No; the best plan was to stay where they
were and chance it.
"Talk, boy--_talk_," whispered Cleek, and began a hasty conversation in a
high-pitched, cockney voice, to which Dollops bravely made answer in the
best tone he could muster under the circumstances.
Then a voice snapped out at them across the small distance that separated
them from the unseen stranger, and they stiffened instinctively.
"What the hell are you doing here?" it called. "Don't you know that it's
not safe to be in this district after nightfall? And if you don't--well,
a pocketful of lead will perhaps convince you!"
From the darkness ahead of them a figure followed the voice. Cleek could
dimly discern a tall, slouchy-shouldered man, clad in overalls, with a
cap pulled down close over his eyes, and in the grasp of his right hand
a very businesslike-looking revolver.
Cleek thought for a moment, then plunged bravely in.
"Come up from the passage, sir," he responded curtly. "Loadin' up
ternight, and some fool locked t'other end before me and my mate 'ere 'ad
finished our work.
Pages:
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279