r supper, and gladly did he answer them, and then
produced for our perusal a pile of newspapers from Yankee land, which
were worth more than ten times their weight in gold.

While we were sitting around our rude table, making up accounts and
conversing about business, Steel Spring entered the store with as much
assurance as a first class customer. Fred and Smith both welcomed him
with a few remarks, but Steel Spring seemed somewhat hurried, and
declined to be seated. At length he gave me a signal that he wished to
communicate something to me in private, and I followed him to the door.

"I thought that I vould come and give ye a bit of news, 'cos ye alvays
treated me vell," he said, in a low whisper, and after a careful glance
around to see if there were listeners near at hand.

I acknowledged the remark, and he continued:--

"I heerd the commissioner give orders to-night that your 'osses should
be seized in the morning for the sogers to ride on, and I think he is
doing it out of spite." "But he has no right to touch private
property," I remarked.

"Vot does you s'pose he cares for the right? He vill say that they is
needed, and that is 'nough. You can't help yourselves, you can't. Vot is
the use of talking?"

"But we will talk, and to some purpose," I replied, indignant at the
outrage that was to be committed upon us.

"No, don't you say one vord, 'cos it vouldn't help the matter, and he
could hinjure you more than the 'osses is vorth. Do you take and sell
'em. Don't you know some covey vot has got the ready tin vould buy 'em?"

"We had an offer this very morning for all three of the animals by the
American stage company."

"Vas the hoffer a good one?" asked Steel Spring, in a low voice.

"Yes; all that the animals are worth."

"Then do you go at vonce and get the tin, and tell the coveys that you
vant them taken off now--this werry evening. The commissioner von't
interfere vid the stage company. He knows better."

I thanked Steel Spring for his information, and then whispered, while I
placed some gold coins in his hand,--

"Don't you think that you could contrive to let Captain Ross know
something in regard to the artillery company?"

"I s'pose you have some veighty reasons for axing me to do it?" the spy
replied.

"So weighty, that ten sovereigns will be given to the man who conveys
the information."

"Ten sovereigns," repeated the fellow, slowly, as though considering of
the matter; "you don't kno