“Why not?”
“He’s got pertic’lar business to transact.”
“Come off, you coon.”
“Well, to tell ye the troof, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Benton ain’t in this evenin’.”
“You can’t give me any such steer as that. I know that he’s in.”
“Go ahead then, if ye know so much,” said the negro. “Ye’ll find I’ve been givin’ it to yer straight. Everything is locked up.”
Nick had known that he could get by the sentinel. Benton could not keep people away by force.
That would make too much noise and attract too much attention.
But Nick knew equally well that it would do him no good to get by unless he was welcome. The negro unquestionably had some means of signaling to Benton.
He was, of course, instructed to pass only those who had the countersign or whose names had been given in advance.