The house proved to be a small public inn, and the young American hammered upon the door loudly with the heavy butt of a pistol. As no answer came Longsword dealt the door a brace of lusty kicks that made the entire structure rattle.
“They seem to be sound sleepers,” said Freeman, who had remained very quiet up till then. “Suppose I go around to the rear and see what can be done.”
He did not wait for Ethan’s permission but at once disappeared around a corner of the building. A nervous tremble in the man’s voice caused the Irishman to instinctively suspect something. He also turned the corner a moment later, and saw Freeman speeding away towards the town.
“Master Ethan,” roared the dragoon. “He’s off.”
“The Englishman. There he goes, as fast as his legs can take him.”
“We’ll have the whole of Whitehaven here in short order now,” said Ethan. “He’s gone to give the alarm.”
“Not if I can stop him,” shouted the ex-trooper. He threw up his pistol with a quick, expert snap of the arm, and fired. Freeman half-halted, tottered a little, but continued on toward the town almost as fast as before.
“But not enough,” grumbled Longsword. “It hardly cut the skin of him.”
“Try for him, once more, with this,” and Ethan offered Shamus his own pistol. The Irishman was a wonderful shot with these awkward weapons; but the range caused him to shake his head.
“Too late,” said he. “It’d take a musket to find a man at that distance.”
The sound of the shot had the effect of arousing the house; a window was thrown open above, a night-capped head was protruded, while a pair of sleep heavy eyes blinked down at them in the pale light of the dawn.
“Hello,” cried the owner of the night cap in a husky sort of bellow. “What’s wanted below there?”
“Arrah, come down wid ye and open the door,” requested Longsword with great promptness.
“And have myself killed for my trouble,” said the man at the window.
“Ye’ll get yourself killed if you don’t do as you’re told, my friend,” said Longsword with a reckless flourish of his empty pistol. The man withdrew his head with a jerk; and though they continued to call to him, he refused to show himself.
“Down with the door,” cried Ethan at last. And putting their shoulders to it they sent it crashing inward. There now came a perfect storm of screams and yells from the regions above.
