“Trust me for that,” said Chase.
“Be ready to follow me without the loss of an instant,” continued Wilson, earnestly. “Strike right and left, and don’t be at all particular where you hit. As soon as we have beaten them off we’ll run for our horses.”
While these preparations were being made on the inside of the room, Bayard was equally busy on the outside. His ears kept him posted in all that was going on on the other side of the partition, and when he heard Chase and Wilson moving the bureau across the floor, he knew what they intended to do, and set to work at once to defeat their designs.
“Our only chance is to keep them in that room until Coulte returns,” said he, to his cousins. “If we allow them to come out they will give us more than we can attend to, for they are well nigh desperate. Seth, run to the crib and bring us an armful of corn.”
“What for?” asked that worthy.
“Why, to throw at them, of course. Be quick, now.”
Seth hurried off and presently returned with two or three dozen ears of corn, which he deposited on the floor of the hall. Bayard and Will caught up an ear in each hand, and placing themselves in favorable positions for throwing, waited for one of the boys on the other side of the partition to show himself.
“Better keep close in there,” said Bayard, when he heard Chase and Wilson push the bureau against the wall and spring upon it. “We’re ready for you, and if you know when you are well off you won’t try to come out.”
“Who asked for your advice?” demanded Chase. “We are coming, and when we get out into that hall we don’t want to find you there.”
“We’ll be in Bellville in about four hours,” chimed in Wilson; “and when we get there won’t we have a nice story to tell about you? My eye! I wouldn’t be in your place for a whole cart-load of money.”