“There isn’t much to tell,” replied the driver; “’cept there’s a holler close to t’other side of Black Bear Swamp, and three times in the past week, when I was passing, I’ve seen a tall, slim man moving around among the trees and watching me, tryin’ at the same time to keep me from seeing him.”
“But if he was a robber—”
“Who said he was a robber?” demanded Lenman, turning and looking sharply at the young man.
“You said he was a suspicious character, and what else could he be?” demanded Wagstaff.
“Perhaps a tramp, but I’ll admit I have thought it likely he was a man looking for a chance to rob the stage.” “Why didn’t he do it then?”
“It happened that on each of the times I hadn’t a single passenger with me.”
“And now you’ve got three,” remarked McGovern. “Well, I hope he will attack us to-night.”
“What’ll you do if he does?” asked the New Englander.
“Don’t you see we’ve each got a rifle? Beside that, Tom and I carry a Smith & Wesson apiece, and all our weapons are loaded; that fellow won’t have time to call out for us to give up our valuables before he’ll be filled as full of holes as a sieve.”
“My gracious! you wouldn’t do that, would you?”