The next few hours were pretty exciting ones to all of us, as can well be imagined.  Most of the time was spent, I have to confess, in manoeuvres and struggles between Lord Ralles and myself as to which should monopolize Madge, without either of us succeeding.  I was so engrossed with the contest that I forgot all about the passage of time, and only when the sheriff strolled up to the station did I realize that the climax was at hand.  As a joke I introduced him to the Cullens and we all stood chatting till far out on the hill to the south I saw a cloud of dust and quietly called Miss Cullen’s attention to it.  She and I went to 97 for my field-glasses, and the moment Madge looked through them she cried—­

“Yes, I can see horses, and, oh, there are the stars and stripes!  I don’t think I ever loved them so much before.”

“I suppose we civilians will have to take a back seat now, Miss Cullen?” I said; and she answered me with a demure smile worth—­well, I’m not going to put a value on that smile.

“They’ll be here very quickly,” she almost sang.

“You forget the clearness of the air,” I said, and then asked the sheriff how far away the dust-cloud was.

“Yer mean that cattle-drive?” he asked. “’Bout ten miles.”

“You seem to think of everything,” exclaimed Miss Cullen, as if my knowing that distances are deceptive in Arizona was wonderful.  I sometimes think one gets the most praise in this world for what least deserves it.

I waited half an hour to be safe, and then released No. 3, just as we were called to luncheon; and this time I didn’t refuse the invitation to eat mine in 218.

We didn’t hurry over the meal, and toward the end I took to looking at my watch, wondering what could keep the cavalry from arriving.

“I hope there is no danger of the train arriving first, is there?” asked Madge.

“Not the slightest,” I assured her.  “The train won’t be here for an hour, and the cavalry had only five miles to cover forty minutes ago.  I must say, they seem to be taking their time.”

“There they are now!” cried Albert.

Listening, we heard the clatter of horses’ feet, going at a good pace, and we all rose and went to the windows, to see the arrival.  Our feelings can be judged when across the tracks came only a mob of thirty or forty cowboys, riding in their usual “show-off” style.

“The deuce!” I couldn’t help exclaiming, in my surprise.  “Are you sure you saw a flag, Miss Cullen?”

“Why—­I—­thought—­” she faltered.  “I saw something red, and—­I supposed of course—­”

Not waiting to let her finish, I exclaimed, “There’s been a fluke somewhere, I’m afraid; but we are still in good shape, for the train can’t possibly be here under an hour.  I’ll get my field-glasses and have another look before I decide what—­”

My speech was interrupted by the entrance of the sheriff and Mr. Camp!