"Poof! what are you but a pack of silly schoolboys?" growled the German. "Perhaps you thought you were doing a wonderful thing spying around our house and our barn? You didn't know we had someone watching you all the time."
"Yes, and watching you also when you spied on Duval," broke in another of the men.
"Well, what do you want?" questioned Randy, after a brief and ominous pause.
"We want you to tell us just what you have discovered and what you propose to do about it," answered Emil Bauermann. "And remember, I want the plain truth! No beating about the bush!" and he shook a warning finger at the cadets.
While the man was speaking Jack had stepped to the rear of the crowd. Now he made a movement to pick up his gun, but at this one of the Germans rushed forward, pulling a pistol from his pocket as he did so.
"Stop that! Don't you dare to touch that gun!" the man roared threateningly.
"You can't order us around in our own house," declared Gif. "If you are going to talk like that you can get out."
"We'll stay as long as we please; and if you boys don't behave yourselves, so much the worse for you," answered Emil Bauermann. "We are going to get to the bottom of your tricks, and do it now."
"Suppose we have nothing to say," said Andy.
"But you will say something," stormed another of the Germans. "If you don't—well, you will take the consequences, that's all."