On the contrary, he moved with his usual gait in a diagonal direction toward the stables.

His object was to learn the likeliest method of leaving the place.
He had perhaps walked fifty feet, when some one advanced from the gloom and called, in an undertone: "Halloo, who is that ?" "It's I, Smith; who are you ?" The name, of course, was a venture, but it was not uncommon, as the reader knows, and more likely to be right than any other.

The best of it was, it seemed to satisfy the other, who, without announcing his own, asked: "What are you doing ?" "I've been looking around to see what I could learn." "Anything new ?" "No, not as far as I can discover; they seem to have a light burning in there, but are waiting for us." "I wonder they didn't give you a shot; Vesey says they are desperate, and he brought back word that they would shoot the first of us seen prowling about the place.

I wonder you didn't catch it." "I took good care.

When do you suppose the fight will open ?" "Pretty soon; I s'pose you are as tired of this dallying as the rest of us." "Well, it strikes me as best to wait until sure everything is ready." Sterry was anxious to end this pointless conversation, for the stranger had approached quite near and peered into his face, as though not free from suspicion.