and see the ground disturbed? Not exactly—not exactly. We’ll take it to my den.”
“Why, of course! Might have thought of that before. You mean Number One?”
“No—Number Two—under the cross. The other place is bad—too common.”
“All right. It’s nearly dark enough to start.”
Injun Joe got up and went about from window to window cautiously peeping out. Presently he said:
“Who could have brought those tools here? Do you reckon they can be upstairs?”
The boys’ breath forsook them. Injun Joe put his hand on his knife, halted a moment, undecided, and then turned toward the stairway. The boys thought of the closet, but their strength was gone. The steps came creaking up the stairs—the intolerable distress of the situation woke the stricken resolution of the lads—they were about to spring for the closet, when there was a crash of rotten timbers and Injun Joe landed on the ground amid the debris of the ruined stairway. He gathered himself up cursing, and his comrade said:
“Now what’s the use of all that? If it’s anybody, and they’re up there, let them stay there—who cares? If they want to jump down, now, and get into trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes—and then let them follow us if they want to. I’m willing. In my opinion, whoever hove those things in here caught a sight of us and took us for ghosts or devils or something. I’ll bet they’re running yet.”
Joe grumbled awhile; then he agreed with his friend that what daylight was left ought to be economized in getting things ready for leaving.