“Have they gone yet?” he inquired.
“No.”
The boys fired three rounds at the screen of willows and presently the skulkers broke and fled precipitously. To Dick’s amazement, Toma continued to discharge his rifle.
“What’s the idea?” he snapped. “You can’t hit them now. Isn’t one chance in a thousand that a stray bullet will get to them.”
“That not why I shoot,” Toma informed him cooly. “Factor, Sandy, they hear noise. They come back.”
Dick grinned. “Yes, that is a good way to summon them. If the factor hears that, he’ll go frantic.”
And in truth the boys did not have long to wait. They heard voices outside, then, before they had time to open it, loud pounding on the door.
“Good gracious, Dick, what is going on here?” the factor shouted as he came into the room, quickly followed by Sandy and Meschel.
“Cracky!” Sandy’s eyes popped. “What’s that?” He stood staring at the now groaning form of Henri Mekewai.
“Frazer was here in your absence. So was that scum you see lying on the floor. There’s a secret compartment in the wall of your office and two pokes of gold were concealed there. I walked in upon them just as they were taking it from its hiding place. I was so surprised at seeing the gold that, even though I had them covered, I was off guard for a moment and the Indian leaped upon me.”