“Only that a person of years is naturally more cautious,” returned Revere. “Now take for example the fact that Ezra hung his saddle pouches upon the wall. Was that not very like carelessness?”
“But he had them before his eyes all the time,” said Nat.
Revere waved his hand.
“I grant you that. But it was no way to do. A person upon an important mission cannot be too sure.”
There was a short pause, then Nat said:
“You did not mistrust the man below at first, I think.”
“No; I thought him a hearty fellow enough. It was when the other arrived that I noticed something that rang false. He received the dark man as though he were a stranger. But I’ll hazard a guess that they knew one another well enough.”
“I see,” said Nat; and after that he had a greatly increased respect for the observation of Mr. Paul Revere.
As it happened, Revere chose the inner room, the windows of which opened upon the courtyard. Nat’s apartment overlooked the road and lay next the hall. In a very little while the boy heard the dismal creaking of Revere’s bed as the man climbed into it. Then, after a great number of yawns, there came the deep breathing of a person fast asleep.
But Nat had no desire to follow his example. He knew that he ought to be rested for the long journey of the morrow; but his brain was full of thoughts, his eyes unwinking; he had never felt so wide awake in his life.