you go up-stairs to bed you must come to my
room--number 10, on the second floor, and get your instructions for
to-morrow. Everything has gone very smoothly so far, and we are all here
excepting two of us, although some of us have had a pretty ticklish time
in getting through to this town. Remember--Room Number 10."

Andrews moved away. Soon all the members of the party assembled at the
hotel were in their rooms up-stairs, presumably asleep, with the exception
of George and his three companions. They were able, after considerable
coaxing, to get admittance into the dining-room. Thereby they secured a
nocturnal meal of tough ham, better eggs, and some muddy "coffee." The
latter was in reality a concoction consisting of about seven-eights of
chickory, and the other eighth,--but what the remaining eighth was only
the cook could have told. The meal tasted like a Delmonico feast to the
famished wanderers, nor was it the less acceptable because they saw it
nearly consumed before their hungry eyes; for Waggie, who had a power of
observation that would have done credit to a detective, and a scent of
which a hound might well have been proud, made his way into the
dining-room in advance of the party, and jumped upon the table while the
negro waiter's back was turned. As George entered, the dog was about to
pounce upon the large plate of ham. Mr. Wag cast one sheepish look upon
his master, and then retired under the table, where he had his supper
later on.

After they had finished their meal, the four conspirators were taken
up-stairs by a sleepy bell-boy, and shown into a large room containing two
double beds. The servant lighted a kerosene lamp that stood on a centre
table, and then shuffled down to the office.

Macgreggor lifted the lamp to take a survey of the room. "Take a good look
at those beds, fellows," he said, with a grim chuckle; "it may be a long
time before you sleep on such comfortable ones again. For if we come to
grief in this expedition----"

"Pshaw!" interrupted Jenks impatiently, but in subdued tones. "Don't
borrow trouble. We are bound to succeed."

Macgreggor placed the lamp on the centre table, and began to take off his
shoes. "I'm just as ready as any of you for this scheme," he answered,
"but I can't shut my eyes to the risks we are running. Did you notice on
your way down that the railroad sidings between Chattanooga and Marietta
were filled with freight cars? That means, to begin with, that we won't