CHAPTER VI.

LITTLE SNAP'S TROUBLES INCREASE.

Though Little Snap was aware that he was running the gantlet of the rifles of the bushbinders, he kept on undaunted, until he had reached the side of his horse.

The next moment he sprang lightly into the saddle, and gathering up the reins, shouted:

"Away, Jack! show them a light pair of heels!"

The faithful steed needed no urging to do this, and with the reports of the baffled men's firearms and the cries of the startled Raggles family ringing in his ears, the postboy of the Kanawha dashed furiously down the path leading to the main road from Greenbrier to Six Roads.

Not a word escaped his tightly compressed lips, until the highway was reached, when he patted his horse on the neck, saying, gently:

"Easy, now, Jack, old boy; the danger is over for the present. It was a close call, but a miss is as good as a mile, though I don't care to go through that experience again."

Slackening his gait to an easy canter, Jack bore his rider on without further urging. The truth was, the postboy's mind was busy trying to solve the subject of the meeting in the cave of the four unknown men. He was also puzzled to understand the actions of the Raggles family. While he could not believe that their story to get him into the cave had been a hoax, he was unable to understand their reappearance upon the scene.

The postboy was still trying to solve these problems, when he reached a small town called by the singular name of Daring's Diamond.

He found the postmaster, Mr. Anderson, impatiently awaiting his appearance.

"Late again," greeted the official, in a disagreeable tone.

"I could not very well help it," replied Little Snap, handing him the mail pouch.

"That is what you say every time. You are an hour overdue. Mr. Meiggs, who has just gone out, has been talking pretty loud about you. If I were in your place, I would not let this happen again. People who are having mail want it on time. It may not make any difference to the Blazed Acre cattle, but it does to civilized people, I have noticed."

It wasn't so much what the postmaster said as the way in which he said it that nettled Little Snap, though he made no reply. This Mr. Meiggs referred to was one of the postboy's bondsmen.

"I suppose you know Dan Shag has gone up to see Jason Warfield about the Hollow Tree mail?" said the postmaster, as he handed over the sack. "Of course you know; what a fool I am! He must have passed you 'tween here and the Tree."

To this Little Snap made no reply. He knew Anderson was saying these things to draw him out. The postmaster, for some unknown reason, had never acted friendly toward him.

He never could understand why.

It was never Little Snap's practice to hold much conversation with those he met on his route, and on this occasion he felt less like talking than common.

He was due at Union Six Roads, the end of his route, at eight o'clock, and it was already past that hour, it having been sunset at the time of his escape from his enemies at the cave.

Thus he took the mail pouch from Mr. Anderson's hands, and throwing it on its accustomed hook, sprang into his seat before that worthy could realize he was leaving.

"Hold up a minnit!" he exclaimed, as the postboy dashed away, but not loud enough for him to hear. "Go it!" muttered the other, "I shan't forget it in my report. I reckon you'll wish you hadn't been in so much of a hurry when you come to meet old Warfield."

Little thinking of what was in store for him at his home town, the postboy urged Jack on at greater speed than common, until at last he dashed up in front of the Six Roads post office, kept by John Rimmon, who also had a small trade in groceries.

The postmaster met him at the door, with a troubled look upon his features.

"What in the world have you been doing all this time, Dix Lewis? Hold on! don't dismount. Jason Warfield left word here for me to tell you to come right up to his house the minute you got in. He wants to see you on matters of vital importance. Them's just his words."

"Well, I will run up and see just as soon as I have put Jack in the stable."

"But he said you mustn't stop for that. He said for you to be sure and come the minute you got here. By his looks and actions, it must be something of very great importance."

The Honorable Jason Warfield, as that rather pompous gentleman desired to be known, was considered one of the richest men in Monroe County. In some way, not easily understood by the easy-going inhabitants of Six Roads, a large proportion of the property in town was in his name, and it was doggedly repeated that "he had a mortgage on the rest."

Be that as it may, no move of any importance was made without consulting him, and his sanction to any undertaking was deemed sufficient to insure its success. Of course, such a man had his enemies, but as a rule he was liked.

His was the first name on the Postboy of the Kanawha's bond, and it was generally supposed that he had been principally instrumental in securing Little Snap his situation.

It was no wonder then that the postmaster looked surprised when our hero said that he was going to care for his horse before he visited Mr. Warfield.

"I wouldn't take any such chances," declared the worthy minion of the government, with an ominous shake of his grizzled locks.

Little Snap's home was but a short distance from the post office, so he was quickly there, to be met at the door by his mother and two sisters, both of the latter being younger than he, the three looking very anxious.

"Where have you been, my son?" asked his mother. "We have been so worried about you. And Mr. Warfield has been here, acting very much put out. He wants you to come up to his house as soon as possible. Something terrible has happened, I know."

"Nothing to be alarmed about, mother. But if Bess will take care of Jack, I will go right up to Mr. Warfield's, though I cannot imagine what he is so anxious to see me for."

"He is terribly excited about something. I would go at once, if I were you, and I will have your supper warm for you when you get back."

"Is father at home?" asked Little Snap.

"No; I have not seen him to-day. He stays away more than ever of late. Why did you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. Give Jack a good supper, Bess, and see that he is comfortable for the night. There, mother, don't be worried any more. I won't be gone long this time."

It was nothing unusual, as Mrs. Lewis had inferred, for John Lewis, our hero's father, to be away from home. In fact, it was very seldom he was there, and when he was he hardly ever did any work or business. He was a man of a few words and very peculiar habits. His neglect of his family had made it necessary that Dix do something for their support.

Kissing his mother, as was his practice when leaving home, Little Snap turned away to start on his visit to Mr. Warfield's, when he saw a party of men approaching the house.

"Why, it's Mr. Warfield in front!" exclaimed his mother. "He got impatient waiting for you. And there is Mr. Meiggs and Daniel Shag, of Hollow Tree, and—and Mr. Bardy, the sheriff. Oh, Dix! what does it mean?"

"Nothing to be alarmed over, I am sure, mother, so be calm."

In a louder tone of voice, he greeted the newcomers, saying:

"Good-evening, gentlemen. I was starting to come up to your house, Mr. Warfield."

"Was that the direction I left at the post office for you to follow, young man?" demanded Mr. Warfield, sternly.

"No, sir; but Jack was so tired that I thought——"

"So you put more importance upon the condition of your horse than you do the affairs of Uncle Sam?"

"Not exactly that; but I did not know you wished to see me upon government matters. I——"

"It seems to me, young man, that you should have been very anxious to see me, if I was not to see you, after what has happened to-day. Mr. Shag was so much concerned about it that he rode up here posthaste to let me know. He tells me you have lost the Hollow Tree packet of mail."

"Mr. Shag said it was missing, sir, when I got to his office; but I trust you do not think it any of my fault. Mr. Belmont——"

"The horse does not seem very badly winded," broke in Sheriff Brady, who had approached Jack, and was running his hand over the creature's body. "Ha! Mr. Warfield, I hardly think we shall have to look much farther for the missing mail. Here it is, fast enough."

Little Snap uttered a low exclamation of astonishment, as he saw the sheriff take from the little pouch he had fastened to the saddle for his convenience in carrying small articles to and fro on his trips, the missing package of mail matter!

All feelings imaginable were depicted upon the countenances of the little group surrounding the postboy.