"We"ll make it, I reckon," said Thatcher, at last. "It"s only two miles farther, and the train hasn"t gone up yet."
The horses by this time were well-blown. The road was heavy, and we had pressed them hard. Yet they struggled with spirit as they panted, and answered to the whip when we called on them for the last stretch as we once more found a level road.
There was no sign of life about the station as we drew our panting, steaming horses to a halt before it, and no train was in sight. The rain dripping heavily from the eaves was the only sound that came from it, and a dull glow from an engine that lay alone on a siding was the only light that was to be seen.
"What"s the time?" asked Thatcher. "We must have made a quick trip."
"Twenty minutes past three," said I, striking a match under my coat to see my watch-face.
"Immortal snakes!" cried Thatcher. "I"m an idiot. This is Sunday night."
I failed to see the connection of these startling discoveries, but I had spirit enough to argue the case. "It"s Monday morning, now."
"Well, it"s the same thing. The freight doesn"t run to-night."
I awoke to some interest at this announcement.
"Why, it"s got to run, or we must take to saddle again for the rest of the way."
"These horses can"t go five miles more at that gait, let alone twenty-five," protested Thatcher.
"Well, then, we must get other horses here."
"Come," said Fitzhugh; "what"s the use of that when there"s an engine on the siding doing nothing?"
"Just the idea. Find the man in charge."
But there did not appear to be any man in charge. The engineer and fireman were gone, and the watchman had been driven to cover by the foul weather.
We looked the iron horse over enviously.
"Why, this is the engine that came up with the special this noon," said Fitzhugh. "I remember the number."
"Good! We are ahead of the enemy, then. They haven"t had a chance to get the wire, and we beat them on the road. We must find the engineer and get it ourselves."
"I"ve got an idea," said Fitzhugh. "It"s this: why not take the machine without asking? I was a fireman once, and I can run it pretty well."
I thought a moment on the risk, but the need was greater.
"Just the thing. Take the money for the horses to your friend there.
I"ll open the switch."
In a few minutes Fitzhugh was back.
"I told him," he chuckled. "He says it"s a jail offense, but it"s the only thing we can do."
"It may be a case of life and death," I said. "Pull out."
"There"s mighty little steam here--hardly enough to move her," said Fitzhugh from the cab, stirring the fire.
But as he put his hand to the lever she did move easily on to the main track, and rested while I reset the switch.
Then I climbed back into the cab, and sank down before the warm blaze in a stupor of faintness as the engine glided smoothly and swiftly down the track.
CHAPTER XXV
A FLUTTER IN THE MARKET
The gray pall of the storm hung over San Francisco. The dim light of the morning scarcely penetrated into the hallways as we climbed the stairs that led to our lodgings, leaving behind us the trail of dripping garments. I heaved a sigh of relief as Trent opened the door, and we once more faced the pleasing prospect of warmth, dry clothing and friends.
We had made the run from Niles without incident, and had left the engine on a siding at Brooklyn without being observed. If the railroad company still has curiosity, after all these years, to know how that engine got from Niles to Brooklyn, I trust that the words I have just written may be taken as an explanation and apology.
"Where"s Barkhouse?" I asked, becoming comfortable once more with dry clothes, a warm room and a fresh bandage on my arm.
"He hasn"t shown up, sir," said Trent. "Owens and Larson went out to look for him toward evening yesterday, but there wasn"t a sign of him."
"Try again to-day. You may pick up news at Borton"s or some of the water-front saloons."
"Oh, there was a letter for you," said Trent. "I near forgot."
I s.n.a.t.c.hed the envelope, for the address was in the hand of the Unknown.
The sheet within bore the words:
"Where is the boy? Have you removed him? Send the key to Richmond. Let me know when you return, for I must see you as soon as it is safe."
I read the note three or four times, and each time I was more bewildered than before. I had left the boy in Livermore, but certainly he was not the one she meant. He was the "wrong boy," and my employer must be well aware that I had taken him at her orders. Or could that expedition be a jest of the enemy to divert my attention? I dismissed this theory as soon as it suggested itself.
But where was the "right boy"? I had for a moment a sinking feeling of terror in the thought that the enemy had captured him. Mother Borton"s warning that they had found his place of hiding returned to confirm this thought. But in an instant I remembered that the enemy had followed me in force to Livermore in chase of the wrong boy, and had attacked me in pure chagrin at the trick that had been played on them. That showed me beyond question that they had not obtained possession of the right boy.
And the "key" that I was to send to Richmond, what was that?
The closing portion of the note set my heart beating fast. At last I was to have the opportunity to meet my mysterious employer face to face.
But what explanation was I to make? What reception would I meet when she learned that Henry Wilton had given up his life in her service, and that I, who had taken his place, could tell nothing of the things she wished to know?
I wrote a brief note to Richmond stating that I had no key, inclosed the Unknown"s note, with the remark that I had returned, and gave it to Owens to deliver. I was in some anxiety lest he might not know where Richmond was to be found. But he took the note without question, and I lay down with orders that I was to be called in time to reach the opening session of the stock market, and in a moment was fast asleep.
The Stock Exchange was a boiling and bubbling ma.s.s of excited men as I reached it. Pine Street, wet and sloppy, was lined with a mob of umbrellas that sheltered anxious speculators of small degree, and the great building was thronged with the larger dealers--with millionaires and brokers, with men who were on their way to fortune, and those who had been millionaires and now were desperately struggling against the odds of fate as they saw their wealth swept away in the gamblers"
whirlpool.
I shouldered my way through the crowd into the buzzing Board-room as the session opened. Excitement thrilled the air, but the opening was listless. All knew that the struggle over Omega was to be settled that day, and that Doddridge Knapp or George Decker was to find ruin at the end of the call, and all were eager to hasten the decisive moment.
Wallbridge came panting before me, his round, bald head bobbing with excitement.
"Ready for the fray, eh? Oh, it"s worth money to see this. Talk of your theaters now, eh? Got any orders?"
"Not yet," I returned, hardly sharing the little man"s enjoyment of the scene. The size of the stakes made me tremble.