While our young friend was walking up and down the hall, torturing his mind with thoughts of the great impending evil, Emile came down the stairway. Phil did not speak to him, nor did he pay any attention to him till he reached the front door, then, to his utter amazement, he perceived that Emile carried Old Bruden under his arm. In an instant Phil sprang towards him.
“What are you doing with that gun?” he said.
“I am going to zoot two little birds,” said Emile, quietly. “It is a long time since I haf zoots ze little birds. Ze gun was loaded already, but I put on two—what you call zem?—caps.”
“Put down that gun!” roared Phil. “You shall not use it! How did you dare to take it?”
At this moment Susan appeared in the hall.
“Susan, did you give him that gun?” cried Phil.
“No, I didn’t!” exclaimed Susan, who was evidently in a state of high excitement. “He sneaked into my room and took it. That’s the way he got it! Catch me giving it to him! He has been prying all over the house, and he saw it there.”
“Put that gun down instantly!” said Phil, stepping close to Emile.
The latter fell back a little.
“Very well,” said he, “I will do zat,” and walking deliberately to a corner of the hall, he stood the gun carefully against the wall. “Now, zen,” said he, returning to Phil, “let me say somezing. All zat is in zis house is ze same zing as mine. If I want to use a gun, or any ozer zing, I use it; but if you had been amiable, I would haf been amiable. But you choose your own way. Now, zen, I say to you, Zere is zat gun. Let me see you dare to touch it!”