y were for rushing forward. But Stone
restrained them.

"My friends," said he, "you have taken me for your leader, and must obey
my directions."

He then announced his determination to go forward alone; instructing his
men, however, to follow at a little distance, but in no case to show
themselves until he should give the signal. They agreed, though
reluctantly, to this arrangement, and then--silently, slowly, but
surely--the advance commenced. The hour had at last arrived!

In the meantime, Cutler and his three friends were passing the time
quite pleasantly over a bottle of backwoods nectar--commonly called
whiskey. They seemed well pleased, too, with some recent exploit of
theirs, and were evidently congratulating themselves upon their
dexterity; for, as the "generous liquid" reeked warmly to their brains,
they chuckled over it, and hinted at it, and winked knowingly at each
other, as if they enjoyed both the recollection and the whiskey--as they
probably did, exceedingly. There were four present, as we said--Cutler
and the three worthies so often alluded to. These last sat not far from
the open door; and each in his hand held a kerchief, or something of
that description, of which the contents were apparently very precious;
for, at intervals of a few moments, each raised his bundle between him
and the light, and then were visible many circular prints, as if made
by the coinage of the mint. This idea was strengthened, too, by several
piles of gold and silver, which lay upon the table near the bottle, to
which Cutler directed no infrequent glances.

They had all been indulging pretty freely in their devotions to the
mythological liquid--rewarding themselves, like soldiers after storming
a hostile city, for their hardships and daring. There were a few coals
in the chimney, although it was early in the autumn; and on them were
lying dark and crumpled cinders, as of paper, over which little sparks
were slowly creeping, like fiery insects. Cutler turned them over with
his foot, and there arose a small blue, flickering blaze, throwing a
faint, uncertain light beneath the table, and into the further corners
of the room, and casting shadows of the money-bundles on the open door.

If the betrayer could have known what eyes were strained upon him, as he
thus carelessly thrust his foot among the cinders, how changed his
bearing would have been. Stone had now approached within fifty paces of
the house, and behind him, slo