“Wasn’t any key,” says Mark.
“Maybe,” says Binney, “if we was to move a chair or somethin’ against it it wouldn’t rattle so.”
I knew Binney wasn’t worrying about the rattling, but was doing a lot of thinking about keeping out anything that might be prowling around, and I nudged Plunk. We sort of giggled at Binney, but I guess both of us felt the same way he did.
“Go on to sleep,” says Mark.
We were all quiet for a spell, and then Mark began to snore. He wasn’t the nervous kind, and even if he had been a mite timid he’d have slept just the same. I never saw such a fellow to eat and sleep.
Well, we laid there in the dark, listening, and after a while I dozed off. All of a sudden I waked up with Plunk clutching the side of my face.
“Hush!” says he.
I hushed all right and listened. At first I couldn’t hear anything, but then I did hear a sound. Thump! Thump! Thump! it went. Then it stopped and started over. Thump! Thump! Thump!
“Hear it?” whispered Plunk.
“Sure,” says I. “Be still and listen.”