"If one watchman ain't enough I'll get three--half a dozen if
necessary," declared Colonel Josiah, as he glared at the offending Shea
and pounded on the turf with his heavy cane. "But these lads are going
to be protected, if it takes my last dollar. I'll get a Gatling gun and
train it here, so we can blow the rascals to smithereens if they try
such a dastardly job again."
But everybody knew that the genial old colonel did considerable talking
and blustering, but was harmless withal.
Shea promised to remain awake the balance of the night. He even went to
the house and armed himself with a big horse pistol that the colonel
owned and which had many a story connected with its keeping company with
the traveler in foreign lands.
"Huh! I've got half a notion to camp right here again, like we did that
other time, Frank," said Andy, before they locked the wide doors of the
shed. "Here's my cot and blankets, you see, just as I left 'em."
"No need of that, Andy," returned his chum, smiling. "After all this
rumpus you couldn't hire that fellow to come back here tonight. He may
be ten miles away by now. Wonder if that's the last I'll see of my
wheel?"
"Now," continued Andy, "if you're addressing that to me I'd like to
prophesy that you'll find the bike somewhere off the road a mile or two
away, where the fellow pitched it when he concluded to make a sneak
_back_ to town.
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