“I hope they tell us where the iron box of gold is hidden!” exclaimed Agnes, and they all noticed that the men started in surprise.
“Do you know about it?” asked the one afterward identified as Max Rother.
“We certainly do!” declared Ruth. “Hop Wong has given us all the particulars.”
“That Chink!” growled Simon Meggs. “I always was suspicious of him.”
“Settle one thing first,” suggested Luke. “Are you coming with us quietly or shall we use force?”
“Oh, we’ll come along,” snapped out Rother. “But where are you taking us? We haven’t done anything to be arrested for—except maybe sneak in, trespass as you call it. You can’t do much to us for that. We haven’t taken a thing.”
“Maybe we won’t send for the police after all,” said Ruth. “It all depends on what you tell us. As you say, you haven’t done anything yet.”
“Except frighten us all a bit, and bang Luke Shepard over the head,” put in Agnes. “And if you are willing to tell us where the box of gold is, maybe we’ll let you go, provided you promise not to come back.”
“I guess we’ll have to do as you say. There’s no help for it,” grumbled Meggs. “But I don’t believe you’ll find the money. We couldn’t, and we’ve had several trials after it.”
“In the first place—is there any money?” asked Ruth.