This was a serious condition of affairs.  The time had been when, in reading stories of adventure, Herbert had wished that he, too, might have some experience of the kind.  Now that the opportunity had come, our hero was disposed to regard the matter with different eyes.

“What can be done,” he asked himself, anxiously, “to escape the danger which threatens us to-morrow?”

CHAPTER XXIV.

A morning walk.

Herbert found it difficult to sleep from anxiety.  He felt that the burden was too great for him alone to bear, and he desired to speak on the subject to George Melville.  But there was a difficulty about doing this undetected, on account of the thinness of the partitions between the rooms.  If he could hear Col.  Warner, the latter would also be able to hear him.

The stage was to start at seven o’clock the next morning, and before that time some decision must be made.  The first question was, should they, or should they not, take passage, as they had anticipated?

At half-past five, Herbert, turning in bed, found his bedfellow awake.

“Mr. Melville,” he whispered, “I have something important to communicate, and cannot do so here on account of the danger of being heard in the next room.  Are you willing to dress and take a little walk with me before breakfast?”

George Melville’s physical condition did not make him usually favorable to early rising, but he knew Herbert well enough to understand that he had a satisfactory reason for his request.

“Yes, Herbert,” he said, “I will get up.”

Not a word was exchanged, for Mr. Melville’s discretion prevailed over his curiosity.  In ten minutes both were fully dressed and descended the stairs.

There was no one stirring except a woman, the landlord’s wife, who was lighting the fire in order to prepare breakfast.

She regarded the two with surprise, and perhaps a little distrust.

“You’re stirrin’ early, strangers,” she said.

“Yes,” answered Melville, courteously, “we are going to take a little walk before breakfast; it may sharpen our appetites.”

“Humph!” said the woman; “that’s curious.  I wouldn’t get up so early if I wasn’t obliged.  There ain’t much to see outdoors.”

“It is a new part of the country to us,” said Melville, “and we may not have another chance to see it.”

“When will breakfast be ready?” asked Herbert.

“Half an hour, more or less,” answered the woman, shortly.

“We will be back in time,” he said.

The landlady evidently thought their early-rising a singular proceeding, but her suspicions were not aroused.  She resumed her work, and Herbert and his friend walked out through the open door.

When they had reached a spot a dozen rods or more distant, Melville turned to his young clerk and asked: