“Fellows,” whispered Bayard, when Wilson had dropped back into the room after holding the short colloquy we have recorded, “there’s some one in there with him, for I can hear them talking. It’s Chase, I’ll bet a dollar.” Then raising his voice he called out: “You were getting ready to leave, were you? It seems we arrived just in time. We’ve got you both right where we want you. We’ll teach you to play eavesdropper before we are done with you.”
Chase and Wilson made no reply to this. The latter, who did not intend to be cheated out of his dinner, even if there were enemies almost within reach of him, once more picked up his bread and meat, and while he was devouring it ran his eyes all around the room as if searching for some avenue of escape.
“You needn’t keep so still in there,” continued Bayard in a louder tone. “We know just how the thing stands.”
“Well, what of it?” demanded Chase. “What do you propose to do about it?”
“Ah! my young boy, I thought you were there,” cried Bayard, recognising Chase’s voice. “We don’t intend to do much. We’ll just keep you in that room till Coulte comes home—that’s all.”
“We’d like to see you do it,” replied Wilson, angrily. “We’re coming out now, and if any of you stand in our way you’ll get hurt. We don’t want anything more to do with you, and you will save yourselves trouble by going off and minding your own business.”
As Wilson said this he and Chase once more laid down their bread and meat, and began making preparations to leave the room.
As the door was locked and Coulte had the key in his pocket, there was but one way this could be done, and that was by going out at the hole in the floor of the loft where Wilson had come in. Their first move was to restore the bureau to an upright position and pull it under the hole; and their next to spring upon the top of it, settle their hats firmly on their heads, push back their sleeves, and make other demonstrations indicative of a resolve to give Bayard and his cousins a warm reception if they dared to attack them.
“I will go first,” said Wilson. “I know they will pitch into me the moment I touch the floor, but I am good for two of them if you will manage the other.”