“Maybe they won’t take the trouble to look in,” persisted Uncle John.

“They’ll look in, all right,” replied Hal dryly.

“Whoa!” came a voice in Austrian from outside.

Other voices became audible.

“Maybe they are in this old shack,” said one.

“Hardly possible they found it in the darkness,” replied another.

“We’ll have a look, anyhow,” declared a third.

Footsteps advanced toward the front door and a hand tried the knob.

“Locked,” said a voice, “and, as you see, barred from the outside.  I guess they are not in there.”

“Any windows?” asked another voice.

The pursuers moved around the house.

“Here’s one,” exclaimed a voice, stopping before the window by which the fugitives had entered the shack.

“Climb in and have a look around,” came a command.

“And get shot in the darkness?” questioned the other.  “What’s the matter with your doing that?”

“Afraid, eh,” said the other.  “Here, give me a hand up.”

A moment later, in the moonlight that streamed through the window, the four inside saw the face of the first of their pursuers; but in the darkness within, the occupants of the shack were not visible.

“I can see no one,” said the Austrian.

“Get down and have a look,” said the other.

The man in the window drew himself up to the sill and then turned and dropped down inside; and even as he struck the floor Colonel Anderson dealt him a terrific blow over the head with the butt of a revolver.

The man fell forward on his face without so much as a groan.

Then there was silence for some minutes.

“Well,” came a voice from outside, “what’s the matter with you in there?  Find anything?”

Hal stepped close to the window, and mimicking the first Austrian’s voice, replied: 

“Don’t see a thing.  Nobody here.”

“All right then; come on out.”

“I’ll have a better look first,” replied Hal.

“Now what good is all that going to do?” demanded Chester of Hal.  “They won’t go away and leave him here; and they’ll discover his absence before long.”

“Just a little play for time,” replied Hal.  “Every minute helps, you know.  If we can hold out till daylight we will be all right.”

“Right you are,” whispered Colonel Anderson.  “Minutes are precious things right now.”

There was silence for a few minutes; then the voice of the man without came again: 

“Say; what are you doing in there, anyhow?  Are you coming out or not?”

“In a minute,” mimicked Hal again.

“Find anything yet?”

“No.”

“Then come on out of there, and let’s go.”

“All right, I’ll be right out now.”

Again there was silence.

A revolver butt tapped the side of the house.

“Come on out of there,” said the Austrian outside.