“If they would steal our stuff, they would steal horses, too,” returned Harry. “Perhaps they are a regular set of backwoods outlaws.”
“We’ll be on our guard!” cried Boxy. “Those fellows have discovered us, and are riding for this place just as fast as they can.”
Boxy was right. The four horsemen had been proceeding somewhat slowly, but now they started on a gallop, the foremost pointing with extended arm toward the lean-to.
“I don’t like the looks of that crowd,” said Harry, as they drew closer. “Every one of them has a shotgun over his saddle.”
“See! see! they are aiming at us!” cried Andy. “They evidently imagine we are going to run away!”
“Hold on, you fellows!” roared the leading horseman, as he drew within hearing distance. “Don’t you dare to stir unless you want to get a dose of buckshot into you!”
The boys gathered into a group near the fire, and a few seconds later the horsemen surrounded them, each with his shotgun ready for use.
“There be them chickens, Jim, ez sure ez you air born!” cried one of the men. “I told yeou them rascals cum this way!”
“Will rob an honest farmer’s hen-roost, will yeou?” burst out another of the men. “Four o’ ’em an’ a coon! Put down yeour guns, yeou scamps, or we’ll fill yeour hides so full o’ shot yeou can’t stand!”
Simultaneously, the four men sprang down into the snow, and came forward. At a glance it was plain to see that they were a quartet of hard-working and honest farmers.