Surprised at the confidence in the man's tone, the housewife shot a keen glance from under her eyebrows and there was a suspicious eagerness in her voice as she asked:
"Where are they?"
"You'll see fast enough when we smoke 'em out," snapped the sleuth and without stopping to explain, he went into the shed, quickly returning with a basket of chips and bark.
Watching the detectives as they passed into the parlour, Mrs. Prior slammed the door after them and placed her plump body against it, at the same time beckoning to Marjorie and Susie.
"Go upstairs just as quick as you can. Get some towels and a pitcher of water and hand it to Jess.
"He and the boys'll suffocate in the ham-chamber if you don't.
"I'll stand guard down here. You'd best take off your shoes so the men in the parlour won't hear you walking about."
Deftly removing their footwear, the two girls stole up the back stairs that led from the kitchen and hurried to get the relief to the suffering bandits.
The pitcher of water and the towels were secured without delay, but it was a different matter to give them to the outlaws without discovery.
Taking their places on the stairs, Marjorie cautiously removed the little door.