When Madeline Hammond stepped from the train at El Cajon, New Mexico

It was nearly midnight, and her first impression was of a huge dark space of cool, windy emptiness, strange and silent, stretching away under great blinking white stars.

The conductor's warning

Miss, there’s no one to meet you, said the conductor, rather anxiously. I wired my brother, she replied. The train being so late - perhaps he grew tired of waiting. He will be here presently. But, if he should not come - surely I can find a hotel? There’s lodgings to be had. Get the station agent to show you. If you’ll excuse me - this is no place for a lady like you to be alone at night. It’s a rough little town - mostly Mexicans, miners, cowboys. And they carouse a lot. Besides, the revolution across the border has stirred up some excitement along the line...