“It almost killed me,” said Jacob, but he felt reassured.
“Who did it?”
“It’s that tramp, the man that tried to steal my gold.”
At this moment there was a knock at the door.
“There he is!” cried Jacob in fresh alarm. “He’s got into the house and is forcing his way into the chamber.”
“The door is bolted,” said his wife, “but I don’t think it can be the robber.”
But Jacob Winter could not so readily give up the idea.
“Go away, you, sir!” he called out in quavering tones. “Go away or I’ll have you arrested.”
“It’s only I, Mr. Winter,” said a young voice outside.
“It’s Ben.”