‘Not down here,’ she replied. ‘Nobody would ever come down here voluntarily.’
‘I suppose not, I know I——’
But Rex did not finish. From just out in the blackness came the sound of a mirthless laugh; a devilish chuckle which caused them to shrink back against the boulder, staring wide-eyed into space.
It was not repeated. After a space of perhaps twenty seconds they looked at each other, as though wondering if the other had heard it. Nan shook her head at Rex. She could not speak.
Slowly Rex got to his feet, knees trembling, his hand on Nan’s shoulder.
‘My God!’ he breathed chokingly.
Just across the fire from them, as though appearing from nowhere, stood a man, the firelight glistening on his face. He wore no hat, and his face was gobby with dirt, swollen, contorted. He was wearing a coat, one sleeve of which had been torn away, along with the sleeve of his shirt, which had once been white, but was now stained and dirty.
He was looking at them in a stony sort of way, hunched forward, one hand thrown up, as though to ward away the heat, and in the other hand was a heavy Colt revolver, cocked.
CHAPTER XIV: SAVED BY CONDENSED MILK
Hashknife and Sleepy did not hurry with their supper, and it was after dark before they began eating. Hashknife was rather thoughtful, and Sleepy noticed him staring at the table-top several times.