In the gray of the morning Billy came to himself and stared around in
the stuffy grimness everywhere. The gag was still in his mouth. He put
up his hand involuntarily and pulled it out, and then remembered that
his hands had been tied. Then he must have succeeded in breaking the
cord! The other hand was still encumbered and his feet were tied
together, but it happened that the well hand was the freed one, and so
after a hard struggle he succeeded in getting out of the tangle of
knots and upon his feet. He worked cautiously because he wasn't sure
how much of what he remembered was dream and how much was reality. The
two men might be in the house yet, very likely were, asleep somewhere.
He must steal down and get away before they awoke.

There was something warm and sticky on the floor and it had got on his
clothes, but he took no notice of it at first. He wondered what that
sick pain in his shoulder was, but he had not time to stop and see now
or even to think about it. He must call the Chief before the men were
awake. So he managed to get upon his feet land steady himself against
the wall, for he felt dizzy and faint when he tried to walk. But he
managed to get into the hall, and peer into each room, and more and
more as he went he felt he was alone in the house. Then he had failed
and the men were gone! Aw Gee! Pat too! What a fool he had been,
thinking he could manage the affair! He ought to have taken the Chief
into his confidence and let him come along, Aw Gee!