“Hillo! Leave the old hoss in the stable, Mister Ezram; he’ll never ran up thyat ladder; thar’s no horse-thieves up yar.”
The peddler made no reply, but took his horse into a stable at the foot of the rocky stairs, and after a few minutes returned with his bags, pistols and a somewhat heavy portmanteau, which Ralph assisted him to carry up the steps.
“Evenin’, stranger,” said Ralph, pretending not to know the peddler, who had never been up there before; “jist time for supper; come doon country?”
“Well,” replied the other, a down-east Yankee, “I are; I’ve been doin’ a considerable slick trade; got in the browns mighty well. Sold yup considerable figure uv watches and chains; glad to yar supper is ready, ’cause I’m famished and tired.”
They had now reached the top of the steps. Kate was looking hard at Ralph Regin, in whose eyes even in that twilight, she thought she detected a strange expression.
“Give me your bags and let me show you a room,” said she, abruptly.
The stranger started as he gazed on one so fair and neat, and his countenance assumed an expression of satisfaction as he followed her. They passed through a room used as kitchen, dining-room and tap-room, went up seven steps to the door of a room which Kate threw open, and in this the traveler deposited his goods. When he had done so, the girl, who was bustling about in rather an angry way, as if this kind of work disgusted her, pulled the key out of the door and gave it to him.
“There are many travelers here sometimes, so keep the key of your room.”
The peddler started, but the face of Kate was so calm and careless that he took the key, made no remark, and went down-stairs.
The room was large and airy. A large fireplace, which admitted of benches within its ample dimensions, was occupied by a huge iron pot and a turkey roasting. A woman of about forty, somewhat stout, handsome still but for a wild and savage expression, was preparing the evening meal. A dresser covered by abundance of crockery, a bar filled with colored bottles, a huge table, several chairs and stools, guns, hams, sides of bacon hanging round the walls, with two windows and many doors, completed the scene.