Captain Salt could not see their
faces owing to the extreme width of their hat-brims. But he turned a
shade paler, and drawing back from the window stepped to the door,
which opened upon the landing. Moving softly to the balusters, he
peered over. Directly beneath him, at the foot of the stairs, sat
yet another man in a broad-brimmed hat, who was engaged very
tranquilly in polishing a pistol with an oily rag. The barrel
glimmered in the light that shone down the well of the staircase from
a skylight above Captain Salt's head.
He retired to the parlour again and, after trying the lock of the
door, walked to and fro in deep thought for awhile. Then, from the
bedroom, he fetched his sword and belt, with the two pistols which he
had carried throughout the journey. He was examining the priming of
these very narrowly when Tristram appeared, red and glowing from his
ablutions. Almost at the same instant footsteps were heard ascending
the stairs. The Captain went quickly to the door pistol in hand.
It was only the waitress, however, with the tray containing their
breakfast. He told her to set it down, looked at the tray and,
announcing that he was hungrier than he had imagined, desired her to
bring up a ham, another loaf, and four bottles of wine.
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