While we were sitting around our rude table, making up accounts and conversing about business, Steel Spring entered the store with as much assurance as a first class customer.  Fred and Smith both welcomed him with a few remarks, but Steel Spring seemed somewhat hurried, and declined to be seated.  At length he gave me a signal that he wished to communicate something to me in private, and I followed him to the door.

“I thought that I vould come and give ye a bit of news, ’cos ye alvays treated me vell,” he said, in a low whisper, and after a careful glance around to see if there were listeners near at hand.

I acknowledged the remark, and he continued:—­

“I heerd the commissioner give orders to-night that your ’osses should be seized in the morning for the sogers to ride on, and I think he is doing it out of spite.”  “But he has no right to touch private property,” I remarked.

“Vot does you s’pose he cares for the right?  He vill say that they is needed, and that is ’nough.  You can’t help yourselves, you can’t.  Vot is the use of talking?”

“But we will talk, and to some purpose,” I replied, indignant at the outrage that was to be committed upon us.

“No, don’t you say one vord, ’cos it vouldn’t help the matter, and he could hinjure you more than the ’osses is vorth.  Do you take and sell ’em.  Don’t you know some covey vot has got the ready tin vould buy ’em?”

“We had an offer this very morning for all three of the animals by the American stage company.”

“Vas the hoffer a good one?” asked Steel Spring, in a low voice.

“Yes; all that the animals are worth.”

“Then do you go at vonce and get the tin, and tell the coveys that you vant them taken off now—­this werry evening.  The commissioner von’t interfere vid the stage company.  He knows better.”

I thanked Steel Spring for his information, and then whispered, while I placed some gold coins in his hand,—­

“Don’t you think that you could contrive to let Captain Ross know something in regard to the artillery company?”

“I s’pose you have some veighty reasons for axing me to do it?” the spy replied.

“So weighty, that ten sovereigns will be given to the man who conveys the information.”

“Ten sovereigns,” repeated the fellow, slowly, as though considering of the matter; “you don’t know how it vould hinjure my conscience to sell the secrets of the commissioner.”

“I will make them fifteen, then,” I answered.

“That is somethin’ like.  The vork is done, and no mistake.  The captain vill have the information.  To-morrow I vill come for the shiners.”

He left me suddenly, and stole silently away in the darkness, just as a policeman halted in front of the store and scrutinized the building as though it was a resort for traitors, and he was determined to keep his eye upon our movements.  I knew the man, and he knew me, so I stopped to exchange a few words with him.