Frank turned to her.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, reassuringly. “He shall not harm anyone here.”
Then he demanded to know what the man wanted.
Hicks showed his teeth.
“So this is where you stop?” he said. “Well, I’m glad I found that out, but it was them others I came to see.”
“What do you want of them?”
The engineer stepped into the room, but Merry halted him with a sharp word.
“Stand where you are! You are an intruder here!”
“Oh, don’t put on airs!” snarled old Joe, and Frank saw the man had been drinking. “I know my business.”
“State it.”