There seemed to be only two of them, of size indeed and stature as all the Doones must be, but I need not have feared to encounter them both, had they been unarmed, as I was.  It was plain, however, that each had a long and heavy carbine, not in his hands (as it should have been), but standing close beside him.  Therefore it behoved me now to be exceedingly careful, and even that might scarce avail, without luck in proportion.  So I kept well back at the corner, and laid one cheek to the rock face, and kept my outer eye round the jut, in the wariest mode I could compass, watching my opportunity:  and this is what I saw.

The two villains looked very happy—­which villains have no right to be, but often are, meseemeth—­they were sitting in a niche of rock, with the lanthorn in the corner, quaffing something from glass measures, and playing at push-pin, or shepherd’s chess, or basset; or some trivial game of that sort.  Each was smoking a long clay pipe, quite of new London shape, I could see, for the shadow was thrown out clearly; and each would laugh from time to time, as he fancied he got the better of it.  One was sitting with his knees up, and left hand on his thigh; and this one had his back to me, and seemed to be the stouter.  The other leaned more against the rock, half sitting and half astraddle, and wearing leathern overalls, as if newly come from riding.  I could see his face quite clearly by the light of the open lanthorn, and a handsomer or a bolder face I had seldom, if ever, set eyes upon; insomuch that it made me very unhappy to think of his being so near my Lorna.

“How long am I to stand crouching here?” I asked of myself, at last, being tired of hearing them cry, “score one,” “score two,” “No, by—­, Charlie,” “By —­, I say it is, Phelps.”  And yet my only chance of slipping by them unperceived was to wait till they quarrelled more, and came to blows about it.  Presently, as I made up my mind to steal along towards them (for the cavern was pretty wide, just there), Charlie, or Charleworth Doone, the younger and taller man, reached forth his hand to seize the money, which he swore he had won that time.  Upon this, the other jerked his arm, vowing that he had no right to it; whereupon Charlie flung at his face the contents of the glass he was sipping, but missed him and hit the candle, which sputtered with a flare of blue flame (from the strength perhaps of the spirit) and then went out completely.  At this, one swore, and the other laughed; and before they had settled what to do, I was past them and round the corner.

And then, like a giddy fool as I was, I needs must give them a startler—­the whoop of an owl, done so exactly, as John Fry had taught me, and echoed by the roof so fearfully, that one of them dropped the tinder box; and the other caught up his gun and cocked it, at least as I judged by the sounds they made.  And then, too late, I knew my madness, for if either of them had fired, no doubt but what all the village would have risen and rushed upon me.  However, as the luck of the matter went, it proved for my advantage; for I heard one say to the other,—­