“What d’ye mean,” says I, “scaring a fellow to death?”
“Didn’t know you were here,” says Catty.
“Glad you were, for I was wondering how in the world to find you.”
“You butted me in the stomach, young man,” says Mr. Dunn, “and my stomach’s been through enough tonight without that.”
“How’d you get loose from the wire?” says I.
“We cut and tugged him loose,” says Catty, “and we didn’t have a minute to spare, either. We had hardly dragged his feet under the wire when a couple of men came up on the other side. There was a bush right there, and we crouched down beside it and hardly breathed. They walked on, and we’ve been crawling and hiding and running ever since.”
“And I’m almost dead,” says Mr. Dunn.
“Are we safe here?” says Mr. House.
“We’re everything else but,” says Catty, “but I guess we’ve got to take a chance. It doesn’t look as if Mr. Dunn could go any farther till he gets rested some.”
“I can’t,” says Mr. Dunn, “and I won’t—not if all the pirates and mutineers that ever lived come galloping up.”