He stood perfectly quiet, listening, and in a moment heard the stamp of a hoof on the wooden floor of the hall. He backed off toward the drive way, which swept around in front of the house, and waited, but all remained as silent and as dark as before. He ran back through the corral to the other men, who stood talking beside the blanketed ponies. "There's something or somebody in the house," he said. He told them of the broken window and of the sounds he had heard. "Whoever's there has no business there and we may as well turn him out. I've thought of a good many schemes for utilizing that house, but the idea of making a barn of it hadn't occurred to me." He threw off his overcoat and tossed it into the buckboard. "I guess that's a good idea, John," said Raridan, following his example. Wheaton stood muffled in his coat. His teeth were chattering, and he fumbled at the buttons but kept his coat on, walking toward the house with the others. "We may have a horse thief or we may have a kidnapper," said Saxton, who had taken charge of the party; "but in either case we may as well take him with his live stock." "Let us not be rash," said the bishop, following the others. "He may prove an unruly customer." "He's probably a dude tramp who rides a horse and has taken a fancy to Poindexter architecture," said Warry. "Quiet!" admonished Saxton, who had lighted a lantern, which he concealed under his coat. "You two watch the corners of the house," he said, indicating Raridan and Wheaton; "and you, Bishop, can stand off here, if you will, and watch for signs of light in the upper windows. The big front doors are barred on the inside, and my key opens only the back door." "I'll go with you," said Raridan. "Not yet, old man. You stay right here and watch until I throw open the front doors." "But that's a foolish risk," insisted Raridan. "There may be a dozen men inside." "That's all right, Warry. It takes only a minute to cross the hall and unbar the front doors. There's no risk about it. I'll be out in half a minute." Raridan felt that Saxton was taking all the hazards, but he yielded, as he usually did, when Saxton was decisive, as now. "Good luck to you, old man!" he said, slapping Saxton on the back. He patrolled the grass-plot before the house, while Saxton went to the rear.