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 discretion1 prevailed over his curiosity. In ten minutes both were fully2 dressed and descended3 the stairs.
There was no one stirring except a woman, the landlord's wife, who was lighting4 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, courteously5, “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 landlady6 evidently thought their early-rising a singular proceeding7, 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 plundered8.”
“How did you discover this?” asked Melville, startled.
“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 waylay11 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 in this plot?”
“The landlord.”
“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 passengers 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 impends12, 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 principal 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 passengers. 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 secluded13 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 surmise14, Herbert,” said George Melville, after a pause. “It did occur to me that our worthy15 landlord might be the famous outlaw16 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?”
“This Jerry Lane I take to be cool and courageous17, while the colonel appears to be more of a boaster. He looks like one who can talk better than he can act. If I had ever seen a description of his appearance, I could judge better.”
The two had been walking slowly and thoughtfully, when they were startled by a rough voice.
“You're out early, strangers?”
Turning swiftly, they saw the dark, forbidding face of the landlord, who had approached them unobserved.
“Did he hear anything?” thought Herbert, anxiously.
“Yes, we are taking a little walk,” said Melville, pleasantly.
“Breakfast will be ready soon. You'd better be back soon, if you're goin' by the stage this morning. You are goin', I reckon?” said the landlord, eyeing them sharply.
“We intend to do so,” said Melville. “We will walk a little farther, and then return to the house.”
“Do you think he heard anything that we were saying?” asked Herbert.
“I think not.”
“I wonder what brought him out here?”
“Probably he wanted to make sure that we were going in the stage. He is laudably anxious to have as many victims and as much plunder9 as possible.”
“You told him you were going in the stage?”
“Have you decided upon anything else, Mr. Melville?”
“Not positively21; but there will be time to think of that. Did you hear where we were to be attacked?”
“At a point about five miles from here,” said Herbert.
This he had gathered from the conversation he had overheard.
When the two friends reached the hotel, they found Col. Warner already downstairs.
“Good-morning, gentlemen!” he said. “So you have taken a walk? I never walk before breakfast, for my part.”
“Nor do I often,” said Melville. “In this case I was persuaded by my young friend. I am repaid by a good appetite.”
“Can't I persuade you to try a glass of bitters, Mr. Melville?” asked the colonel.
“Thank you, colonel. You will have to excuse me.”
“Breakfast's ready!” announced the landlady, and the stage passengers sat down at a long, unpainted, wooden table, where the food was of the plainest. In spite of the impending22 peril23 of which they, only, had knowledge, Herbert ate heartily24, but Melville seemed preoccupied25.
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1
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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6
landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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7
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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8
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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waylay
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| v.埋伏，伏击 | |
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impends
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| v.进行威胁，即将发生( impend的第三人称单数 ) | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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14
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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15
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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18
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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