It proved to be simpler in the outcarrying than in the planning.  A special light engine over the Transcontinental to Jack’s Canyon—­an exchange of courtesies which even fighting railroads make in war as well as in peace—­a wire request on the stage company for relays of saddle horses, and the thing was done.  And Eckstein, pushing his jaded beast down the final hill in the dusk of the evening, and welcoming, as only the saddle-tormented can welcome, the lights of the headquarters camp, confessed in cursings quite barbaric in their phrasings that he, too, was done.

The conference held that night behind locked doors in the MacMorroghs’ commissary office was a council of five, with Eckstein, as the mouthpiece of the vice-president, in the chair.  Penfield was present, with no vote, and the three MacMorroghs voted as one; but as to that, there were no divisions.  A crisis was imminent, and it must be met.

“As I have said, I am here with power to act,” said Eckstein, gripping the chair with wincings after the day of torment.  “The plan outlined at first by Mr. North must go through as it was outlined.  Part of it has already been carried out, you say:  Ford and the president have been over the short-cut together.  To-morrow the entire private-car party goes to Copah over the detour.  Are the buckboards here for that?”

“They’re here wid the drivers.  I saw to that part of it myself.”  It was the youngest of the three MacMorroghs who gave the assurance.

“So far so good,” commented the chairman.  “The other thing we have to provide for, or rather, to prevent, is the possibility of Mr. Adair’s reaching here in time to join the party.  The last definite information we had of Mr. Adair he was crawling up Blue Canyon, with a train crew which was under orders to give him ample time to study the scenery.  He has probably reached Saint’s Rest before this, however, and once there, Leckhard will give him anything in sight.  The question is, will he attempt to run the extension to-night?”

The middle MacMorrogh thought not, and his younger brother agreed with him.  But the senior partner voted aye, and stuck to it.  Thereupon ensued a conflict of opinion.  Dan MacMorrogh pointed out that the construction motive power was all at the west end, or in transit eastward; it would be daylight of another day before an engineer familiar with the hazards could be obtained for Adair’s special over the construction line.  But Brian MacMorrogh argued with equal emphasis that this was a mere begging of chances.  Without a telegraph wire to verify the guess, no man could say at what hour one of the trains of empties would pull through to Saint’s Rest; and whatever the hour, Leckhard would doubtless turn the engine and crew to double back with Adair’s car.