With a quick movement Dick threw the gun open at the breech.
"It isn't loaded," Tag informed him grimly. "This is the piece of iron that holds cartridges."
From a hip pocket he brought a heavy, long-barreled revolver into sight.
"You can't scare me with firearms," declared Dick doughtily.
"Nor are you going to rob these young women, who are my best friends."
"I'm not going to try again," announced Tag. "What I want is for you to keep away from me, and not follow me. If you do—-well, you can guess the answer! Now, as I'm going, give me that gun."
"I won't," Dick declared firmly, holding it by the muzzle and ready to employ the weapon as a club.
"You'll make a lot of trouble and danger for yourself and the girls if you don't put the gun on the ground and walk away from it," warned Tag, glowering.
"I won't drop the only weapon that I have," Dick returned firmly. "You could down me easily unless I had something like this to swing. As long as these young women are under my protection I will not give up the only weapon that I have."
"If I press the trigger of this pistol," challenged Tag, "will you be able to offer the girls much protection then?"
"Perhaps not," Prescott rejoined. "But shooting me will be the only way that you can get this gun from me."