CHAPTER XLI
CLICKETY-CLICKETY-CLICKETY
Marjorie, as the supposed wife of the rescuing angel, was permittedfirst search, and the first thing she hunted for was a certain goldbracelet that was none of hers. She found it and seized it with aprayer of thanks, and concealed it among her own things.
Mrs. Temple gave her a guilty start, by speaking across a barrier:
"Mrs. Mallory, your husband is the bravest man on earth."
"Oh, I know he is," Marjorie beamed, and added with a spasm ofconscience: "but he isn't my husband!"
Mrs. Temple gasped in horror, but Marjorie dragged her close, andpoured out the whole story, while the other passengers recovered theirproperties with as much joy as if they were all new gifts found on abush.
Meanwhile, under Mallory's guidance, the porter fastened the outlawstogether back to back with the straps of their own feed-bags. Theporter was rejoicing that his harvest of tips was not blighted afterall.
Mallory completed his bliss, by giving him Dr. Temple's brace of guns,and establishing him as jailer, with a warning: "Now, porter, don'ttake your eye off 'em."
"Lordy, I won't bat an eyelid."
"If either of these lads coughs, put a hole through both of 'em."
The porter chuckled: "My fingers is just a-itchin' fer them lovin'triggers."
And now Mr. Baumann, having scrambled back his possessions, hastenedinto the smoking room, and regarded the two hangdog culprits withmagnificent generosity; he forgave them their treatment. In fact, hewent so far as to say: "You gents vill be gettin' off at Reno, yes?You'll be needing a good firm of lawyers. Don't forget us. Baumann"(he put a card in Bill's hat) "and Blumen" (he put a card in Jake'shat). "Avoid substitoots."
Mallory pocketed two of the captured revolvers, lest a need mightarise suddenly again. As he hurried down the aisle, he was receivedwith cheers. The passengers gave him an ovation, but he only smiledtimidly, and made haste to Marjorie's side.
She regarded him with such idolatry that he almost regretted his deed.But this mood soon passed in her excitement, and in a moment she wassurreptitiously showing him the bracelet. He became an accessory afterthe fact, and shared her guilt, for when she groaned with a suddendroop: "She'll get it back!" he grimly answered, "Oh, no she won't!"hoisted the window, and flung the bracelet into a little pool by theside of the track, with a farewell: "Good-bye, trouble!"
As he drew his head in, a side glance showed him that up near theengine a third train-robber held the miserably weary train crew inline.
He found the conductor just about to pull the bell-rope, to proceed.The conductor had forgotten all about the rest of the staff. Mallorytook him aside, and told him the situation, then turned to Marjorie,said: "Excuse me a minute," and hurried forward. The conductorfollowed Mallory through the train into the baggage coach.
The first news the third outlaw had of the counter-revolutionoccurring in the sleeping car was a mysterious bullet that flicked thedust near his heel, and a sonorous shout of "Hands up!" As he whirledin amaze, he saw two revolvers aimed point blank at him from behind atrunk. He hoisted his guns without parley, and the train crew trussedhim up in short order.
Mallory ran back to Marjorie, and the conductor followed more slowly,reassuring the passengers in the other cars, and making certain thatthe train was ready to move on its way.
Mallory went straight to Dr. Temple, with a burning demand:
"You dear old fraud, will you marry me?"
Dr. Temple laughed and nodded. Marjorie and Mrs. Temple had beentelling him the story of the prolonged elopement, and he was eager toatone for his own deception, by putting an end to their misery.
"Just wait one moment," he said, and as a final proof of affection, heunbuttoned his collar and put it on backwards. Mrs. Temple brought outthe discarded bib, and he donned it meekly. The transformationexplained many a mystery the old man had enmeshed himself in.
Even as he made ready for the ceremony, the conductor appeared, lookedhim over, grinned, and reached for the bell-cord, with a cheerful:"All aboard!"
Mallory had a sort of superstitious dread, not entirely unfounded onexperience, that if the train got under way again, it would run intosome new obstacle to his marriage. He turned to the conductor:
"Say, old man, just hold the train till after my wedding, won't you?"
It was not much to ask in return for his services, but the conductorwas tired of being second in command. He growled:
"Not a minute. We're 'way behind time."
"You might wait till I'm married," Mallory pleaded.
"Not on your life!" the conductor answered, and he pulled thebell-rope twice; in the distance, the whistle answered twice.
Mallory's temper flared again. He cried: "This train doesn't goanother step till I'm married!" He reached up and pulled the bell-ropeonce; in the distance the whistle sounded once.
This was high treason, and the conductor advanced on himthreateningly, as he seized the cord once more. "You touch that ropeagain, and I'll----"
"Oh, no, you won't," said Mallory, as he whisked a revolver from hisright pocket and jammed it into the conductor's watch-pocket. Theconductor came to attention.
Then Mallory, standing with his right hand on military duty, put outhis left hand, and gave the word: "Now, parson."
He smiled still more as he heard Kathleen's voice wailing: "But Ican't find my bracelet. Where's my bracelet?"
"Silence! Silence!" Dr. Temple commanded, and then: "Join hands, mychildren."
Marjorie shifted Snoozleums to her left arm, put her right hand intoMallory's, and Dr. Temple, standing between them, began to drone theritual. Everybody said they made a right pretty picture.
When the old clergyman had done his work, the young husband-at-lastgraciously rescinded military law, recalled the artillery from theconductor's very midst, and remembering Manila, smiled:
"You may fire when ready, conductor."
The conductor's rage had cooled, and he slapped the bridegroom on theback with one hand, as he pulled the cord with the other. The trainbegan to creak and tug and shift. The ding-dong of the bell floatedmurmurously back as from a lofty steeple, and the clickety-click,click-clickety-click quickened and softened into a pleasant gossip, asthe speed grew, and the way was so smooth for the wheels that theyseemed to be spinning on rails of velvet.
THE END
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