"'Pears to me ye air mighty skeery to-day," growled he who had accidentally spoken the name of the postmaster at Hollow Tree.
Little Snap crouched closer to the rock in breathless silence, fearful he had betrayed himself.
When he had become reassured that such was not the case, he scrutinized the fourth speaker more closely, but without discovering a familiar feature. In the midst of his speculative study the man said:
"Yes; everything is working in our favor. I have seen him at Six Roads, and he tells me he will back us in all we undertake. He will look after that end of the route. We have already got at least three of the offices under our thumb. He says he can cook the goose of that upstart who thinks he can run the Kanawha any way he chooses. The governor says for us to keep still until he can carry out a little plan of his, and then——"
"Men get rusty lying around in the damp," said the chief.
"Better get a little rusty than to take too much risk. It's my opinion we can do no better than to wait his move."
"What will the Acreites do while we loll around?"
"Let 'em do what they please; we ain't going to leave a grease spot of them before we get through. I tell you it is the biggest scheme ever afoot since the days of old Burr, and when we have carried out our plans we can snap our fingers at even Uncle Sam."
"That all sounds well, but I ain't so much confidence in that old duffer at Six——Hello! what's up?"
The abrupt appearance of a newcomer upon the fitful scene caused every man of the four to spring to his feet, and instinctively each sought the firearm he carried at his side.