"You brought in a valuable freight to-night, in money and registered letters."
"I know it."
"Do you know how much?"
"Ther agent at W—— told me he thought about forty thousand, and so I made a rush, ter git through."
"And did it grandly."
"I have heard the story of your running the gantlet and surprising the road-agents."
Old Huck laughed and replied:
"Waal, I calkilate as how they was astonished. You see I seen the tracks on the trail, foot-tracks, and fresh ones, goin' on toward the Dead Line, and so I kinder felt sart'in o' a hold-up. When I come to ther pass I seen ther top o' a small tree wavin' and knowed somebody were up in it looking over t'other trees.
"So I jist up with old drop-'em, and I let drive with a handful o' bullets I had dropped into ther shot-barrel, and I put a piece o' lead on t'other side o' trail, dropped ther ribbons and set my two puppies ter barking, as soon as I hed laid ther silk onter ther team and got 'em inter a run.