It suddenly flashed into his mind.

"Could it be Jennie? She's in the post office, and she's sometimes there
alone! If some one should try to find out something about the mail or
express business they had no right to know!"

Jack hardly knew what to think. But there came a sudden desire in his heart
to be near Jennie--to be ready in case she called.

"Come on, Sunger, hit it up!" Jack cried, as this idea came to him. "We've
got to hustle and get to Golden Crossing as soon as we can!"

The intelligent beast appeared to know what was said to him, and increased
his pace. Jack thundered over the bridge where once he had so nearly had an
accident. He thought of the loosened planks, which had been fixed, and
again he wondered who had misplaced them--if it had been done by design.

On and on he rode over the trail, until he swung into Golden Crossing. He
was ahead of time, and the crowd that usually congregated about the post
office to wait for the sorting of the mail was not there.

The road about the little office was thick with dust, and the feet of
Jack's pony made scarcely a sound as he rode up. As he leaped to the ground
he heard through the open windows of the place voices in loud conversation.
One voice was that of a man, and said:

"Well, now, miss, you'd better tell us what we want to know. We'll find out
somehow, and the more trouble you give us, the more trouble we'll give you.
If you don't--"