Meantime Rudolph came nearer. His disguise had been so successful that he felt perfectly safe from discovery.
"That is a large number. Yea, verily, it is," said the tramp.
"Well, it is, but we need them all. There's a good deal of carting to do for the hotel, besides Mr. Porter keeps a livery stable. Was you ever this way before?" asked James, thinking he might as well ask a few questions also.
"I've heard there's a good many Quakers out that way."
"Nay, friend, I think I shall tarry a day or two. Is that lad thy son?"
"Tony, he asks if you are my son," said James, laughing. "No, his name is Tony Rugg, while mine is James Woodley."
"Anthony, was thee born in this town?" asked the tramp, boldly defying detection.
"No, sir," answered Tony. "I only came here a few weeks ago."
"Yea, verily," was the only comment Rudolph made.
"I'd like to choke the boy. I can hardly keep my hands off him," he said to himself. "But I'd better be going. He is looking at me closely. He might suspect something."
"Good-night," he said, and the two responded civilly to the salutation.
"Well, Tony, what do you think of Broadbrim?" asked James.
"I don't know, there's something in his voice that sounds familiar to me."
"Perhaps you may have met him somewhere before," suggested the hostler.
"No, I am sure I have not. I never met any Quaker before."
"Well, there's strange likenesses sometimes. Did I ever tell you my adventure out in Maine?"
"I went down East to see a sister of mine that is married down near Augusta. When, as I was goin' through Portland, a woman came up and made a great ado about my deserting her. She took me for her husband, and came near having me arrested for desertion. You see I and her husband was as like as two peas, that's what some of her neighbors said."
"Luckily I had documents in my pocket showing who I was. Besides, my brother-in-law happened to be in the city, and he identified me."
Rudolph sat in the public room of the hotel for a time, and then he went up to his room, partly to be out of the way of possible recognition, partly to think how he could manage to get Tony into his clutches once more, without betraying himself, or exciting any interference.
He had a back room, the window of which looked out upon the stable-yard. He seated himself at this window, and in this position could easily see and hear all that passed there.