"Arrange yourselves in a circle about me," he whispered. "I am going to beard the lion in his den."
He walked up to a small cottage that stood some distance from any other dwellings on a lonely street in the village, and knocked loudly.
"Who's there?" came a voice, in answer, a few seconds later from an upper window.
"Tobias Smelts, come forth!" called Jack in deep tones. "We would hold speech with thee!"
The boys could see a man thrust his head further out of the casement.
"Come forth and linger not!" called Jack.
"Oh! Oh! It's the Klu-Kluxers! It's the Klan! They're after me!" exclaimed Smelts. "Oh, what shall I do?"
"Come forth if ye would not have us drag ye out!" cried Jack. "We have business with thee!"
"What'll I do?" wailed Tobias.
"Better go 'fore they come in here after ye," a woman's voice could be heard to say. "Remember what they did to Pete Baker in South Caroliny!"