“Look—watch!”
Hooker bent over the man and seemed about to go through his clothes. Instead of that, he pushed the sleeper’s hat back from his face. Then, as if not satisfied, he felt in his pockets some moments, found a match and struck it. For a single moment he held the match so the light of the blaze fell full and fair on the face of the sleeper. Then, with a flirt, the match was flung aside.
“He was making sure the fellow is too drunk to make trouble when he goes through him,” said Bart.
“Wait!” whispered Frank. “What is he doing now? He seems trying to awaken the man.”
“He’s trying him to find out if he’s dead to the world,” declared Hodge.
“No, see—he’s shaking the man! He’s really trying to awaken him!”
“I don’t believe it!”
“He’s slapping his face!”
Smack! smack! smack—the sound of Hooker’s open-handed blows on the man’s face came plainly to their ears.
“Well, this is a queer piece of business!” admitted Hodge.