Nevertheless, he exhibited a certain amount of caution and apprehension as he reached the gully and peered into it.
“He may shoot,” called Hooker, holding back discreetly.
“Not he,” exulted Sleuth. “Here he is! Come on; we’ve got him!”
With seeming recklessness, Piper slid down into the gully, still gripping his revolver in his right hand.
“I never thought it of him,” said Roy, aghast—“never!”
A moment later, peering downward, he saw the other boy bending over the body of a man who lay amid some rocks at the bottom of the gully.
“Come down,” called Piper chokingly, his voice husky and shaking with excitement. “We’ve got him cold! He was knocked out, stunned by that fall.”
“HERE HE IS! COME ON; WE’VE GOT HIM!” —Page 242.
Hooker, his courage reviving, descended into the gully, bringing down with him a small mass of loose earth and stones. He found Piper going through the pockets of the unconscious man.