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This left Graham and Toomey alone in the cab, and Toomey's first question was, "What can you do now, sir?" "Find Nolan," was the brief answer, "and get to the bottom of this." "Orders may come any minute," said Toomey, looking anxiously over his shoulder. "We'll have to pull out and go ahead. You couldn't stay here at Argenta, could you?" "I may have to. Here's Cullin now."
One noted Venetian captain thus gave his opinion: "Holy Father, we must prevent any provisions arriving at Ferrara by the river, and also from Argenta and the country round, which is very rich and fertile.
But that, reasoned Geordie, might be impossible now in view of this new complication serious trouble at the mines, and "every man out at Silver Shield." If only he could see Toomey again for a moment! That was impossible. Toomey's every muscle was needed to keep that fiery and insatiable monster fed with fuel every rod of the way to Argenta. There was no intermediate stop.
Get me permission to ride on any freight-engine, Mountain Division, for the next three days, and I'm off for the mines before we're half a day older, and no man here or there the wiser." "They'd spot you as you went through Argenta," said McCrea. "Breifogle will be watching every train."
There was a pack of 'em come down to Argenta to get to the owners, they said. By gad, they seem to have got at one of 'em!" A moan from the sufferer was the only answer. Graham shook his head. "How soon can you make it?" he asked. "The sooner this man's in expert hands the better 'twill be." "Twelve minutes," said Cullin, with a snap of his silver watch-lid.
Breifogle was no fool, as Graham remembered, and a fireman's black cap and sooty shirt and overalls would be but scant disguise. And to carry out his plan it was essential that he should pass through Argenta, reach Hatch's Cove and eventually the Silver Shield mine, and reach this latter unknown and unsuspected. Toomey and he had hit on a plan once Toomey could succeed in getting word to Nolan.
And again the sponge was busily plied, and then the grimy nurse glanced upward at Cullin, now shinning down from his perch in the skylight. "His home's right ahead at Argenta. Breifogle's the name." "Breifogle!" shouted Cullin, aghast. "Why, that's the big brewer, banker, mine-owner, and Lord knows what all that owns half of Yampah County and wants to own the rest. Could he tell who slugged him?
With terror in his eyes, a man who had long worked with Nolan, a foreigner, too, came running to the silent, anxious little group of Anglo-Saxons. "Nolan Nolan," he cried. "He says you was traitor! He says you was gone to Argenta and told all their secrets, and you was bought off bribed and you bring strangers to help you! He says you and they are just spies, an' now they come for you!"
Howbeit, if you reck not thereof, I had meant for to practise with my cousin at Arundel House, for to get you standing room with the maids yonder; but seeing you have no mind thereto I dare warrant Mistress Joan Silverton shall not say me nay, and may be Mistress Argenta "
There was the mayor of Argenta, a director in the mines, and with him, puffing prodigiously and slowly up the ramp from the wagon-road, two brother directors away out from Denver. There were certain prominent citizens of Argenta and Hatch's Cove. There were certain railway men, with men and tools at their back and no time to waste.
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