Another and stronger reason was that he had not a few articles of considerable value stowed away in crannies at the base of the big pile of junk.
These things were breakable, and for all he knew then, had been completely destroyed.
Hiding his mingled anxiety and wrath, he now directed his efforts toward drawing the men away from the spot, and succeeded soon in doing so.
The moment Shadow heard them take their departure he commenced moving about, examining into the facts of his singular imprisonment.
He found himself in a place high enough to permit his crawling about on his hands and knees, and about two feet in width and ten in length.
Had it not been that he received a certain quantity of air through the interstices of the pile, he must have suffocated.
As it was, it took only a very few minutes after the settling down occurred before the air contained in the narrow place became foul, and really unfit to breathe.
But it contained enough oxygen to support life, and once satisfied of this, Shadow calmly pursued the task he was at.
Before long, however, Cap returned to inquire into the condition of his hidden articles of value, and Shadow was compelled to again become as quiet as a mouse.
He was more than satisfied with the result, since Cap's examination involved the moving of a number of articles, and the disposition of others in a manner which promised to make it much easier for the mysterious detective to extricate himself from his predicament.