Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune, Jr. Horatio Alger [free ebook reader .txt] 📗
- Author: Jr. Horatio Alger
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“I wonder what's got into me?” he thought; “I thought I should sleep till morning.”
He tried to compose himself to sleep, but the more effort he made the broader awake he became. Sometimes it seems as if such unaccountable deviations from our ordinary habits were Heaven-sent. As Herbert lay awake he suddenly became aware of a conversation which was being carried on, in low tones, in the next room. The first voice he heard, he recognized as that of the colonel.
“Yes,” he said, “some of the passengers have got money. There's that Stiefel probably carries a big sum in gold and notes. When I was speaking of the chance of the stage being robbed, he was uncommon nervous.”
“Who's Stiefel?” was growled in another voice, which Herbert had no difficulty in recognizing as the landlord's.
“Oh, he's the fat, red-faced German. From his talk, I reckon he's come out to buy mines somewhere in Colorado.”
“We'll save him the trouble.”
“So we will—good joke, John. Oh, about this Stiefel, he carries his money in a belt round his waist. I infer that it is gold.”
“Good! What about the others?”
“There's a tall, thin man—his name is Parker,” proceeded the colonel; “he's smart, or thinks he is; you'll have to pull his stockings off to get his money. Ha, ha!”
“How did you find out, colonel?” asked the landlord, in admiration.
“Drew it out of him, sir. He didn't know who he was confiding in. He'll wonder how the deuce his hiding place was suspected.”
Other passengers were referred to who have not been mentioned, and in each case the colonel was able to tell precisely where their money was kept.
“How about that milksop that wouldn't drink with us?” inquired the landlord, after a while.
“Melville? I couldn't find out where he keeps his cash. Probably he keeps it in his pocket. He doesn't look like a cautious man.”
“Who's the boy?”
“Only a clerk or secretary of Melville's. He hasn't any money, and isn't worth attention.”
“Very glad to hear it,” thought Herbert. “I don't care to receive any attention from such gentry. But who would have thought the colonel was in league with stage robbers? I thought him a gentleman.”
Herbert began to understand why it was that Col. Warner, if that was his real name, had drawn the conversation to stage robbers, and artfully managed to discover where each of the passengers kept his supply of money. It was clear that he was in league with the landlord of the Echo Gulch Hotel, who, it was altogether probable, intended to waylay the stage the next day.
This was a serious condition of affairs. The time had been when, in reading stories of adventure, Herbert had wished that he, too, might have some experience of the kind. Now that the opportunity had come, our hero was disposed to regard the matter with different eyes.
“What can be done,” he asked himself, anxiously, “to escape the danger which threatens us to-morrow?”
CHAPTER XXIV. A MORNING WALK.
Herbert found it difficult to sleep from anxiety. He felt that the burden was too great for him alone to bear, and he desired to speak on the subject to George Melville. But there was a difficulty about doing this undetected, on account of the thinness of the partitions between the rooms. If he could hear Col. Warner, the latter would also be able to hear him.
The stage was to start at seven o'clock the next morning, and before that time some decision must be made. The first question was, should they, or should they not, take passage, as they had anticipated?
At half-past five, Herbert, turning in bed, found his bedfellow awake.
“Mr. Melville,” he whispered, “I have something important to communicate, and cannot do so here on account of the danger of being heard in the next room. Are you willing to dress and take a little walk with me before breakfast?”
George Melville's physical condition did not make him usually favorable to early rising, but he knew Herbert well enough to understand that he had a satisfactory reason for his request.
“Yes, Herbert,” he said, “I will get up.”
Not a word was exchanged, for Mr. Melville's discretion prevailed over his curiosity. In ten minutes both were fully dressed and descended the stairs.
There was no one stirring except a woman, the landlord's wife, who was lighting the fire in order to prepare breakfast.
She regarded the two with surprise, and perhaps a little distrust.
“You're stirrin' early, strangers,” she said.
“Yes,” answered Melville, courteously, “we are going to take a little walk before breakfast; it may sharpen our appetites.”
“Humph!” said the woman; “that's curious. I wouldn't get up so early if I wasn't obliged. There ain't much to see outdoors.”
“It is a new part of the country to us,” said Melville, “and we may not have another chance to see it.”
“When will breakfast be ready?” asked Herbert.
“Half an hour, more or less,” answered the woman, shortly.
“We will be back in time,” he said.
The landlady evidently thought their early-rising a singular proceeding, but her suspicions were not aroused. She resumed her work, and Herbert and his friend walked out through the open door.
When they had reached a spot a dozen rods or more distant, Melville turned to his young clerk and asked:
“Well, Herbert, what is it?”
“I have discovered, Mr. Melville, that our stage is to be stopped to-day and the passengers plundered.”
“How did you discover this?” asked Melville, startled.
“By a conversation which I overheard in the next chamber to us.”
“But that chamber is occupied by Col. Warner.”
“And he is one of the conspirators,” said Herbert, quietly.
“Is it possible?” ejaculated Melville. “Can we have been so deceived in him? Does he propose to waylay the stage?”
“No, I presume he will be one of the passengers.”
“Tell me all you know about this matter, Herbert. Who is engaged with him
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