"Hadn't we better find out?" inquired Wainwright.
"Are you in a hurry?" I asked in turn. "The landlord has promised to
send up a good dinner in a few minutes."
"But you see--"
"Yes, I see," I interrupted. "I see this--that they are here, that
there are a dozen or more of them, and that they are ready for any
deviltry. What more can we find out by roaming over the country?"
Wainwright nodded his agreement with me.
"And then," I continued, "they won't try to do anything until after
dark--not before the middle of the night, I should say--or until the
townspeople have gone to bed."
"You're right, sir," said Abrams. "A dark night and a clear field suits
that gang best."
"Well, here's the dinner," said I; "so you can make yourselves easy.
Porter, you may keep an eye on the stairway, and Brown may watch from
the windows. The rest of us will fall to."
In the midst of the meal Porter came in.
"Darby Meeker's in the office below," he announced.
"Very good," I said. "Just take Fitzhugh and Wilson with you, and ask
Mr. Meeker to join us."
The men looked blank. Porter was the first to speak.
"You don't mean--"
"I mean to bring him up here," I said blandly, rising from the table.
"I suppose, though, it's my place as host to do the honors."
"No--no," came in chorus from the men.
"Come on, Porter--Fitzhugh--Wilson," I said; and then added sharply,
"sit down, the rest of you! We don't need a regiment to ask a man to
dinner.
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