Page:Ritchie - Trails to Two Moons.djvu/279

 behind it sent Original's heart down to his boot heels.

Again weary waiting until the quarry should fall into slumber. The lights went out in the cabin across the way. Silence of sea bottom settled down upon the outlaw nest. The whole star-stippled vault of the night seemed to bend low to catch the first crack of crude action impending there in that ghostly rock grave of the mountains.

Then at the end of an eternity came to the ears of the waiting three sounds of snoring through the logs. In two different keys! There were two sleepers in there!

The faces of the three were turned one toward another. Though none could see another's face, each felt the surprise registered there. Here was the unexpected; here a complication not anticipated.

Original drew out his knife and bared the spring blade. He moved under the first window to the front of the house and gently insinuated the knife blade under the sash. Pressure on the handle failed to budge the window; it was bolted from within. He tried two others with similar result. The door he knew without trying to be barred inside.