SERGEANT [sharply]. What's that, woman?
MARY. There ain't no one here, an' ye're keepin' us from our sleep.
SERGEANT. Your sleep? This is an affair of life and death. Get us a
lantern.
[THADDEUS moves to the table which stands in front of the cubby-hole,
and lights the lantern from the candle which he holds in his hand. He
hands the lantern to the SERGEANT.]
SERGEANT [seeing the door to the cubby-hole]. Ha! Tryin' to hide the
door are you, by puttin' a table in front of it. You can't fool me. [To
THADDEUS.] Pull the table away and let's see what's behind the door.
THADDEUS. It's a cubby-hole an' ain't been opened in years.
SERGEANT [sternly and emphatically]. I said to open the door.
[THADDEUS sets the candle on the larger table, moves the smaller table
to the right, and opens the door to the cubby-hole. Anger is seen on
MARY'S face. The SERGEANT takes a long-barrelled revolver from his belt,
and peers into the cubby-hole. He sees nothing.]
SERGEANT [returning his revolver to his belt]. We're goin' to tear this
place to pieces till we find him. You might just as well hand him over
now.
MARY. There ain't no one here.
SERGEANT. All right. Now we'll see. Dick, you stand guard at the door.
[DICK goes to the door back, and stands gazing out into the night--his
back to the audience.]
SERGEANT [to THADDEUS]. Come along, man. I'll have a look at the
upstairs. [To MARY.] You sit down in that chair [points to the chair at
right of table, and feeling for a sufficiently strong threat]. Don't you
stir or I'll--I'll set fire to your house. [To THADDEUS.] Go on ahead.
[THADDEUS and the SERGEANT go upstairs. MARY sinks almost lifelessly
into the chair. She is the picture of fear. She sits facing left.
Suddenly she leans forward. The door left is being opened. She opens her
eyes wide and draws her breath sharply. She opens her mouth as though
she would scream, but makes no sound. The NORTHERNER comes slowly and
cautiously through the door. (DICK cannot see him because of the jog in
the wall.) MARY only stares in bewilderment at the NORTHERNER, as
the man, with eyes fixed appealingly on her, opens the door to the
cubby-hole and crawls inside.]
DICK. Woman!
MARY [almost with a cry--thinking that DICK has seen the NORTHERNER].
Yes.
DICK. Have you got an apple handy? I'm starved. [MARY moves to the
cupboard to get the apple for DICK. The SERGEANT and THADDEUS come
downstairs. The SERGEANT, seeing that MARY is not where he left her,
looks about quickly and discovers her at the cupboard.]
SERGEANT. Here, what'd I tell you I'd do if you moved from that chair?