Jimmie listened for a short time and then started away, but Ned drew him back into the shelter of the opening.
“Remain where you are!” he whispered. “There are people moving all around the dip. They may try to come down.”
“So that foxy little messenger boy did give us away, did he?” asked Jimmie. “I thought he would all the time!”
“We don’t know yet whether he did or not,” Ned answered, still in a whisper. “The boy might have been followed when he came here, you know. I can’t believe yet that he intentionally led us into danger.”
“He always has!” argued Jimmie.
In a moment the rattle of stones was heard again, followed by an exclamation of dismay and a fall. It was such a fall as Ned had heard before—a long, bounding, awful fall, with a sickening crash as of broken flesh and bones at the last!
“Je-rusalem!” whispered Jimmie. “I should think they’d get tired of that after a while.”
“I wish I knew where Gilroy is,” Ned commented. “I heard him cry out in alarm just before the shot came, then followed the tumble from the top. I’m afraid it’s all up with Gilroy.”
“I should say it was all down with Gilroy if he tipped off that ledge,” Jimmie commented.
“Young man,” Ned said, “this is too serious a matter to joke about.”