It would be hours before the sluggish Anderson Crow appeared; and Bonner was not the sort to leave a woman in jeopardy if it was in his power to help her.

Besides, the country people had filled him with stories of Miss Gray's beauty, and they found him at an impressionable and heart-free age.

The thrill of romance seized him and he was ready to dare.
He crept up to the doorway and listened.

Reason told him that the coast was clear; the necessity for a sentinel did not exist, so cleverly were the desperadoes under cover.

After a few moments, he crawled into the room, holding his breath, as he made his way toward the cellar staircase.