“It might be a great deal worse,” admitted Roger, as he accompanied his cousin to their quarters in order to make what simple preparations they thought necessary for the early morning start.
“Many times so,” Dick assured him. “Why, after all, this may turn out to be one of those blessings in disguise our mothers have so often told us about.”
“You will have to explain that to me, Dick,” admitted the other boy, “for I own up that it is too much for my poor brain to understand.”
“Listen, then,” continued the other. “What if that scheming François Lascelles had delayed his attack on the messengers for days and even weeks, until they were almost at St. Louis, and then secured our paper? We would never have known about its loss, and could not send another!”
“That is so,” assented Roger, nodding his head as he managed to grasp the point his companion was making.
“Then again,” continued Dick, who could follow up an argument with the skill of a born lawyer, “suppose the three messengers had been killed in that night attack, we should not have known a thing about it. Our paper, as well as the valuable reports sent to the President, would have been lost.”
“Yes, and, Dick, we would have gone on enjoying ourselves all through the winter, never knowing that we had failed to save our homes.”
“As it is,” continued the other, “Lascelles, believing he has cut our claws, may take himself out of this section of country, so that another messenger would have nothing to fear from him or his band.”
“You are making me ready to believe that, after all, this may have been the best thing that could have happened,” laughed Roger, as he began to examine his bullet-pouch to ascertain just how many leaden missiles it contained, and then pay the same attention to his powder-horn. For it was of the utmost consequence that in starting forth on this quest, that might consume not only days but weeks, they should be amply prepared for any difficulties that might arise to confront them.