Page:Harold Titus--Timber.djvu/214

206 Joe inside and who had followed leisurely. A broad-axe was within the door, the first implement John saw; he seized it and ran back.

Then followed a tense interval with Joe, axe upraised, stooping over the seed bed, watching in the growing darkness for the movement which would betray the intruder's presence. He muttered and gave no heed to the others. John kept close by him, also on the watch for the movement in the soil and once Joe pushed him aside as they both groped over the same area.

"Git away," he complained, "or you'll git hurted along with this here blind devil!"

John stood back, then, but he did not go away. The other two sauntered away, uninterested in the affair which had aroused Joe to such excitement. The old fellow kept up his vigilance, axe ready to strike, muttering to himself, until it was no longer possible to see.

Then he straightened and looked about, saw Taylor and grunted.

"Damn him to hot hell!" he whispered. "He'll ruin this here bed if he gits a chance!"

It was the closest to a friendly comment he had ever made to the other and John moved closer.

"Sh!" Joe warned. "Keep still! He's here some'eres an' we got to watch. You git a lantern; I'll stand guard."

John returned to the shanty and came back with the lighted lantern. Again they searched, but without result, and then Joe directed John to follow the mole's trail to the boundary of the nursery and tramp it down carefully, while he kept up his vigilant watch, eyes bright, head moving constantly as, stooped above the bed, he still searched for movement.