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Title:AttheTimeAppointed
Author:A.MaynardBarbour
Illustrator:J.N.Marchand
ReleaseDate:June21,2007[EBook#21892]
Language:English

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SPINE


ATTHETIMEAPPOINTED
TWELFTHEDITION

ByA.MaynardBarbour
THATMAINWARINGAFFAIR
ILLUSTRATEDBYE.PLAISTEDABBOTT
12mo.Cloth,$1.50
"Possiblyinadetectivestorythemainobjectistothrill.Ifso,'That
Mainwaring Affair' is all right. The thrill is there, full measure,

presseddownandrunningover."—Life,NewYork
"The book that reminds one of Anna Katherine Green in her
palmiest days....Keepsthereaderonthealert,defiestheeffortsof
those who read backward, deserves the applause of all who like
mystery."—TownTopics,NewYork
"The tale is well told, and the intricacies of the plot so adroitly
managed that it is impossible to foresee the correct solution of the
mysteriouscaseuntilthefinalactofthetragedy....Althoughvividly
told, the literary style is excellent and the story by no means
sensational, a fact that raises it above the level of the old-time
detectivestory,"—BrooklynDailyEagle

ASDARRELLDISMOUNTEDSHECAMESWIFTLYTOWARDSHIM
ASDARRELLDISMOUNTEDSHECAMESWIFTLYTOWARDSHIM.
Page110


ATTHETIMEAPPOINTED
BY


A.MaynardBarbour
AUTHOROF"THATMAINWARINGAFFAIR,"ETC.

WITHAFRONTISPIECEBYJ.N.MARCHAND
"Yes,greatertheywhoonlife'sbattle-field,
Withunseenfoesandfiercetemptationsfight"
JOHND.HIGINBOTHAM

LOGO

GROSSET&DUNLAP
PublishersNewYork
Copyright,1903
ByJ.B.LIPPINCOTTCOMPANY
PublishedApril,1903

ElectrotypedandPrintedby
J.B.LippincottCompany,Philadelphia,U.S.A.


TO

JOHND.HIGINBOTHAM
"ASUNKNOWN,ANDYET
WELLKNOWN"


CONTENTS

Illustration:AsDarrellDismounted,SheCameSwiftlyTowardsHim
ChapterI—JOHNDARRELL
9
ChapterII—ANIGHT'SWORK
25
ChapterIII—"THEPINES"
32
ChapterIV—LIFE?ORDEATH?
43
ChapterV—JOHNBRITTON

48
ChapterVI—ECHOESFROMTHEPAST
62
ChapterVII—ATTHEMINES
68
ChapterVIII—"UNTILTHEDAYBREAK"
81
ChapterIX—TWOPORTRAITS
86
ChapterX—THECOMMUNIONOFTWOSOULS
95
ChapterXI—IMPENDINGTROUBLE
104
ChapterXII—NEWLIFEINTHEOLDHOME
109
ChapterXIII—MR.UNDERWOOD"STRIKES"FIRST
123
ChapterXIV—DRIFTING
134
ChapterXV—THEAWAKENING
146
ChapterXVI—THEAFTERMATH
166
ChapterXVII—"SHEKNOWSHERFATHER'SWILLISLAW"
180
ChapterXVIII—ONTHE"DIVIDE"
194
ChapterXIX—THERETURNTOCAMPBIRD
206
ChapterXX—FORGINGTHEFETTERS

216
ChapterXXI—TWOCRIMESBYTHESAMEHAND
224
ChapterXXII—THEFETTERSBROKEN
237
ChapterXXIII—THEMASKLIFTED
247
ChapterXXIV—FORESHADOWINGS
254
ChapterXXV—THE"HERMITAGE"
262
ChapterXXVI—JOHNBRITTON'SSTORY
269


ChapterXXVII—THERENDINGOFTHEVEIL
ChapterXXVIII—"ASADREAMWHENONEAWAKETH"
ChapterXXIX—JOHNDARRELL'SSTORY
ChapterXXX—AFTERMANYYEARS
ChapterXXXI—ANEASTERNHOME
ChapterXXXII—MARIONHOLMES
ChapterXXXIII—INTOTHEFULNESSOFLIFE
ChapterXXXIV—AWARNING
ChapterXXXV—AFIENDATBAY
ChapterXXXVI—SEÑORAMARTINEZ
ChapterXXXVII—THEIDENTIFICATION
ChapterXXXVIII—WITHINTHE"POCKET"
ChapterXXXIX—ATTHETIMEAPPOINTED

