Part 33 (2/2)
”I am not much surprised at this,” said Melville, thoughtfully. ”He is an ill-looking man, whose appearance fits the part of highwayman very well. Then you think the colonel is in league with him?”
”I am sure of that. Don't you remember how skillfully Col. Warner drew out of the pa.s.sengers the hiding places of their money yesterday?”
”Yes.”
”He has told all to the landlord, and he will no doubt make use of the knowledge. That is all, Mr. Melville. I could not rest till I had told you, so that you might decide what to do.”
”It seems quite providential that you were kept awake last night, Herbert, otherwise this blow would have come upon us unprepared. Even with the knowledge that it impends, I hardly know what it is best for us to do.”
”We might decide not to go in the stage,” suggested Hebert.
”But we should have to go to-morrow. We cannot stay here, and there is no other way of traveling. As the colonel seems to think I have money, there would be another attack to-morrow. Besides, where could we stay except at this hotel, which is kept, as it appears, by the princ.i.p.al robber.”
”That is true,” said Herbert, puzzled; ”I didn't think of that.”
”I would quite as soon stand my chance of being robbed in the stage, as be attacked here. Besides, I cannot make up my mind to desert my fellow pa.s.sengers. It seems cowardly to send them off to be plundered without giving them a hint of their danger.”
”Couldn't we do that?”
”The result would be that they would not go, and there is no knowing how long we should be compelled to remain in this secluded spot.”
”Mr. Melville,” said Herbert, suddenly, ”a thought has just struck me.”
”I hope it may show us a way out of our danger.”
”No, I am sorry to say that it won't do that.”
”What is it, Herbert?”
”You remember that mention was made yesterday in the stage of a certain famous bandit named Jerry Lane?”
”Yes, I remember.”
”Do you think it is possible that he and Col. Warner may be one and the same?”
”That is certainly a startling suggestion, Herbert. What reason have you for thinking so?”
”It was only a guess on my part; but you remember that the colonel said he was a man about his size.”
”That might be.”
”And he did not confine himself to the Western country, but might be met with in New York, or St. Louis. We met the colonel in Chicago.”
”It may be as you surmise, Herbert,” said George Melville, after a pause. ”It did occur to me that our worthy landlord might be the famous outlaw in question, but the description to which you refer seems to fit the colonel better. There is one thing, however, that makes me a little incredulous.”
”What is that, Mr. Melville?”
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