At length he spoke:
"Hallo, up there!"
The sound of those simple words produced an amazing effect upon the hearers. Dacres sprang down with a cry of joy. "Come, come!" he shouted to the ladies; "friends are here!" And running down the stairs, he reached the bottom and grasped the stranger by both arms.
In the dim light he could detect a tall, slim, sinewy form, with long, black, ragged hair and white neck-tie.
"You'd best get out of this, and quick, too," said the Rev. Saul Tozer. "They're all off now, but they'll be back here in less than no time. I jest thought I'd look in to see if any of you folks was around."
By this time the ladies were both at the bottom of the stairs.
"Come!" said Tozer; "hurry up, folks. I'll take one lady and you take t'other."
"Do you know the woods?"
"Like a book."
"So do I," said Dacres.