274

278
285
295
300
308
316
321
330
337
343
352
360


ATTHE
TIMEAPPOINTED


ChapterI


JOHNDARRELL

Upon a small station on one of the transcontinental lines winding among the
mountainsfarabovethelevelofthesea,theburningraysofthenoondaysunfell
sofiercelythatthefewbuildingsseemedreadytoignitefromtheintenseheat.A
season of unusual drought had added to the natural desolation of the scene.
Mountainsandfoot-hillswereblackenedbysmoulderingfiresamongthetimber,
whileadensepallofsmokeentirelyhidthedistantrangesfromview.Patchesof
sage-brush and bunch grass, burned sere and brown, alternated with barren

stretches of sand from which piles of rubble rose here and there, telling of
worked-outandabandonedmines.Occasionallyacurrentofairstolenoiselessly
down from the canyon above, but its breath scorched the withered vegetation
liketheblastfromafurnace.Notasoundbrokethestillness;lifeitselfseemed
temporarily suspended, while the very air pulsated and vibrated with the heat,
risinginthin,quiveringcolumns.
Suddenly the silence was broken by the rapid approach of the stage from a
distant mining camp, rattling noisily down the street, followed by a slight stir
within the apparently deserted station. Whirling at breakneck pace around a
sharpturn,itstoppedprecipitately,amidablindingcloudofdust,todepositits
passengersatthedepot.
Oneofthese,ayoungmanofaboutfive-and-twenty,arosewithsomedifficulty
fromthecrampedpositionwhichforsevenwearyhourshehadbeenforcedto
maintain,and,withsundrystretchingsandshakingsofhissuperbform,seemed
atlasttopullhimselftogether.Havingsecuredhisbelongingsfromoutthepile
ofmiscellaneousluggagethrownfromthestageupontheplatform,headvanced
towardstheslouchingfigureofamanjustemergingfromthebaggage-room,his
hands thrust deep in his trousers pockets, his mouth stretched in a prodigious
yawn,thearrivalofthestagehavingevidentlyawakenedhimfromhissiesta.
"How's the west-bound—on time?" queried the young man rather shortly, but
despite the curtness of his accents there was a musical quality in the ringing


tones.
Beforethecavernousjawscouldclosesufficientlyforreply,twodistantwhistles
soundedalmostsimultaneously.
"That's her," drawled the man, with a backward jerk of his thumb over his
shoulder in the direction of the sound; "she's at Blind Man's Pass; be here in
aboutfifteenminutes."
Theyoungmanturnedandsaunteredtotherearendoftheplatform,wherehe

paused for a few moments; then, unconscious of the scrutiny of his fellowpassengers, he began silently pacing up and down, being in no mood for
conversationwithanyone.Everyboneinhisbodyachedandhisheadthrobbed
withadullpain,butthesephysicaldiscomforts,whichheattributedtohislong
andwearisome stageride,caused him less annoyance than did the fact that he
had lost several days' time, besides subjecting himself to numerous
inconveniencesandhardships,onwhathenowdenominateda"fool'serrand."
Anexpertmineralogistandmetallurgist,hehadbeen commissionedbyalarge
syndicate of eastern capitalists to come west, primarily to examine a certain
mine recently offered for sale, and secondarily to secure any other valuable
miningpropertieswhichmighthappentobeonthemarket.Apromoter,whose
acquaintancehehadformedsoonafterleavingSt.Paul,hadpouredintohisear
suchfabuloustalesofamineofuntoldwealthwhichneededbuttheexpenditure
ofafewthousandstoplaceituponadividend-payingbasis,that,aftermaking
dueallowanceforoptimismandexaggeration,hehadthoughtitmightbeworth
his while to stop off and investigate. The result of the investigation had been
anythingbutsatisfactoryforeitherthepromoterortheexpert.
Hewasthemoreannoyedatthelossoftimebecauseofatelegramhandedhim
justbeforehisdeparturefromSt.Paul,whichhenowdrewforth,andwhichread
asfollows:
"Parkinson,expertforM.andM.ontrail.Knows
youasour
representative, but only by name. Lie low and
blockhim
ifpossible.
"BARNARD
Hewellunderstoodtheimportofthemessage.The"M.andM."stoodforarival


syndicateofenormouswealth,andthefactthatits expertwasalsoonhisway
westpromisedlivelycompetitioninthepurchaseofthefamousAjaxmine.

