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
this trail as in a Pullman palace-car. That was just his way. Pop
will have his joke. You just go to sleep now, if you can, and trust
to me.
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