"Bam!"
On the instant the Sheriff leaped for the shadows. Out of the darkness came his voice.
"Don't move! Nobody!"
"Cap'n, I don' crave to move, an' de fat boy kain't, any more dan de dead man in de cellar."
The Sheriff's voice came out of the night clear as the cold stars. "Cut a piece of that rope and tie this man's hands."
The Wildcat was a little slow about tying a white man's hands, but he glanced at the blue-nosed equalizer dimly outlined in the Sheriff's steady hand and accelerated his gestures.
"Tie up that other man layin' on the deck. Tie them two men together."
"Cap'n, yessuh. How 'bout de dead boy layin' in de boat cellar?"
The Sheriff, fearing a ruse, hesitated for only a moment.
"Drop a rope down there and crawl down where he is. Tie it under his arms and then come back and haul him up."