“I’d go myself, you see, Billie, only that I’m afraid of that female dragon that the law calls Mrs. Comstock. What she’d do to me if she caught me in there would be a caution. And I want that gun the worst kind, because, if there’s going to be any sort of rumpus I’ll need it. Will you go, Billie?”
“I s’pose I’ll have to, sir; but I only hope that she don’t grab me; because I just know from her looks, not to mention her reputation as a scrapper, that I’ll be the worst clawed fellow in seven counties before she lets go. You must promise to stay by the window, and give me fair warning if she comes.”
This did not seem to make the other very happy; but evidently he realized that he could not very well expect Billy to take all the risk.
“Agreed, Billie,” he said, quickly. “Lead off, now; it’s that window closest to the corner, you understand. I’ll look in after you climb over, and take
the belt from you. If I give tongue, you jump for all you’re worth out of the said window, because that’ll mean I’ve sighted her acoming.”
“All right; who’s afraid?” said Billie valiantly; he even thought of handing over his rifle to the other, with directions to cover his venturesome trip through that window; but on second thoughts decided, that it would not be the right thing to use such a weapon on one of the other sex, no matter what an Amazon she might be.
Mr. Comstock followed close behind as the boy advanced toward the open window; but it could be easily seen that he was ready to beat a rapid retreat should the enemy suddenly put in an appearance anywhere around.
“She ain’t there!” whispered Billie, after he had taken a cautious look inside the room which the former manager of the ranch had been wont to call his “office,” and which, as he had said, could only be entered ordinarily through another apartment.
But if Billie cherished any faint hope that the other, on learning that the coast was clear, would immediately offer to undertake the affair for himself, he found himself wofully mistaken.
“Do you need any help to climb over the window sill?” whispered Mr. Comstock, who did not forget that the boy was unusually heavy, and consequently far from being as agile as either of his two chums.