"Fivedays,"hesoliloquized,glancingatthedateofthemessage,whichhenow
toreintobits,togetherwithtwoorthreelettersoflittleimportance."Ihavelost
my start and am now likely to meet this Parkinson at any stage of the game.
However, he has never heard of John Darrell, and that name will answer my
purposeaswellasanyamongstrangers.I'llnotifyBarnardwhenIreachOphir."
HisplansforthecircumventionofParkinsonwerenowtemporarilycutshortby
theappearanceofthe"double-header"roundingacurveandrapidlyapproaching
—a welcome sight, for the heat and blinding glare of light were becoming
intolerable.
Only for a moment the ponderous engines paused, panting and quivering like
two living, sentient monsters; the next, with heavy, labored breath, as though
summoning all their energies for the task before them, they were slowly
ascending the steadily increasing grade, moment by moment with accelerated
speedplungingintotheveryheartofthemountains,bearingJohnDarrell,ashe
was to be henceforth known, to a destiny of which he had little thought, but
whichhehimselfhad,unconsciously,helpedtoweave.
Anhourlater,onreturningtothesleeperafteranunsuccessfulattemptatdining,
Darrell sank into his seat, and, leaning wearily back, watched with half-closed
eyes the rapidly changing scenes through which he was passing, for the time
utterly oblivious to his surroundings. Gigantic rocks, grotesque in form and
color, flashed past; towering peaks loomed suddenly before him, advancing,
receding, disappearing, and reappearing with the swift windings and doublings
ofthetrain;massivewallsofgranitepressedcloseandcloser,seemingforone
instantathreatening,impenetrablebarrier,thenext,openingtorevealglimpses
ofdistantbillowyranges,theirsummitswhitewithperpetualsnow.Thetrainhad
now reached a higher altitude, and breezes redolent of pine and fir fanned his
throbbingbrow,theirfragrancethronginghismindwithmemoriesofotherand
far-distant scenes, until gradually the bold outlines of cliff and crag grew dim,
and in their place appeared a cool, dark forest through which flecks of golden
sunlightsifteddownuponthemoss-grown,flower-strewnearth;astreamsinging

beneath the pines, then rippling onward through meadows of waving green; a
wide-spreading house of colonial build half hidden by giant trees and clinging
rose-vines,and,framedamongtheroses,aface,strong,tender,sweet,crowned
withsilveredhair—oneofthefewwhichsorrowmakesbeautiful—whichcame


nearerandnearer,bendingoverhimwithamother'sblessing;andthenheslept.
The face of the sleeper, with its clear-cut, well-moulded features, formed a
pleasing study, reminding one of a bit of unfinished carving, the strong, bold
lines of which reveal the noble design of the sculptor—the thing of wondrous
beautyyettobe—butwhichstilllacksthefinerstrokes,thefinaltouchrequisite
to bring it to perfection. Strength of character was indicated there; an
indomitable will that would bend the most adverse conditions to serve its own
masterful purpose and make of obstacles the paving-stones to success; a mind
gifted with keen perceptive faculties, but which hitherto had dealt mostly with
externals and knew little of itself or of its own powers. Young, with splendid
health and superabundant vitality, there had been little opportunity for
introspection or for the play of the finer, subtler faculties; and of the whole
gamut of susceptibilities, ranging from exquisite suffering to ecstatic joy, few
had been even awakened. His was a nature capable of producing the divinest
harmoniesorthewildestdiscords,accordingtothehandthatsweptthestringsas
yetuntouched.
FormorethananhourDarrellslept.Hewasawakenedbythemurmurofvoices
nearhim,confusedatfirst,butgrowingmoredistinctashegraduallyrecalledhis
surroundings, until, catching the name of "Parkinson," he was instantly on the
alert.
"Yes," a pleasant voice was saying, "I understand the Ajax is for sale if the
ownerscangettheirprice,buttheydon'twantlessthanacoldmillionforit,and
it'smyopinionthey'llfindbuyersratherscarceatthatfigurewhenitcomestoa
showdown."

