ttle scheme for befriending Monteith Sterry was nipped in
the bud by his being retained at the front of the building, where, as
has been shown, he acted as the bearer of messages between Inman and
Capt. Asbury.

There were men closely watching the building from the moment darkness
closed over the scene. Had Sterry attempted to steal along the side of
the house and then dodge away, he would have been detected and halted
at once. On the contrary, he moved with his usual gait in a diagonal
direction toward the stables. His object was to learn the likeliest
method of leaving the place.

He had perhaps walked fifty feet, when some one advanced from the
gloom and called, in an undertone:

"Halloo, who is that?"

"It's I, Smith; who are you?"

The name, of course, was a venture, but it was not uncommon, as the
reader knows, and more likely to be right than any other. The best of
it was, it seemed to satisfy the other, who, without announcing his
own, asked:

"What are you doing?"

"I've been looking around to see what I could learn."

"Anything new?"

"No, not as far as I can discover; they seem to have a light burning
in there, but are waiting for us."

"I wonder they didn't give you a shot; Vesey says they are desperate,
and he brought back word that they would shoot the first of us seen
prowling about the place. I wonder you didn't catch it."

"I took good care. When do you suppose the fight will open?"

"Pretty soon; I s'pose you are as tired of this dallying as the rest
of us."

"Well, it strikes me as best to wait until sure everything is ready."

Sterry was anxious to end this pointless conversation, for the
stranger had approached quite near and peered into his face, as though
not free from suspicion. The darkness was deep, but on the other side
of the ridge a small fire was burning, from fragments brought from the
stables. Of this the adventurer meant to keep clear at all hazards.
More than one rustler knew him intimately, and it might be that he to
whom he was talking was an old acquaintance and enemy.

How Sterry longed for the presence of Vesey!

In a natural manner he sauntered up the ridge, as if his intention
was to return to the camp-fire, that being the course most likely to
dissipate any misgiving on the part of the other.

The latter made no response, and Sterry kept on, thinking:

"I'm rid of him, any way, and ought to have less trouble with others
that may wish to ask questions."