r goose wud be
cooked. Furst thing we got ter do is git her outer this camp."

"Ternight, yer sed?"

"'Bout midnight; yer'll go'--hey?"

"I reckon; yer got the money?"

With his eyes fastened on the two men eating, he counted out some gold
pieces on the bar and shoved them over to me, keeping them under cover
of his hand.

"Thar's half o' it, an' the rest is yers when ye bring back the hosses."

"How many hosses? Who's a goin'?"

"Three o' yer. Kirby's fer sendin' the mulatter gurl 'long. She's a
free nigger an' might let her tongue wag. Now listen, Moffett, I'm a
goin' out putty soon ter git things ready, an' I'll leave Sal yere ter
tend bar. Now git this; thar's a right smart trail back o' the cabin,
leadin' straight down ter the crick, with a spring 'bout half way.
Thar ain't no guard down thar, an' ye can't miss it, even en the dark.
The hosses will be thar et midnight waitin' fer yer. All ye got ter do
is just put them two gurls on an' ride away. Yer don't never need ter
speak ter 'em. Yer understand? All right, then; hav' anuther drink."

I shook my head.

"But how'm I goin' ter git ter this place--whatever it's called?"

"Thar ain't no trouble 'bout thet; all yer got ter do is ride straight
south till yer cum ter the crick, an' yer thar. It's Jenkins' Crossing
yer after."

"I reckon thar ain't eny Injuns, er nuthin'?"

"Hell, no; they're all t'other direction; nuthin' worse'n wolves. Say,
though, yer might have trouble with them gurls--got a gun?"

"No."

He reached back into a small drawer under the shelf, and brought out an
ugly-looking weapon, tried the hammer movement with his thumb, and
handed it over to me with a grin.

"Some cannon, an' I want it back. Don't fail at midnight."

"An' thar ain't nuthin' fer me ter do till then?"

"Not a thing; take a nap, if ye want'r. Sal kin wake ye up. I reckon
I won't be back till after yer off."

I sat down in a chair and leaned back against the wall, tilting my hat
down over my eyes and pretending to fall asleep. Through half-closed
lids I managed to see all that transpired in the room, and my mind was
busy with the approaching crisis. Had Rale revealed all the details of
their plan to me, I wondered. It seemed comprehensive enough, and yet
it hardly appeared possible that they would thoughtlessly place in the
hands of any stranger such an advantage. It would only be natural for
them to withhold something--merely trusting me wi