“Shut the door, mates,” he said quickly; and the two men dragged the door to after them as they stood outside.
“Just you make half a sound, and—”
He put his lips close to my ear as he said this, and closed the great clasp-knife with a sharp click which made me start; while his eyes seemed to fascinate me as he bent down and glared at me.
It was only for a moment, though, and then I managed to slip my face aside and shouted aloud:
“Ike!”
There was a rush and a scuffle outside, and the woman said in an ill-used tone:
“I told yer how it would be.”
“You hold—”
He did not finish, for just then one of the men outside growled—plainly heard through the thin door:
“Now, then, where are yer shovin’ to?”