Reaching up, he took the gun from its nail and brushed away the spider’s web. After that he unlocked the chest and placed this gun beside the other. Without another word, he undressed and went to bed.
CHAPTER XXVI
THESE ARE THE GUNS
Johnny was awakened early next morning by the sound of muffled shots.
Drew too was awake. He was sitting up in bed, listening. The Old Timer’s cot was empty.
“Wha—what is it?” Johnny asked.
“Shots,” Drew replied.
“Where?”
“In the basement of the Ramacciotti cottage, I would say.”
This guess was correct. Having awakened before dawn, Newton Mills had removed the two guns from the bottom of his chest, had searched in a box for cartridges, then had crept quietly out of the room.
He had meant to go down to the beach and fire shots into the sand. However, having found Mrs. Ramacciotti in her kitchen, he had stuffed a keg with rags and had retired to her basement. There he fired three shots from the young gangster’s gun and three from the one that had so long been hanging on the wall of the shack.