neither saluting the company nor returning their
salutations. He pulled a chair to the fire, threw himself into it, and
ordered the old woman to draw him a mug of ale.

"Dick's in a bad humor to-night," murmured Steve, softly.

"When was he ever in a good one?" roughly broke forth Hal.

"H-sh!" said Steve, glancing at Dick, who, with a hideous expression,
was listening to the conversation.

"There's the cap'n!" exclaimed Hal, as a ringing footstep sounded
outside, followed by the abrupt opening of the door and entrance of the
leader.

Setting down a large basket, and throwing off a broad-brimmed Quaker hat
and broad-skirted overcoat, Black Donald stood roaring with laughter.

Black Donald, from his great stature, might have been a giant walked out
of the age of fable into the middle of the nineteenth century. From his
stature alone, he might have been chosen leader of this band of
desperadoes. He stood six feet eight inches in his boots, and was stout
and muscular in proportion. He had a well-formed, stately head, fine
aquiline features, dark complexion, strong, steady, dark eyes, and an
abundance of long curling black hair and beard that would have driven to
despair a Broadway beau, broken the heart of a Washington belle, or made
his own fortune in any city of America as a French count or a German
baron! He had decidedly "the air noble and distinguished."

While he threw his broad brim in one direction and his broad coat in
another, and gave way to peals of laughter, Headlong Hal said:

"Cap'n, I don't know what you think of it, but I think it just as
churlish to laugh alone as to get drunk in solitude."

"Oh, you shall laugh! You shall all laugh! Wait until I tell you! But
first, answer me: Does not my broad-skirted gray coat and broad-brimmed
gray hat make me look about twelve inches shorter and broader?"

"That's so, cap'n!"

"And when I bury my black beard and chin deep down in this drab
neck-cloth, and pull the broad brim low over my black hair and eyes, I
look as mild and respectable as William Penn?"

"Yea, verily, friend Donald," said Hal.

"Well, in this meek guise I went peddling to-day!"

"Aye, cap'n, we knew it; and you'll go once too often!"

"I have gone just once too often!"

"I knew it!"

"We said so!"

"D----n!" were some of the ejaculations as the members of the band
sprang to their feet and handled secret arms.

"Pshaw! put up your knives and pistols! There is no danger. I was