"I haven't got time to talk," cried Prince. "I've got to get at a
garage, and quickly."
"Well, we don't run a garage."
"Shut up a minute and listen, will you? There is a woman out here on
the track, half frozen. We are twenty miles from a house. Will you
send that message or not? The woman can't live two hours."
"Well, why didn't you tell what was the matter? I will connect you
with the operator at Fort Morgan and tell him to do whatever you say.
You stay on the wire until he reports they have a car started."
So Prince was flung back to the operator at Fort Morgan, and that
high-souled scion of the railway was sent out like a common delivery
boy to take a message. Prince waited in an agony of suspense for the
report from the garage. It was not favorable. No man in town would go
out on a wild goose chase into the plains on a night like that.
Awfully sorry, nothing doing.
"Take a gun and make them come," said Prince, between set teeth.
"I'm not looking for trouble. Your woman would freeze before they got
there anyhow."
"Send the sheriff," begged Prince.
"He couldn't get out there a night like this in time to do you any
good."
This was literally true. For a second Prince was silent.
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