to the right; the water's running high, and it may carry youse all
down stream. I don't want that these ladies should be drowned in any
stage of mine. An' if the Red Rider jumps you don't put up no bluff,
but sit still. The paymaster's due in a night or two, an' I've no
doubt at all but that the Rider's laying for him. But if you tell him
that there's no one inside but womenfolk and a tailor, mebbe he won't
hurt youse. Now, ladies," he added, putting his head under the
leather flap, as though unconscious that all he had said had already
reached them, "without wishing to make you uneasy, I would advise
your having your cash and jewelry ready in your hands. With road-
agents it's mostly wisest to do what they say, an' to do it quick. Ef
you give 'em all you've got, they sometimes go away without spilling
blood, though, such being their habits, naturally disappointed." He
turned his face toward the shrinking figure of the military tailor.
"You, being an army man," he said, "will of course want to protect
the ladies, but you mustn't do it. You must keep cool. Ef you pull
your gun, like as not you'll all get killed. But I'm hoping for the
best. Good-night all, an' a pleasant journey."

The stage moved off with many creaks and many cracks of the whip,
which in part smothered Hunk Smith's laughter. But after the first
mile, he, being a man with feelings and a family, pulled the mules to
a halt.

The voice of the drummer could instantly be heard calling loudly from
the darkness of the stage: "Don't open those flaps. If they see us,
they'll fire!"

"I wanted you folks to know," said Hunk Smith, leaning from the box-
seat, "that that talk of Pop's was all foolishness. You're as safe on