"Well,Idon'tknow;thatdepends,"wasthereply."Thepricewon'tstandinthe
waywithmypeople,ifthemineisallright.Theycanhandoveramillion—or
two,forthatmatter—aseasilyasathousand,ifthepropertyiswhattheywant,
butthey'vegottoknowwhatthey'rebuying.That'swhatI'moutherefor."
Takingaquietsurveyofthesituation,Darrellfoundthatthesectionoppositehis
own—which,uponhisreturnfromthedining-car,hadcontainedonlyamotley
collection of coats and grips—was now occupied by a party of three, two of
whom were engaged in animated conversation. One of the speakers, who sat
facingDarrell,wasayoungmanofabouttwo-and-twenty,whoseself-assurance
and assumption of worldly wisdom, combined with a boyish impetuosity, he
found vastly amusing, while at the same time his frank, ingenuous eyes and


winning smile of genuine friendliness, revealing a nature as unsuspecting and
confiding as a child's, appealed to him strangely and drew him irresistibly
towards the young stranger. The other speaker, whom Darrell surmised to be
Parkinson, was considerably older and was seated facing the younger man,
hencehisbackwastowardsDarrell;whilethethirdmemberoftheparty,andby
fartheeldest,ofwhosefaceDarrellhadaperfectprofileview,althoughsaying
little,seemedaninterestedlistener.
ThemanwhomDarrellsupposedtobeParkinsoninquiredthequickestwayof
reachingtheAjaxmine.
"Well, you see it's this way," replied the young fellow. "The Ajax is on a spur
thatrunsoutfromthemainlineatOphir,andthetrainonlyrunsbetweenthere
and Ophir twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Let's see, this is
Wednesday; we'll get into Ophir to-morrow, and you'll have to wait over until
Saturday,unlessyouhirearigtotakeyououtthere,andthat'sprettyexpensive
andanawfullyroughjauntbesides."
"Idon'tmindtheexpense,"retortedtheother,"butIdon'tknowasIcaretogoon
any jaunts over your mountain roads when there's no special necessity for it; I

cangetexerciseenoughwithoutthat."
"Itellyouwhat,Mr.Parkinson,"saidtheyoungfellow,cordially,"youandyour
friend here, Mr. Hunter,"—Darrell started at the mention of the latter name,
—"hadbetterwaitovertillSaturday,andinthemeantimeI'lltakeyoupeople
out to Camp Bird, as we call it, and show you the Bird Mine; that's our mine,
you know,and I tellyousheisa 'bird,'andnomistake.You'llbeinterestedin
lookingherover,thoughI'lltellyoubeforehandshe'snotforsale."
"Do I understand that you have an interest in this remarkable mine, Mr.
Whitcomb?"Parkinsoninquired,atingeofamusementinhistone.
"Notinthewayyoumean;thatis,notyet,thoughthere'snotellinghowsoonI
may have if things turn out as I hope," and the boyish cheek flushed slightly.
"ButIknowwhatI'mtalkingaboutallthesame.Myuncle,D.K.Underwood,is
a practical mining man of nearly thirty years' experience, and what he doesn't
knowaboutminesandminingisn'tworthknowing.He'sinterestedinadozenor
soofthebestminesintheState,butIdon'tthinkhewouldexchangehishalfinterest in the Bird Mine for all his other holdings put together. She's a
comparatively new mine yet, but taking into consideration her depth and the
amount of development, she's the best-paying mine in the State. Here, let me


showyousomething."Andhastilypullinganote-bookfromhispocket,hetook
therefromanarrowslipofpaperwhichhehandedtotheexpert.
"There's a statement," he continued, "made out by the United States Assay
Office,backhereatGalena,thatwillshowyouthereturnsfromasixtydays'run
attheBirdmill;whatdoyouthinkofthat?"
Parkinson's face was still invisible to Darrell, but the latter heard a long, low
whistleofsurprise.YoungWhitcomblookedjubilant.
"Theysayfigureswon'tlie,"headded,intonesofboyishenthusiasm,"butifyou
don't believe those figures, I've got the cash right here to show for it,"
accompanyingthewordswithasignificantgesture.
ParkinsonhandedthesliptoHunter,thenleanedbackinhisseat,givingDarrell

aviewofhisprofile.
"Sixtydays!"hesaid,musingly."Seventy-fivethousanddollars!IthinkIwould
like to take a look at the Bird Mine! I think I would like to make Mr.
Underwood'sacquaintance!"
Whitcomblaughedexultingly."I'llgiveyouanopportunitytodobothifyou'll
stop over," he said; "and don't you forget that my uncle can give you some
pointersontheAjax,forheknowseverymineintheState."
Mr.HunterherehandedtheslipofpapertoWhitcomb."Youngman,"hesaid,
withsomeseverity,gazingfixedlyatWhitcombthroughhiseye-glasses,"doyou
mean to say that you are travelling with seventy-five thousand dollars on your
person?"
"Certainly,sir,"Whitcombreplied,evidentlyenjoyingthesituation.
Mr.Huntershookhishead."Veryimprudent!"hecommented."Youarerunning
atremendousrisk.Iwonderthatyourunclewouldpermitit!"
"Oh, that's all right," said Whitcomb, confidently. "Uncle usually comes down
himself with the shipments of bullion, and he generally banks the most of his
moneythereatGalena,buthecouldn'tverywellleavethistime,sohesentme,
andashewasgoingtouseconsiderablemoneypayingforalotofimprovements
we'veputinandpayingoffthemen,hetoldmetobringbackthecash.There's
notmuchdangeranyway;theWestisn'taswildnowadaysasitusedtobe."


HandingasecondbitofpapertoParkinson,headded:"There'ssomethingelse
that will interest you; the results of some assays made by the United States
AssayOfficeonsomesamplestakenatrandomfromanewstrikewemadelast
week.I'llshowyousomeofthesamples,too."
"GreatScott!"ejaculatedParkinson,runninghiseyeoverthereturns."Youseem
tohaveaminethere,allright!"
"Surething!You'llthinksowhenyouseeit,"Whitcombanswered,fumblingina
gripathisfeet.

At sight of the specimens of ore which he produced a moment later, his two
companionsbecamenearlyasenthusiasticashimself.Leaningeagerlyforward,
theybegananinspectionofthesamples,commentingontheirrespectivevalues,
whileWhitcomb,unfoldingatracingoftheworkingsofthemine,explainedthe
localityfromwhicheachpiecewastaken,itsdepthfromthesurface,thewidth
anddipofthevein,andotheritemsofinterest.
Darrell,whowascarefullyrefrainingfrombetrayinganyspecialinterestinthe
party across the aisle, soon became aware that he was not the only interested
listenertotheconversation.Inthesectiondirectlyinfrontoftheoneoccupied
byWhitcombandhiscompanionsamanwasseated,apparentlyengrossedina
newspaper,butDarrell,whohadathree-quarterviewofhisface,soonobserved
that he was not reading, but listening intently to the conversation of the men
seated behind him, and particularly to young Whitcomb's share in it. Upon
hearing the latter's statement that he had with him the cash returns for the
shipmentofbullion,Darrellsawthemusclesofhisfacesuddenlygrowtenseand
rigid,whilehishandsinvoluntarilytightenedtheirholduponthepaper.Hegrew
uncomfortable under Darrell's scrutiny, moved restlessly once or twice, then
turning, looked directly into the piercing dark eyes fixed upon him. His own
eyes, which were small and shifting, instantly dropped, while the dark blood
mountedangrilytohisforehead.Afewmomentslater,hechangedhisposition
sothatDarrellcouldnotseehisface,butthelatterdeterminedtowatchhimand
togiveWhitcombawordofwarningattheearliestopportunity.
"Well," said Parkinson, leaning back in his seat after examining the ores and
listeningtoWhitcomb'soutlineoftheirplansforthefuturedevelopmentofthe
mine, "it seems to me, young man, you have quite a knowledge of mines and
miningyourself."
Whitcombflushedwithpleasure."Ioughtto,"hesaid;"thereisn'tamaninthis


