amiable sort with
them. The old man answered dryly, with some show of sarcastic
indifference in his speech--
"Ay, good evening enough, if the moon had not gone down, and if the
stars were out, that we might pick out the honest men from the rogues."
"What, are there rogues in these parts, then, old gentleman?" asked the
new-comer.
"Why do you ask me?" was the sturdy reply. "You ought to be able to say,
without going farther than your own pockets."
"Why, you are tough to-night, my old buck," was the somewhat crabbed
speech of the visiter.
"You'll find me troublesome, too, Mr. Nightwalker: so take good counsel,
and be off while you've whole bones, or I'll tumble you now in half a
minute from your crittur, and give you a sharp supper of pine-knots."
"Well, that wouldn't be altogether kind on your part, old fellow, and I
mightn't be willing to let you; but, as you seem not disposed to be
civil, I suppose the best thing I can do is to be off."
"Ay, ay, be off. You get nothing out of us; and we've no shot that we
want to throw away. Leave you alone, and Jack Ketch will save us shot."
"Ha, ha!" exclaimed the outlier, in concert, and from the deeper
emphasis which he gave it, in chorus to the laughter which followed,
among the party, the dry expression of the old man's humor--
"Ha, ha! old boy--you have the swing of it to-night," continued the
visiter, as he rode off to his companions; "but, if you don't mind, we
shall smoke you before you get into Alabam!"
The robber rejoined his companions, and a sort of council for
deliberation was determined upon among them.
"How now, Lambert! you have been at dead fault," was his sudden address,
as he returned, to one of the party. "You assured me that old Snell and
his two sons were the whole force that he carried, while I find two
stout, able-bodied men besides, all well armed, and ready for the
attack. The old woman, too, standing with the gridiron in her fists, is
equal of herself to any two men, hand to hand."
Lambert, a short, sly, dogged little personage, endeavored to account
for the error, if such it was--"but he was sure, that at starting, there
were but three--they must have have had company join them since. Did the
lieutenant make out the appearance of the others?"
"I did," said the officer in command, "and, to say truth, they do not
seem to be of the old fellow's party. They must have come upon him since
the night. But how came you, Lambert, to negle
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