'Well, then, let's beat it,' he said. 'I don't want to spend the night in this darned icehouse. I tell you I'm catching cold. My chest's weak. If you're so dead certain you've scared them away, let's quit.' I was not prepared to go as far as this. 'They may be somewhere near, hiding.' 'Well, what if they are? I don't mind being kidnapped. Let's go.' 'I think we ought to wait,' said Audrey. 'Of course,' I said. 'It would be madness to go out now.' 'Oh, pshaw!' said the Little Nugget; and from this point onwards punctuated the proceedings with a hacking cough. I had never really believed that my demonstration had brought the siege to a definite end. I anticipated that there would be some delay before the renewal of hostilities, but I was too well acquainted with Buck MacGinnis's tenacity to imagine that he would abandon his task because a few random shots had spread momentary panic in his ranks. He had all the night before him, and sooner or later he would return. I had judged him correctly. Many minutes dragged wearily by without a sign from the enemy, then, listening at the window, I heard footsteps crossing the yard and voices talking in cautious undertones. The fight was on once more. A bright light streamed through the window, flooding the opening and spreading in a wide circle on the ceiling. It was not difficult to understand what had happened. They had gone to the automobile and come back with one of the head-lamps, an astute move in which I seemed to see the finger of Sam. The danger-spot thus rendered harmless, they renewed their attack on the door with a reckless vigour. The mallet had been superseded by some heavier instrument--of iron this time. I think it must have been the jack from the automobile. It was a more formidable weapon altogether than the mallet, and even our good oak door quivered under it. A splintering of wood decided me that the time had come to retreat to our second line of entrenchments. How long the door would hold it was impossible to say, but I doubted if it was more than a matter of minutes. Relighting my candle, which I had extinguished from motives of economy, I caught Audrey's eye and jerked my head towards the ladder. 'You go first,' I whispered. The Nugget watched her disappear through the trap-door, then turned to me with an air of resolution. 'If you think you're going to get _me_ up there, you've another guess coming. I'm going to wait here till they get in, and let them take me. I'm about tired of this foolishness.' It was no time for verbal argument. I collected him, a kicking handful, bore him to the ladder, and pushed him through the opening. He uttered one of his devastating squeals. The sound seemed to encourage the workers outside like a trumpet-blast. The blows on the door redoubled. I climbed the ladder and shut the trap-door behind me.