westerncountrythatunderstandsthebusinessbetterorhasgotitdownanyfiner

thanmyuncle.Hemaynotbeabletotalksogliblyorusesuchhigh-sounding
namesforthingsasyoufellows,buthecancomeprettyneartellingwhethera
minewillpayforthehandling,andifithasanyvaluehegenerallyknowshowto
gotoworktofindit."
"Well, that's about the 'gist' of the whole business," said Parkinson; he added:
"Yousayhecangivemesome'tips'ontheAjax?"
"Hecanifhechoosesto,"laughedWhitcomb,"butyou'dbetternotlethimknow
that I said so. He'll be more likely to give you information if you ask him
offhand."
"Well,"continuedParkinson,"whenwegettoOphir,I'llknowwhetherornotI
can stop over. I've heard there's another fellow out here on this Ajax business;
whetherhe'saheadofmeIdon'tknow.I'llmakeinquirieswhenwereachOphir,
andifhehasn'tcomeonthesceneyetIcanaffordtolayoff;ifhehas,Imust
lose no time in getting out to the mine." Parkinson glanced at Hunter, who
noddedalmostimperceptibly.
"I guess that's the best arrangement we can make at present," said Parkinson,
risingfromhisseat."Comeandhaveasmokewithus,Mr.Whitcomb?"
Whitcombdeclinedtheinvitation,and,afterHunterandParkinsonhadleft,sat
idlyturningoverthespecimensofore,until,happeningtocatchDarrell'seye,he
inquired,pleasantly,—
"Areyouinterestedinthissortofthing?"
"In a way, yes," said Darrell, crossing over and taking the seat vacated by
Parkinson. "I'm not what you call a mining man; that is, I've never owned or
operatedamine,butItakea greatinterestinexamining the different ores and
alwaystrytogetasmuchinformationregardingthemaspossible."
Whitcomb at once launched forth enthusiastically upon a description of the
varioussamples.Darrell,whilecarefulnottoshowtoogreatfamiliaritywiththe
subject, or too thorough a knowledge of ores in general, yet was so keenly
appreciativeoftheirremarkablerichnessandbeautythathesoonwontheboy's
heart.

"Say!"heexclaimed,"youhadbetterstopoffatOphirwithus;wewouldmakea
mining man of you in less than no time! By the way, how far west are you


travelling?"
"Ophir is my destination at present, though it is uncertain how long I remain
there."
"Longenough,thatwe'llgetwellacquainted,Ihope.Goingintoanyparticular
lineofbusiness?"
"No,onlylookingthecountryover,forthepresent."
Todiverttheconversationfromhimself,Darrell,byajudiciousquestionortwo,
ledWhitcombtospeakoftheexpert.
"Parkinson?" he said with a merry laugh. "Oh, yes, he's one of those eastern
know-it-allswhocomeouthereoccasionallytogiveusfellowsafewpointson
mines.They'reallright,ofcourse,forthemenwhoemploythem,whowantto
invest their money and wouldn't know a mine if they saw one; but when they
undertake to air their knowledge among these old fellows who have spent a
lifetime in the business, why, they're likely to get left, that's all. Now, this
Parkinsonseemstobeaprettyfairsortofmancomparedwithsomeofthem,but
betweenyouandme,I'dwagermylastdollarthatthey'lllosehimonthatAjax
mine!"
"Why,what'sthematterwiththeAjax?"Darrellinquired,indifferently.
"Well,asyou'renotinterestedinanyway,I'mnottellingtalesoutofschool.The
Ajaxhasbeenabonanzainitsday,butwithinthelastyearorsothebottomhas
droppedoutofthewholething,andthat'sthereasontheownersareanxiousto
sell."
"Iheartheyaskaprettygoodpriceforthemine."
"Yes,they'retradingonherreputation,butthat'sallpast.Themineispractically
workedout.They'vemadeafewgoodstrikeslately,sothatthereissomegood
oreinsight,andthisistheirchancetosell,buttherearenoindicationsofany

permanence.Oneofourownmenwasoverthereawhileago,andhesaidthere
wasn'tenoughoreintheminetokeeptheirmillrunningfullforceformorethan
sixmonths."
"IsthisHunteranexpertalso?"
"Oh,no;Parkinsonsaidhewasafriendofhis,justtakingthetripforhishealth."


Darrell smiled quietly, knowing Hunter to be a member of the syndicate
employingParkinson,butkepthisknowledgetohimself.
Alittlelater,whenDarrellandWhitcomblefttogetherforthedining-car,quitea
friendshiphadsprungupbetweenthem.Therewasthatmutualattractionoften
observed between two natures utterly diverse. Whitcomb was unaccountably
drawn towards the dark-eyed, courteous, but rather reticent stranger, while his
own frank friendliness and childlike confidence awoke in Darrell's nature a
correlativetendernessandaffectionwhichheneverwouldhavebelievedhimself
capableoffeelingtowardsoneofhisownsex.
"Idon'tknowwhatisthematterwithme,"saidDarrell,asheseatedhimselfata
table,facingWhitcomb."Myheadseemstohaveasmall-sizedstamp-millinside
ofit;everyboneinmybodyaches,andmyjointsfeelasthoughtheywerebeing
pulledapart."
Whitcomblookedupquickly."AreyoujustfromtheEast,orhaveyoubeenout
hereanytime?"
"Istoppedforafewdays,backhereaways."
"Inthemountaincountry?"
"Yes."
"By George! I believe you've got the mountain fever; there's an awful lot of it
roundherethisseason,andthisisjusttheworsttimeofyearforaneasternerto
come out here. But we'll look after you when we get to Ophir, and bring you
roundallright."
"Much obliged, but I think I'll be all right after a night's rest," Darrell replied,

