Shuffling movements in an opposite corner brought him back to the present. He uttered a quick exclamation, then snatched up the lamp and held it above his head. As a dark body stirred slowly, his brow grew damp and his face white. But the blood returned slowly to his face, when the feeble rays smote upon the abject countenance of the miserable Denton. 'I thought I was alone,' he said, with a short laugh. 'Are you one of the crowd?'
Denton crept up to the table, with shivering limbs and ghastly eyes.
'You're looking sick,' Lamont continued. 'What were you doing in that corner?'
'I was asleep,' came the shaky answer. 'My eyes were weary from much searching of the Scriptures.'
The young man laughed openly. 'I guess a rifle will be of more use to you than the Scriptures to-night.'
The other grabbed his arm. 'Say, this is just a job you're putting up on McAuliffe, eh?'
'You keep your ears fairly active when you're asleep. But it's true enough, siree. The _nitchies_ are on the red-hot jump for us.'
'We shall be killed,' quavered Denton, with hands shaking like river reeds.
A hearty roar of laughter burst from the doorway as the Factor's burly figure blocked the aperture. 'The _nitchies_ are after you, Peter, so you'll be killed sure. Never mind, lad. You're all the time saying you can see the gates of the heavenly city open before you. Kind of anxious now whether you haven't switched off on a side track, eh?'
Lamont sprang to his feet, passing his fingers caressingly round the rifle stock. 'I'm ready to shift, Factor. The sooner we're over the better. There may be spies around.'
'They're dead sure we're trapped,' said McAuliffe 'Anyway, we'll be as easy there as here. Get a gait on, Peter. We're going to stick you up the end of the island, same as we used to fix up a pole with old clothes on it, in the fields at home, to scare away the crows.'
'Choke off, Alf,' interposed Winton. 'If you chaps start that chin music, we sha'n't get away before sunrise.'
'Well, I'm not delaying you. Peter's mismanager here. Goldam! listen to that, will you?'
His face grew stern again, and he held up a great hairy hand.
'The half-breed's whistle,' said Lamont. 'There's danger around.'
'Shut the door!' shouted the ex-minister, wildly.