“I know,” said Van Lew; “we have all refused.”

“So Miss Brewster has just told me,” frowned Lidgerwood.  “That being the case, we must make the best of it.  How are you fixed for arms in the president’s car?”

“I have a hunting rifle—­a forty-four magazine; and Jefferis has a small armory of revolvers—­boy-like.”

“Good!  The defense of the car, if a riot materializes, will fall upon you two.  Judge Holcombe can’t be counted in.  I’ll give you all the help I can spare, but you’ll have to furnish the brains.  I suppose I don’t need to tell you not to take any chances?”

Van Lew shook his head and smiled.

“Not while the dear girl whom, God willing, I’m going to marry, is a member of our car-party.  I’m more likely to be over-cautious than reckless, Mr. Lidgerwood.”

Here, in terms unmistakable, was a deep grave in which to bury any poor phantom of hope which might have survived, but Lidgerwood did not advertise the funeral.

“She is altogether worthy of the most that you can do for her, and the best that you can give her, Mr. Van Lew,” he said gravely.  Then he passed quickly to the more vital matter.  “The Nadia will be placed on the short spur track at this end of the building, close in, where you can step from the rear platform of the car to the station platform.  I’ll try to keep watch for you, but you must also keep watch for yourself.  If any firing begins, get your people out quietly and bring them up here.  Of course, none of you will have anything worse than a stray bullet to fear, but the side walls of the Nadia would offer no protection against that.”

Van Lew nodded understandingly.

“Call it settled,” he said.  “Shall I use my own judgment as to the proper moment to make the break, or will you pass us the word?”

Lidgerwood took time to consider.  Conditions might arise under which the Crow’s Nest would be the most unsafe place in Angels to which to flee for shelter.

“Perhaps you would better sit tight until I give the word,” he directed, after the reflective pause.  Then, in a lighter vein:  “All of these careful prefigurings may be entirely beside the mark, Mr. Van Lew; I hope the event may prove that they were.  And until the thing actually hits us, we may as well keep up appearances.  Don’t let the women worry any more than they have to.”

“You can trust me for that,” laughed the athlete, and he went his way to begin the keeping up of appearances.

At seven o’clock, just as Lidgerwood was finishing the luncheon which had been sent up to his office from the station kitchen, Train 203 pulled in from the east; and a little later Dawson’s belated wrecking-train trailed up from the west, bringing the “cripples” from the Little Butte disaster.  Not to leave anything undone, Lidgerwood summoned McCloskey by a touch of the buzzer-push connecting with the trainmaster’s office.