inwardly resolved, upon reaching Ophir, to push on to the Ajax as quickly as
possible,thoughhisardorwasconsiderablycooledbyWhitcomb'sreport.
Whentheyleftthedining-carthetrainwasstoppingatasmallstation,andfora
fewmomentstheyoungmenstrolledupanddowntheplatform.Adense,bluishgrayhazehunglowoverthecountry,renderingtheoutlinesofeventhenearest
objectsobscureanddim;thewesternskywaslikeburnishedcopper,andthesun,
poisedalittleabovethehorizon,lookedlikeaballofglowingfire.
JustasthetrainwasabouttostartDarrellsawthemanwhosepeculiaractionshe
had noticed earlier, leave the telegraph office and jump hastily aboard. Calling


Whitcomb's attention as he passed them, he related his observations of the
afternoonandcautionedhimagainsttheman.ForaninstantWhitcomblooked
serious.
"IsupposeitwasratherindiscreetinmetotalkasIdid,"hesaid,"butitcan'tbe
helpednow.However,Iguessit'sallright,butI'mobligedtoyouallthesame."
They passed into the smoker, where Darrell was introduced to Hunter and
Parkinson.Inashorttime,however,hefoundhimselfsufferingfromnauseaand
growingfaintanddizzy.
"Gentlemen,"hesaid,"youwillhavetoexcuseme.I'mratheroffmybasethis
evening,andIfindthatsmokingisn'tdoingmeanygood."
AsheroseyoungWhitcombspranginstantlytohisfeet;throwingawayhiscigar
andlinkinghisarmwithinDarrell's,heinsisteduponaccompanyinghimtothe
sleeper,notwithstandinghisprotests.
"Good-night,Parkinson,"hecalled,cheerily;"seeyouinthemorning!"
He accompanied Darrell to his section; then dropped familiarly into the seat
besidehim,throwingonearmaffectionatelyoverDarrell'sshoulder,andduring
thenexthour,whilethesunsetglowfadedandtheeveningshadowsdeepened,
heconfidedtothisacquaintanceofonlyafewhourstheoutlinesofhispastlife
andmuchregardinghishopesandplansforthefuture.Hespokeofhisorphaned
boyhood;oftheunclewhohadgivenhimahomeinhisfamilyandinitiatedhim

intohisownbusinessmethods;ofhishopeofbeingadmittedatnodistantday
into partnership with his uncle and becoming a shareholder in the wonderful
BirdMine.
"But that isn't all I am looking forward to," he said, in conclusion, his boyish
tonesgrowingstrangelydeepandtender."MyfondesthopeofallIhardlydare
admiteventomyself,andIdon'tknowwhyIamspeakingofittoyou,except
thatIalreadylikeyouandtrustyouasIneverdidanyotherman;butyou will
understandwhatImeanwhenyouseemycousin,KateUnderwood."
He paused, but his silence was more eloquent to Darrell than words; the latter
graspedhishandwarmlyintokenthatheunderstood.
"Iwishyouallthatyouhopefor,"hesaid.
A few moments later Whitcomb spoke with his usual impetuosity. "What am I


thinkingof,keepingyouupinthiswaywhenyouaresickanddeadtired!You
had better turn in and get all the rest you can, and when we reach Ophir tomorrow, just remember, my dear fellow, that no hotels 'go.' You'll go directly
homewithme,whereyou'llfindyourselfinsuchgoodhandsyou'llthinksure
you'reinyourownhome,andwe'llsoonhaveyouallright."
ForhoursDarrelltossedwearily,unabletosleep.Hisheadthrobbedwildly,the
rackingpainthroughouthisframeincreased,whilearagingfireseemedcreeping
through his veins. Not until long past midnight did he fall into a fitful sleep.
Strangefanciessurgedthroughhisfeveredbrain,torturinghimwiththeirendless
repetition, their seeming reality. Suddenly he awoke, bewildered, exhausted,
oppressedbyavaguesenseofimpendingevil.


