed to hang over the place asthe robbers went silently through the train, and at last emerged fromthe back. The herd of officials were now made to get out and walk towardthe engine. The engineer was permitted to climb into his engine, theothers climbed in anywhere after him. As the train began to get up steama man called out:
"Good heavens! there's an automobile full of girls. We can't leave themat the mercy of these blackguards."
"They're confederates!" called another man.
"Confederates? Nonsense! Don't you see that fellow has a pistol aimed atthem?"
As the train started, the passenger ran back to the platform and jumpedoff. The next moment three train robbers and a young man without any hatsurrounded the Comet:
"Now, don't try any monkey business, young feller," said the firstrobber, pointing his pistol at the passenger. "Jes' stay right where youare. I don't want to commit murder."
"Put that pistol up, Jim Bowles. I'm not afraid of you or of any of yourdisreputable acquaintances. These ladies are friends of mine, and Iintend to stay with them."
The girls, who had huddled down in the car white and silent, tookcourage and looked up.
It was Daniel Moore who was speaking.
Miss Campbell gave a little tremulous cry like a child's.
"Oh, Mr. Moore, I implore you not to leave us."
"I mean what I say," pursued Jim Bowles. "If you wanter be stillbreathing fresh air in another two minutes, stay where you are."
Daniel Moore looked him calmly in the eye.
"Do you remember Christmas Eve at Silver Bow two years ago?" he asked.
The robber's face was curiously twisted with emotion.
"Yes," he replied.
"I cut you down," said Daniel Moore. "You would have been strung upthere yet if I hadn't come back in time. The scar is still there, Isee."
He glanced at the man's sinewy throat around which ran a deep red scar.
With one stride Jim Bowles reached the other side of the automobile andseized Mr. Moore's hand.
"Wuz you the gennelman? Stranger, git in and take it easy. We won't dono harm to these ladies. But we'd like to git a lift. I knowed you wuz abrave man as soon as I seen you, and no one kin ever say Jim Bowlesforgits a favor."
Daniel Moore climbed in behind with Miss Helen and the girls who huddleddown somehow, while the robbers pressed themselves into the front andBillie started the machine.