“Whar are they?”
The violin was silent now, and they remained crouching and awaiting until it began again. It led them straight to the spot where little Abe sat playing beside the sleeping girl. So absorbed was he in his music, with his head bowed over the violin, that he failed to observe the approach of the men until they were right beside him and one of them stooped and took him by the shoulder. With a cry of terror, the boy sprang up.
Felicia awoke in great alarm and sat up, staring bewildered at Abe and the two men.
“Oh, ho!” said one of the guards. “What is this we finds? It is a strange bird we diskeevers.”
“There’s two,” said the other. “And, by smoke, t’other one is a gal!”
“Don’t you touch her!” shrilly screamed the boy. “Don’t you put a hand on her!”
He endeavored to jerk himself from the grip of the man who had seized him, but the strong hand held him fast.
“Whatever is the use to jump around this yere way?” said the man. “We ain’t a-hurting you none. Don’t git so excited-like. Mebbe it’s a right good thing we finds ye yere.”
“Who are they, Abe? Who are they?” whispered Felicia.
“I dunno,” confessed the boy, filled with regret and despair at his own carelessness in permitting the men to come upon them in such a manner while he was absorbed in his playing. “But they shan’t hurt yer. I won’t let um.”