“Madam,” said he, politely, to the hostess, “to save you trouble and offer the hand of good fellowship to a stranger and a wayfarer,” bowing to the swarthy man, “let me say that the other side of my table is at the gentleman’s service.”
“Why,” said the pleased landlady, “that is very kind of you.”
The sailor-like man looked properly grateful.
“I thank you, sir,” said he. “I did not expect such civil treatment from one whom I never saw before.”
As the newcomer settled himself into a chair facing the other, Ben, who sat beside Nat, whispered to him, lowly:
“I wouldn’t have expected it of him at any rate. But he must be a far better natured man than I’d put him down to be.”
However, Nat only smiled. The play between the two men, who were greeting each other as strangers, interested and amused him.
“And they do it very well, too,” he thought, sadly neglecting his food that he might miss nothing of what was going forward. “If I did not know what the Porcupine told me I’d be deceived as well as the most innocent of them.”
“It is a wearying and sultry time of the year to tramp the roads,” said the tall man to the newcomer, sympathizingly. “I hope you have not far to go.”
“To Trenton,” responded the swarthy man. “And it’s a long journey enough when you consider that I’ve come from New Castle in Delaware.”