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"It’s madness!" Mrs Butterfield declared "Where will all of us sleep?"

To which the Texian said, "Out in the snoith the coyotes and the mountain lions--if we don’t keep this train ahead of that one," and he pointed out the

The old woht faint, and Theodora Clay stepped up and slapped the ranger across the face "How dare you!" she exclai an accusation "Trying to frighten an elderly lady like that!"

"I’ll frighten her and worse, if it gets her out of my way," he said, unmoved and apparently unstartled by the prim but sharp attack "Now look out thatand tell h Provo"

As he said it, the pass loomed up and sed the train, car by car in quick succession The shadows froh as the sky to the rightand up to the clouds on the left, where the Shenandoah was not gaining as swiftly as before, but reoing," the captain chier cars had ement for two dozen military men and half that number of civilians (plus the conductor, railthat number down to two cars made for cramped quarters, and Mrs Butterfield had a point: only one of these cars was a proper sleeper Mercy couldn’t i so narrowly focused as to be worried about that fact right this second; but a glance at the matron, with her sour face and her arms crossed and clenched around her bosoms, told the nurse that she still had a whole lot to learn about people

Withof people up and forward--and into the next car up, where there was teer car as sely as the previous two and picked up speed

Mrs Butterfield complained as she looked out the back , "Soon you’ll have the lot of us sleeping in the coal car"

Horatio Korman said, "No ma’am--just you" Then he i the captain was saying, and to thebeyond the captain’s shoulder, where the Shenandoah was drawing up nearer, ever nearer, clawing up to the Dreadnought’s pace by feet--not by great leaping yards, not anyer said, "It’s not a bad idea, actually"

Captain MacGruder said, "Are you kiddingabout her I think we could fit the lot of them into that car just past the fuel car The one with the special arful look at the captain

Mercy caught it, too She said, "Yes, Captain There’s only--" She did a quick count "Eight civilians--or ten if you count the inspectors, but I don’t think you should I don’t know about Mr Portilla, but Mr Galeano looks like he knows his way around a gunfight, and he has his own pistol"

"Nine, if we count you," he pointed out

"So count ets hurt But you can stack these eight folks up inside the--" She alold car, but stopped just in time "The car up there They’ll be safer there than anyplace else Who cares if they see what it’s carrying?"

This perked ears all around, and loudly voiced questions of, "What’s it carrying?"

The ranger said, "There ain’t much tiht your war like civilized killers"

Mercy al, but he decided in a snap, "Fine Do it Coet these folks up to that car You know the one"

"What? Nohere are we going?" Theodora Clay deo Take your aunt and hunker down"

"I think not"

"Think whatever you want, but would you at least get Mrs Butterfield up front? I doubt she’ll let anyone else take her"

Miss Clay hesitated, but she flashed a glance out theat the onrushing train, and recognized the truth of their words "Fine But I’ht back"

Hastily the handful of leftover civilians was loaded, shoved, and urgently led to the front of the train, where the for It had been cleared out by the ti like an aisle was open in the ement as she helped with the last of the evacuation, Mercy was glad for the quick improvisation of the soldiers

Morris Co?"