We studied over this for some time before the Friar thought up a way which seemed worth tryin’. I said I’d go back and stay at the far side o’ the openin’, and when they brought the rope back, to come right on with it along the left wall, and I’d knock my teeth together to show it was me—provided I was still there and able. So the Friar pulled off his boots, and The kept watch in the offset while the Friar ran back. I thought it must be several days since we’d come in, but he looked at his watch before startin’, and it was only two o’clock.
From where I was, I could make out the shape o’ the feller they had put on watch, and knew I could keep cases on all within the little rock room. After an age, I saw two forms creep like ghosts out of the dark beyond the candle, and ooze into the offset without makin’ a sound. Then in a moment, Promotheus came stealin’ along the wall with the end of the rope. I made my signal to him, and he went on down the tunnel, slowly pullin’ the rope after him.
I was mighty curious to see how they had fixed the lantern, which they were to light with the candle in the offset, and it made me feel a lot better when it came out of the recess. Horace had done the fixin’, I afterward found out, and it had nearly broke his heart not to come in with it; but he realized that it was necessary to have an outer guard, so he had stayed with the two Simpson boys. He had put the lantern into a box after nailin’ a couple o’ short pieces of rope on the bottom for runners; and now it came slidin’ along without makin’ a sound. He had sawed a piece out of the side, so that all the light came up again’ the ceilin’, and onto the side where the openin’ was.
Slowly it came along, and I stood in the shadow watchin’ it. Finally it fell on the face of the man lyin’ near the openin’, and I saw he was one of those who had been at Skelty’s that night—for all I know, it was his hand I had seen raisin’ the window to my room. Next, it lighted up the openin’, itself; and then The stopped pullin’ and crept up opposite me. We heard ’em sighin’ and groanin’, in the recess, and finally the woman’s voice gave a weary moan as she came awake.
In a second, Ty’s voice was heard, askin’ what was the matter; and we all braced up our nerves. A weak, delirious voice started to babble, but it was broken by a shot, and a bullet ripped through the box, but without puttin’ out the light. I started across the hall; but The had already seen it, and had taken the rope and ran down the tunnel with it. He turned the box, so ’at just the left edge o’ the light touched the openin’, and then came across to my side. We weren’t in a black shadow now; but still, with the light in their faces, it would have been hard to see us.
A hand reached out of the openin’, and fired in our direction, I dropped to my knee and aimed at the hand, but neither shot counted; and for the next few minutes, all we heard was that weak voice, babblin’ indistinctly. It hadn’t worked out as I thought it would. I figured that they’d be surprised when the light shone in their faces, and would rush out and give us a chance. Now that it was too late, I thought up half a dozen better schemes.
Even while I was thinkin’ up a perfect one, I saw a form come out from the recess, and threw my gun up—but I didn’t snap the hammer. It was the woman, and behind her I could make out the shaved head o’ the Chinaman.
We all stayed silent for some time, an’ then Ty’s voice said: “Well, what kind of a settlement do you fellers want?”
He spoke as self-composed as though puttin’ through a beef-dicker, and no reply was made for several seconds. Then, as no one else spoke, I sez: “All we want is just the woman and what’s left o’ your outfit, Ty.”
“Who’s that speakin’?” sez Ty.