'You said we'd only gag them and rob them, not hurt them; or I wouldn't have come.'
'Shut up your whining; had to change the plan when they waked up; you done all you could to protect them, now let that satisfy you; come, help rummage.'
Both men were masked, and wore coarse, ragged 'nigger' clothes; they had a bull's-eye lantern, and by its light I noticed that the gentler robber had no thumb on his right hand. They rummaged around my poor cabin for a moment; the head bandit then said, in his stage whisper—
'It's a waste of time—he shall tell where it's hid. Undo his gag, and revive him up.'
The other said—
'All right—provided no clubbing.'
'No clubbing it is, then—provided he keeps still.'
They approached me; just then there was a sound outside; a sound of voices and trampling hoofs; the robbers held their breath and listened; the sounds came slowly nearer and nearer; then came a shout—