“What’s the matter?” he cried. “Are you going to hurt me, Tireson?”
“I’m not going to touch you,” shouted the major, in disgust. “We want that boy. Where is he?”
“What boy?” asked the colonel, blankly.
“You know very well what boy!” snorted the major. “We found the lock on your door open when we came in, and we know he is in here!”
“Oh, I see!” cried the colonel, as though a light had suddenly appeared to him.
“What do you see?” snapped Tireson, halted by the colonel’s tone.
“Somebody was working at my lock up until the time you started to run around and yell downstairs,” related the colonel. “I thought it was one of you trying to get the padlock unlocked so I didn’t pay any attention. Who was this boy you are talking about? What is he doing here? Why——”
“Never mind all that,” Major Tireson cut him short. “Dan, go out in the hall and see if you can find that boy. He must not get out of the place!”
The major then made a thorough inspection of the room, even going so far as to hastily brush aside the map, but did not find Don and he began to believe seriously that the boy had not entered the colonel’s room. The old man had hurried out of the room and the major was now alone with Colonel Morrell.
“Look here, Elmer,” said the major, sharply. “I’m going to give you one last chance to speak up and tell us where your papers are. You have until tomorrow night. If you haven’t spoken by then you will have to suffer the consequences. Dennings is more than tired of your stubbornness, and we won’t stand for any more of it. You will be moved tomorrow night, so you had better come across with the papers before then, or you will probably go for a long sea voyage.”