Still no one but Tortue heard. This time, however, he rose from his knees and came to me. Glen looked up for an instant.
"See that he is fast!" he said, and so looked back into the grave.
"What is it?" asked Tortue.
"The plan has gone. Loose my hands!"
I could no longer see Roper; he had stooped down below the lip of the trench.
"Gone!" said Tortue. "How?"
"Some one has been here before you, but within this last week, I'll swear. Loose my hands."
"Some one!" he exclaimed savagely. "Who? who?" and he shook me by the arms.
"I do not know."
"Swear it."