"Yes, sir; I hear you."
"Well, just step back through that door in t'other room and watch me while I look through this chest for a gold ring I lost last week."
Poor Fred was in a terrible state of mind, and, passing softly through the door opening into his bed-room, he paused by the chair where he had sat so long, and then faced toward the tramp, who said, by way of amendment:
"I forgot to say that if you try to climb out of the winder onto the porto rico or to sneak out any way I'll give you a touch of that."
As he spoke he suddenly held up a bull's-eye lantern, which poured a strong stream of light toward the boy. It looked as if he must have lighted it inside the house, and had come into the room with it under his coat.
While he carried this lantern in one hand he held a pistol, shining with polished silver, in the other, and behind the two objects the bearded face loomed up like that of some ogre of darkness.
The scamp did not seem to think this remark required anything in the way of response, and, kneeling before the huge oaken chest, he began his evil work.
For a few moments Fred was so interested that he ceased to reproach himself for having failed to do his duty.
The tramp set the lantern on the floor beside him, so that it threw its beams directly into the room where the boy stood.