No one answered at the moment; they were all sending suspicious glances about the two rooms, and Zeb quietly closed and secured the door.
"Ki! massas, jus' look a heyah!" he cried in an excited whisper, and pointing with his finger.
"What is it?" they asked, turning to look.
Zeb sprang for the candle, and bringing it close showed a small hole in the door.
"A bullet hole, sure as you live," exclaimed Grey, who was nearest.
"And exactly opposite the bed," added Jones, stepping to it and beginning to throw back the covers.
In an instant they were all at his side, and there was a universal, half suppressed exclamation of horror and dismay, as a hard straw mattress, much stained with blood, was exposed to their view by the flickering light of the candle, which Zeb in his intense excitement had nearly dropped.
They looked at those tell-tale stains and then into each other's faces. A trifle pale at first most of them were, but calm and courageous.
Clendenin was the first to speak.
"We have evidently fallen into a den of thieves and murderers, but by the help of the Lord we shall escape their snares."