Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/295

 "And would you believe it, sir, those men did, or started to do, as Tib had ordered? I reckon they were curious, or else believed that no magic would result until the tenth blow, or maybe they decided we were trying to bluff them. Of course it was tough on the dog. At the first smart rap we heard him yelp, and the robbers shouted derisively. But the second blow we were not permitted to hear.

"Instead, there was a dull report, and I believed some one besides the pup had been taken away. It was not so loud an explosion as the other two, and I remembered Tib said the little one had swallowed only one piece of the dynamite.

"But it had a great effect. There was a brief silence, followed by yells of fear. Then a trembling voice addressed us once more.

"‘They want to know sahib, if the big dogs will disappear with a greater noise than the little dogs,' explained Mike.

"‘Always,' affirmed Tib, firmly.

"‘They ask, sahib, if you will withdraw your spell if they go home and never return,' continued Mike.

"‘Tell 'em yes,' directed Tib. 'Only if they cut up again here, or elsewhere, I will fill 'em as full of devil's thunder as I did the dogs.'

"‘Sahib, they go,' proclaimed Mike. And they did.