Page:Harvey O'Higgins--Silent Sam and other stories.djvu/339

Rh just north of Glendale, we ran by a half-dozen men on horseback, standing as close to the rails as they dared to get; and it was so dark we could scarcely see more than the whites of their faces, but they let us pass without a word, just leaning over in the saddle to peer into the cars. And I says to myself: 'Now who was that? Any of our own men would have hailed us. Farmers would n't crowd up to look at a train that way.' And I said to the engineer: 'Let her out, Bob. Let her go.'

"He did it. And I was right. It was Morgan's men—the first of them—and the rest was clear track to Hamilton. We just got through by that." And he held up two thick fingers.

The lieutenant nodded. The daughter was watching him thoughtfully.

"We were n't sure of it till we got to Hamilton and heard that Morgan was south of us, making for Glendale; and when I went to the despatcher's room to telegraph Nash that we 'd arrived safe, I found the wires cut."

"So," Price said, "you did n't meet Morgan on that trip, after all."

"Did n't, eh? Huh! My orders were to report to Cincinnati that I had arrived at Hamilton, I got a hand-car and a couple of men and began to pump back to Carthage. Before we got to Ellison's we slowed down and listened, and we could hear the horses' hoofs scuffling and pounding across the planking between the rails at the crossing. We left the hand-car there, and