"Oh, Mr. Lacy, won't you please protect us?" pleaded Randy, in his best feminine voice.
"Three murderous tramps are after us!" gasped Andy. "Oh, dear! I know I shall faint!"
"The tramps wanted to rob us!" cried Jack.
"They are just outside your fence," put in Fred. "Please go out and chase them away."
Elias Lacy was staggered. He placed his lamp on a little table near by, and looked in wonder at the crowd before him.
"Three tramps, eh? An' goin' to rob you? Why, I never heard of sech a thing!" he shrilled. "Mebbe I'd better git my gun."
"Oh, yes! yes! Get your gun, by all means! Get your gun! And maybe you'd better get a sword, too!" cried Randy.
"Yes! Or a knife or a—a—razor," put in Andy.
"Now, now! don't git so excited!" cried the old man, for the boys insisted upon clinging to his arms and to his shoulders. "Them tramps ain't goin' to eat you up."
He was short-sighted, and, as the lamplight was poor, he had not noticed the boys' somewhat crude make-up. He hurried into a room and came forth presently carrying a shotgun. Then he walked back into his kitchen.