But either the scorched boy was too hurt, or too frightened, to assist those who had come to his rescue. Dan and Billy had all the fighting to do themselves.
And they had a very poor chance when the three men recovered from their surprise. The one first knocked down rose, kicked the weeping dummy out of the way, and dived for Billy with a roar of rage.
He tore the shovel out of the boy’s hands and hit poor Billy just once across the shoulders. It nearly knocked the wind out of the lad and he staggered across the cave and fell against the wall.
Dan was by this time overpowered. The fight was over almost as soon as it had begun.
“What d’ye know about these kids buttin’ in this way?” demanded one of the roughs. “Ought to give ’em both a taste of the fire, too.”
“No! go easy!” advised the man who seemed to be the leader, in a cautious tone. “There must be somebody else near.”
“Why so?”
“These kids wouldn’t have been ’way out here alone. Maybe we’re in bad, boys——”
But a cry from the third man stopped the other’s mouth. The excited individual was hauling away the broken forge.
“Here we were trying to find out from Dummy where the box was hid, an’ here she be! Look a’ here, boys! What d’ye know about this?”