Sam?"

"It would suit me. How much cash have you got?"

"Enough to see us through."

"Then I'm ready any time."

"When can we leave here, Jabe?"

"I don't reckon you want to go through Albany?"

"Of course not, you fool."

"Then at five to-morrow morning you'll get a train from here to
Schenectady, and there are plenty out of there to take you into the
mountains."

"I don't fancy running around those big towns," Sam said, hesitatingly.

"Very well, stay behind if you choose; I'm going," and Bob terminated
the interview by walking toward the house.

"It's something besides shoving the queer that's crawling on him now,"
Jabe said, as the short man passed out of hearing.

"I reckon so; but at the same time I'm bound to be with him, for if
there is a man in this country who can steer clear of trouble he is the
one, and I don't care to be pulled on a charge of counterfeiting."

Jabe made no reply, and a few seconds later the two followed their
friend into the house, leaving Jet to ponder upon the magnitude of the
task he felt bound to undertake.

Not until everything was quiet did the boy venture to come down from
his hiding-place, and then his plans were formed.

"Between now and to-morrow morning I can walk fifteen miles," he said
to himself when he had gained the highway once more, "and then I should
be mighty near the junction. There I shall be able to telegraph at any
hour, and have everything ready to board this five o'clock train when
it comes along. But if we should reach the Adirondacks, and those
fellows ever got hold of me there, it would be all up with Jet Lewis."

It was, indeed, a desperate undertaking for him to follow these men
into the wilderness where he could not call upon his friend for
assistance; but never for a moment did he think of shirking the
responsibility.

His first move was to see the manager, and represent that he was going
down the road a short distance, in order to prevent anything being said
to the constable before the two men should leave.

"I'll most likely meet you at the next town," he said, cheerily, as he
went up stairs apparently to retire, and half an hour later he had
slipped out of the house without being recognized by any one he knew.

At this late hour the village was in a state of repose, and he hurried
to the railroad, saying to himself as he started down the track on the
ties:

"Now we'll see how many miles I can cover between this and sunrise."