It was much darker in this room than in the other, and for a moment his eyes were of but little use to him; but they gradually became accustomed to the gloom, and Jake, whose face was turned away from me and toward Tom, began to think he saw something.
“What’s this yere?” he muttered, thrusting out his hand to examine the object which had attracted his attention, and which was nothing more nor less than Tom Mason’s head. “Looks like somebody!”
He was not long in finding out that it was somebody; for Tom seized his wrists in a vise-like grasp, and at the same instant I caught him by the collar.
“Human natur’!” yelled Jake, terrified almost beyond measure by the suddenness of our assault. “Help! help! Here they be, pap! Turn loose, consarn it all!”
Did you ever try to hold an eel? I have, and know that it is an exceedingly difficult thing to do, but not more difficult than to hold Jake Redman. Whether he was stronger than both of us, or fear lent him additional power of muscle, I do not know, but, at any rate, in less time than it takes to tell it, he slipped out of Tom’s hold, tore away from me, leaving a portion of his collar in my grasp, and with two jumps reached the window.
We dived through the openings, one after the other, and followed him with all possible speed, but he was much too nimble for us.
He threw himself from the window, and must have dropped to the ground, for when we looked out he was standing among his companions, holding both hands to his head, which he had bumped pretty severely during his descent, and looking up at the window as if he could not quite understand what had happened. His pale face showed that he had sustained something of a fright.
“What’s the matter of you?” demanded Luke Redman, as soon as he had recovered from his astonishment. “Seed a ghost?”
“No; but I’ve seed them fellers. They’re up thar, as sure as you’re a foot high.”
“I don’t b’lieve it,” cried Barney.