“Yes.”
“Oh! don’t let him come in here!” exclaimed little Nell. “Please keep him out, Frank! I am so afraid of him!”
“Don’t worry, little girl,” assured Merry. “He shall not harm you. I will take care of him.”
“He was drunk,” said Jack; “and he talked awfully to me! I was afraid. He caught me by the shoulder once, and said I must go with him.”
“It may be a good plan to turn him over to the police,” cried Frank, who felt that he had already endured too much from the man.
Then Frank went outside the door and listened. From the bottom of the stairs came a low groan.
“He has fallen down and hurt himself,” thought Merry. “He brought it on himself, and no one else is to blame.”
Then he descended the stairs. At the bottom a dark figure was lying. Frank lighted a match, and saw old Joe curled there, with his head doubled under him, as if his neck were broken.
In a moment Frank again became very sorry for the man. He took hold of the engineer and straightened him out into a more comfortable position.
“I wonder how much he is hurt,” thought Frank.