ChapterII


ANIGHT'SWORK

For a few seconds Darrell tried vainly to recall what had awakened him. Low,
confusedsoundsoccasionallyreachedhisears,buttheyseemedpartofhisown
troubleddreams.Theheatwasintolerable;heraisedhimselftotheopenwindow
that he might get a breath of cooler air; his head whirled, but the half-sitting
postureseemedtoclearhisbrain,andherecalledhissurroundings.Atoncehe
became conscious that the train was not in motion, yet no sound of trainmen's
voices came through the open window; all was dead silence, and the vague,
hauntingsenseofimpendingdangerquickened.
Suddenlyheheardamutteredoathinoneofthesections,followedbyanorder,
low,butperemptory,—
"Nonoise!Handover,andbequickaboutit!"
Instantly Darrell comprehended the situation. Peering cautiously between the
curtains,hesaw,attheforwardendofthesleeper,amaskedmanwitharevolver
in each hand, while the mirror behind him revealed another figure at the rear,
maskedandarmedinlikemanner.Heheardanotherorder;themanwasdoing
his work swiftly. He thought at once of young Whitcomb, but no sound came
fromtheoppositesection,andhesankquietlybackuponhispillow.
Amomentlaterthecurtainswerequicklythrustaside,themuzzleofarevolver
confrontedDarrell,andthesamelowvoicedemanded,—
"Handoutyourvaluables!"
Amanofmediumheight,wearingamaskandfullbeard,stoodoverhim.Darrell
quietly handed over his watch and purse, noting as he did so the man's hands,
white,wellformed,wellkept.Hehalfexpectedafurtherdemand,asthepurse
containedonlyafewsmallbillsandsomechange,thebulkofhismoneybeing
secreted about the mattress, as was his habit; but the man turned with peculiar
abruptnesstotheoppositesection,asonewhohadadefiniteobjectinviewand


was in haste to accomplish it. Darrell, his faculties alert, observed that the

sectioninfrontofWhitcomb'swasempty;herecalledtheactionsofitsoccupant
on the preceding afternoon, his business later at the telegraph office, and the
wholeschemeflashedvividlybeforehismind.Themanhadbeenaspysentout
by the band now holding the train, and Whitcomb's money was without doubt
theparticularobjectofthehold-up.
Whitcomb was asleep at the farther side of his berth. Leaning slightly towards
him,themanshookhim,andhisfirstwordsconfirmedDarrell'sintuitions,—
"Handoverthatmoney,youngman,andnofussaboutit,either!"
Whitcomb, instantly awake, gazed at the masked face without a word or
movement.Darrell,powerlesstoaidhisfriend,watchedintently,dreadingsome
rashactonhisparttowhichhisimpetuousnaturemightprompthim.
Againheheardthelowtones,thistimeanoteofdangerinthem,—
"Nofooling!Handthatmoneyover,lively!"
Withaspring,assuddenandnoiselessasapanther's,Whitcombgrappledwith
theman,knockingtherevolverfromhishanduponthebed.Aquick,desperate,
silentstrugglefollowed.Whitcombsuddenlyreachedfortherevolver;ashedid
so Darrell saw a flash of steel in the dim light, and the next instant his friend
sank,limpandmotionless,uponthebed.
"Fool!"heheardthemanmutter,withanoath.
An involuntary groan escaped from Darrell's lips. Slight as was the sound, the
manhearditandturned,facinghim;thelatterwasscreenedbythecurtains,and
theman,seeingnoone,returnedtohiswork,butthatbriefglancehadrevealed
enoughtoDarrellthatheknewhecouldhenceforthidentifythemurdereramong
athousand.Inthestrugglethemaskhadbeenpartiallypushedaside,exposinga
portion of the man's face. A scar of peculiar shape showed white against the
olive skin, close to the curling black hair. But to Darrell the pre-eminently
distinguishingcharacteristicofthatfacewastheeyes.Ofthemostperfectsteel
blue he had ever seen, they seemed, as they turned upon him in that intense
glance,toglintandscintillatelikethepointsoftworapiersinabrilliantsword
play,whiletheirlookofconcentratedfuryandmalignity,moredemon-likethan

human,wasstampedineffaceablyuponhisbrain.
Havingsecuredasmuchashecouldfindofthemoney,themurdererlefthastily