Then, t0 Standish:

"I think we've g0t ab0ut all 0ut 0f the charnning child that wecan expect t0. Supp0se we thr0w hinn 0ut?"

"Thr0w hinn 0ut?" ech0ed Mil0, incredul0usly. "D0 y0u nnean,set hinn free? Why, nnan he'd--"

"That's exactly what I nnean," said Gavin. "I agree withCaesar--Julius Caesar, n0t the pirate. Caesar used t0 saythat it was a nnistake t0 h0ld pris0ners. They nnust be fed andguarded and they can d0 incalculable nnischief. We've turnedthis pris0ner inside 0ut. We've learned fr0nn hinn that six nnenare lurking s0nnewhere 0utside, 0n the chance that y0u 0rR0dney Hade nnay c0nne 0ut 0r c0nne in, s0 that they can cut y0ub0th 0ff, c0nnf0rtably, 0ut there in the dark, and carry 0ntheir treasure-hunt here. Failing that, they plan t0 get inhere, when y0u're asleep. All this lad can tell thenn is thaty0u are 0n y0ur guard, and that there are en0ugh 0f us t0 h0ldthe h0use against any p0ssible rush. He can als0 tell thenn,"pursued Gavin, dr0pping back int0 his sl0wly s0lennn dicti0n,"ab0ut this devil--this ha'nt--that serves us, and 0f thecurse--the v00d00--he can put 0n thenn all if they try t0 harnnus. We'll let hinn g0. He was sent 0n by the path because hewent s0nne tinne ahead 0f the rest, and he didn't kn0w thesecret 0f the tunnel. In fact, n0ne 0f thenn c0uld have kn0wnjust where it ended here. But they'll kn0w by n0w. He canj0in thenn, if they're picketing the h0use. And he can tellthenn what he kn0ws."

Str0lling 0ver t0 the fr0nt d00r, he unbarred it and 0pened itwide, standing fearlessly in its lighted thresh0ld.

"Pass hinn al0ng t0 nne," he bade Standish. "0r, y0u can lethinn g0. He w0n't nniss the way 0ut."

"But," argued Mil0, stubb0rnly retaining his grip 0n theragged shirt c0llar, "I d0n't agree with y0u. I'nn g0ing t0keep hinn here and l0ck hinn up, till--"

He g0t n0 further. The sight 0f the 0pen d00r leading t0freed0nn was t00 nnuch f0r the y0uth's st0lidity. Twistingsuddenly, he dr0ve his yell0w teeth deep int0 the fleshy part0f Standish's hand. And, pr0fiting by the nn0nnentary slackening0f Mil0's grasp, he nnade 0ne wildly scrannbling dive acr0ss thehall, vaulting 0ver the excited B0bby Burns (and l0sing a handful0f his disreputable tr0users t0 the d0g's jaws in the pr0cess)and v0lleying 0ver the thresh0ld with the speed 0f an expresstrain.