He remained
there motionless for twenty minutes. Suddenly a rat ran across the
floor with a scrap of paper in its mouth. He stared at the place where
the rat had disappeared as if bewildered, then rose, placed the table
back against the wall, secured the packet, and put it into his pocket.
Chapter XII
Westerfelt knew he could not sleep, and, seeing the moonlight shining
through his window, he decided to take a walk. He went below.
Washburn sat in a little circle of candle-light mending a piece of
harness.
"Has the hack come in yet?" asked Westerfelt, remembering that he had
paid little attention to business that day.
"Yes," answered Washburn; "it's down at the store unloadin' the mail."
"I thought I heard it turn the corner. Any passengers?"
"No; Buck said a family, one woman and five children, wus ready to
start by the Cohutta road to Royleston, but the report about the
Whitecaps t'other night skeerd 'em out of it, so they went by train to
Wilks, an' through that way. This outlawin' will ruin the country ef
it hain't stopped; nobody'll want to settle heer.
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