A stout, black-bearded man stood in front of the hotel to welcomethe stage passengers. He took a clay pipe from his lips and nodded awelcome.
"Glad to see you, strangers," he said. "Here, Peter, you black rascal,help the gentlemen with their baggage."
The door was thrown open, and the party filed into a comfortless lookingapartment, at one end of which was a rude bar.
One of the passengers, at least, seemed to know the landlord, for Col.Warner advanced to greet him, his face beaming with cordiality.
"How are you, John?" he said. "How does the world use you?"
The landlord growled something inaudible.
"Have a drink, colonel?" was the first audible remark.
"Don't care if I do. It's confounded dry traveling over these mountainroads. Walk up, gentlemen. Col. Warner doesn't drink alone."
With the exception of Herbert and George Melville, the passengers seemedinclined to accept the offer.
"Come along, Melville," said the colonel; "you and your friend must joinus."
"Please excuse me, colonel," answered Melville. "I would prefer not todrink."
"Oh, nonsense! To oblige me, now."
"Thank you; but I am traveling for my health, and it would not beprudent."
"Just as you say, Melville; but a little whisky would warm you up and doyou good, in my opinion."
"Thank you all the same, colonel; but I think you must count me out."
The colonel shrugged his shoulders and beckoned Herbert.
"You can come, anyway; your health won't prevent."
Melville did not interfere, for he knew it would give offense, but hehoped his young clerk would refuse.
"Thank you," said Herbert; "I won't object to a glass of sarsaparilla."
"Sarsaparilla!" repeated the colonel, in amazement. "What's that?"
"We don't keep no medicine," growled the landlord.
"Have you root-beer?" asked Herbert.
"What do you take me for?" said the landlord, contemptuously. "I haven'tgot no root-beer. Whisky's good enough for any man."
"I hope you'll excuse me, then," said Herbert. "I am not used to anystrong drinks."
"How old are you?" asked the colonel, rather contemptuously.
"Sixteen."
"Sixteen years old and don't drink whisky! My young friend, youreducation has been sadly neglected."
"I dare say it has," answered Herbert, good-naturedly.
"Gentlemen," said Col. Warner, apologetically, "the boy is a stranger,and isn't used to our free Western ways. He's got the makings of a manin him, and it won't be long before he'll get over his squeamishness,and walk up to the bar as quick as any one of us."
Herbert and Melville stood apart, while the rest of the company emptiedtheir glasses, apparently at a gulp. It was clear that their refusal hadcaused them to be regarded with dislike and suspicion.
The accommodations of the Echo Gulch Hotel were far from luxurious. Thechambers were scarcely larger than a small closet, clap-boarded but notplastered, and merely contained a bedstead. Washing accommodations wereprovided downstairs.
Herbert and George Melville were assigned to a single room, to whichthey would not have objected had the room been larger. It was of no useto indulge in open complaints, however, since others had to fare in thesame way.
"This isn't luxury, Herbert," said Melville.
"No," answered the boy; "but I don't mind it if you don't."
"I am afraid I may keep you awake by my coughing, Herbert."
"Not if I once get to sleep. I sleep as sound as a top."
"I wish I did; but I am one of the wakeful kind. Being an invalid, Iam more easily annoyed by small inconveniences. You, with your sturdyhealth, are more easily suited."
"Mr. Melville, I had just as lief sleep downstairs in a chair, and giveyou the whole of the bed."
"Not on my account, Herbert. I congratulate myself on having you for aroommate. If I had been traveling alone I might have been packed awaywith the colonel, who, by this time, would be even less desirable as abedfellow than usual."
The worthy colonel had not been content with a single glass of whisky,but had followed it up several times, till his utterance had becomethick, and his face glowed with a dull, brick-dust color.
Col. Warner had been assigned to the adjoining chamber, or closet,whichever it may be called. He did not retire early, however, whileHerbert and George Melville did.
Strangely enough, Herbert, who was usually so good a sleeper, aftera short nap woke up. He turned to look at his companion, for it was amoonlight night, and saw that he was sleeping quietly.
"I wonder what's got into me?" he thought; "I thought I should sleeptill morning."
He tried to compose himself to sleep, but the more effort he made thebroader awake he became. Sometimes it seems as if such unaccountabledeviations from our ordinary habits were Heaven-sent. As Herbert layawake he suddenly became aware of a conversation which was beingcarried on, in low tones, in the next room. The first voice he heard, herecognized as that of the colonel.
"Yes," he said, "some of the passengers have got money. There's thatStiefel probably carries a big sum in gold and notes. When I wasspeaking of the chance of the stage being robbed, he was uncommonnervous."
"Who's Stiefel?" was growled in another voice, which Herbert had nodifficulty in recognizing as the landlord's.
"Oh, he's the fat, red-faced German. From his talk, I reckon he's comeout to buy mines somewhere in Colorado."
"We'll save him the trouble."
"So we will--good joke, John. Oh, about this Stiefel, he carries hismoney in a belt round his waist. I infer that it is gold."
"Good! What about the others?"
"There's a tall, thin man--his name is Parker," proceeded the colonel;"he's smart, or thinks he is; you'll have to pull his stockings off toget his money. Ha, ha!"
"How did you find out, colonel?" asked the landlord, in admiration.
"Drew it out of him, sir. He didn't know who he was confiding in. He'llwonder how the deuce his hiding place was suspected."
Other passengers were referred to who have not been mentioned, and ineach case the colonel was able to tell precisely where their money waskept.
"How about that milksop that wouldn't drink with us?" inquired thelandlord, after a while.
"Melville? I couldn't find out where he keeps his cash. Probably hekeeps it in his pocket. He doesn't look like a cautious man."
"Who's the boy?"
"Only a clerk or secretary of Melville's. He hasn't any money, and isn'tworth attention."
"Very glad to hear it," thought Herbert. "I don't care to receive anyattention from such gentry. But who would have thought the colonel wasin league with stage robbers? I thought him a gentleman."
Herbert began to understand why it was that Col. Warner, if that washis real name, had drawn the conversation to stage robbers, and artfullymanaged to discover where each of the passengers kept his supply ofmoney. It was clear that he was in league with the landlord of the EchoGulch Hotel, who, it was altogether probable, intended to waylay thestage the next day.
This was a serious condition of affairs. The time had been when, inreading stories of adventure, Herbert had wished that he, too, mighthave some experience of the kind. Now that the opportunity had come, ourhero was disposed to regard the matter with different eyes.
"What can be done," he asked himself, anxiously, "to escape the dangerwhich threatens us to-morrow?"
CHAPTER XXIV. A MORNING WALK.
Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune Page 23