Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/185

Rh "That's the name it goes by," replied the man, without changing his position.

"Then I 'll stop here for the night," said Robert, leaping to the ground as he spoke. "Is Jacob Gunning here now?"

"I'm Jake Gunning. Nobody hereabouts ever calls me Jacob." "Then you 're the man I'm after," laughed Robert. "Read that, will you?" he added, holding forth the letter which he had taken from the pocket of the helpless man in the bushes near Hannah Nott's home.

"Read it to me yourself," said Jacob. His voice was deep and guttural, but there was nothing in it to imply any interest in the letter or the stranger.

"I'd rather you would read it," said Robert, glancing uneasily about him.

"Ye need n't be scart. Nobody here 'll hurt ye. Read me the letter."

Suspecting that Jacob was not able to read, Robert stepped to his side and in a low voice read the letter through. The man's face was still apparently impassive as he said,—

"What's that to do with me, I'd like to know?"

"I want you to see that the letter gets at once into proper hands."