“That is certainly kind,” observed Ben. “I expected that you would make it fifteen hundred!”
“The next time you appear before me I shall.”
“But I shall never appear here again!” rejoined Ben. And he never did.
CHAPTER VII.
Attempt to Rob Ben—How he Became a Minister and Married a Couple—A Jolly Wedding—French Kate Jealous.
Continuing to recount our hero’s adventures while in Babylon, we shall find that they partook both of a tragic and comical character. Illustrative of the former, the following may be taken:
Ben was returning to his house on a certain night, after a visit to a neighboring town. He was obliged to make his way through the mountain passes, which at best were dangerous places in those days. The night was densely dark. Black clouds rolled themselves up in the sky, obscuring the light of the moon and stars. The wind blew in angry gusts, making solemn music in the branches of the over-arching trees. It was such a night as best befits deeds of violence and crime.
Alone through the darkness Ben made his way. He had reached a point not far distant from his house, but in one of the most secluded spots in the mountains, when suddenly three men, masked, and with revolvers in their hands, rose up in his path.