Page:Ballantyne--The Battery and the Boiler.djvu/361

 "Now, you stand quiet for half a minute," said one of them gruffly; "there 's a knife close to each of your spines at this moment."

Thus warned, the captives stood still for nearly a minute. Then Sam lost patience.

"Well," he said, angrily, "how long do you mean to keep us here?"

Receiving no reply, he suddenly pulled the handkerchief from his eyes and assumed the pugilistic attitude with the celerity of one whose life may depend on his action, hut the only enemy to he seen was Robin, who, having also pulled down the handkerchief, stood staring at his comrade in mute surprise.

"They 're gone!" cried Sam, bursting into a fit of laughter. "The villains! The scoundrels! But who can they be? I fear there can be little doubt as to what mischief they are up to."

"We have not the smallest clew to trace them by," said Robin, with a vexed expression.

"Not the smallest. I don't even know what quarter of the town we are in now," returned Sam.

"The handkerchiefs!" exclaimed Robin with sudden animation.

"Well, what of them?"

"They—they may have names in the corners."

Again the risible Sam burst into a loud laugh, as the idea of scoundrels possessing any handkerchieft [sic]