"Wha—what do you want?" he stammered.
"Go on in, Leech," answered the leader of the Gun Club, firmly. "If you try to run away I'll surely shoot you."
"What does this mean?" demanded Aaron Masterson.
"This is the rascal who ran off with our outfit, Mr. Masterson," answered Snap.
"And we mean to make him a prisoner," added Shep. "Kiddy Leech, don't you dare to resist, or it will be that much worse for you."
The tramp was caught between two fires, as it were, and did not know what to do. As we know, he was a good deal of a coward at heart, and the sight of the shotgun in Snap's hands made him quake.
"Don't shoot me!" he whined. "Please don't shoot me!" And he held up his hands in token of submission.
"So you are the pesky rascal the lads was a-tellin' me about," said
Aaron Masterson, sternly. "Nice doin's, I must say!"
The door was closed and locked, so that Kiddy Leech might not make his exit in a hurry. The tramp was in a decidedly perplexed frame of mind and blamed himself roundly for not having been more careful.
"What are you going to do with me?" he asked, as he stood in a corner.