Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/30

14 "He wants me to keep him over night and ferry him across the river in the morning."

"Does he say where he's going?"

"He says he was doing somedings for General Clinton." "He does? Does he say what?"

"No. Nein," replied Dirck, shaking his head.

"Naturally he wouldn't do that. Did he know who you were, Dirck, or did he just chance to stop at your house?"

"I cannot tell. He"—

Dirck stopped abruptly as the sound of a footfall was heard near them, and as both men glanced up they beheld a man approaching. To the unspoken question in Robert's eyes, Dirck quickly nodded, and the young "express" knew that the visitor whose arrival had perplexed and troubled Dirck was before him. He was glad that he had an opportunity to see the man before he spoke, but his hasty glance was interrupted by the stranger himself.