“You can’t do that before to-morrow morning,” the Southerner replied, yawning, as if he wished Brainard would take himself off to bed and let him alone.
“I must get out of this hotel now, to-night, and away from Jalapa, and not have a soul know where I’ve gone. I’ll pay you well for your trouble!”
“Keep your money, my son,” the man answered gruffly. “It wasn’t for that I had to come down here. But I’ll help you out, if you are in trouble.”
He reflected yawningly for a few moments, while Brainard held his breath with impatience. For all he knew, the man and the woman might already have entered his room and discovered his flight.
“If it were daylight, it would be different, but you know I couldn’t start a train out of here at this time without the whole town knowing about it; and I reckon that isn’t what you want.”
“Not much!”
“Can’t you bunk here with me until morning? Then Hollinger and I can fix up something.”
Brainard shook his head.
“I’d run you down myself in an engine to the coast—”
“That’s it!”