“Move along, Billy!” implored the other, as though he feared the other might be about to start off on another long-winded explanation.
“There were some things besides tools on that bench, Hugh, things that looked like foot sections of gaspipe!”
“Well, what of that?” demanded Hugh, though the color partly left his face; “how do you know but what one of the strikers was a machinist employed by the owner of the works and that he chose to do some of his work at home?”
“I’ll tell you, Hugh,” continued Billy, his voice sinking to almost a whisper, “I had the curiosity to pick up one of those sections of iron gaspipe, and I want to say right now when I saw a fuse sticking out from the end of the same I put it back again in a hurry!”
“What’s that?” exclaimed Hugh.
“Hugh, they’ve been making some sort of bombs or infernal machines there, meaning to blow up the cement works, with the strike-breakers and guards in the same!”
When Billy said this he and the scout master stood there exchanging horrified looks, and for the moment incapable of giving further utterance to the thoughts in their minds.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE WELCOME SIGHT—CONCLUSION.
Hugh shut his teeth together with a snap, as though his mind had been suddenly made up.
Billy knew that there would be no shirking, for when the leader of the Wolf Patrol saw his duty clear before him he never allowed anything to stand between himself and its accomplishment.