“I won’t,” answered the boy. “It won’t be necessary.”
“Do you surrender?” demanded Neale, swinging his club suggestively.
“I reckon we’ll have to,” growled one of the men sullenly. “I stumbled,” he went on, as he arose. “But——”
“But if you think you’re going to pull off anything because the young lady says not to shoot, get that idea out of your head!” cried Neale menacingly, as he advanced with his substantial club.
“Oh, we know when we’re beaten,” growled the other man. “We weren’t doing anything, anyhow.”
“No? Not even trespassing in the cellar?” asked Luke, with sarcasm.
“Oh, well, if we’d found anything we’d have given you folks a share,” said the second man, who was now on his feet again.
“I suppose we can believe that or not, as we see fit,” remarked Luke.
Now the question arose of what to do with the two captured men. Captured they were, since they must see the futility of trying to escape from double their number of males, to say nothing of Mrs. MacCall and Linda, who, in actual strength, were the equal of the tramps.
“You fellows may as well consider yourselves under arrest,” said Luke. “You can take it quietly, or you can make a fuss if you please. I’d advise you to take it quietly and come with us.”