"They've gone inside!" one of the crowd shouted. "Don't let's allow swindlers to get the best of us so easy!"
"That's the way to talk!" another cried. "We'll have 'em out if the show has to come down!"
At this moment Mr. Sweet, looking calm and undisturbed, emerged from the flap.
"Bring out them boys, or down comes your tent!" a man yelled.
"I reckon the wisest plan for you to pursue is to wait till I find out what all this means," the proprietor of the museum said loudly, at the same time beckoning the barker and the clown to his side. "It looks to me as if this was the same gang who came here last night tryin' to clean us out, an' warrants for their arrest are in the hands of the constables now. I paid one hundred dollars for the privilege of exhibitin' here, an' that means I'm to have all the protection the managers of this fair and the authorities of the town can give me. I've warned you off; but if you still want to finish up the work of last night, an' the constables don't come in time, there are three of us here who are good for twice that number of your gang, an' when a man gets a tap over the head with one of these he's not in it any longer!"
Mr. Sweet flourished the heavy stake as he spoke, and his employes showed that they were armed in the same manner.
"We didn't come to disturb you," one of the crowd said, in a milder tone, as the greater number fell back before the threats made of invoking the aid of the law. "All we want is a valise two boys brought here, for in it is quite a pile of our money."
"How did they get it from you?" the proprietor of the museum asked for the purpose of gaining time in the hope the constables would put in an appearance.
"We were swindled by a jewelry agent, an' are goin' to get back our own."
"Oh, you are, eh? Well, I haven't got the stuff; but if you allow yourselves to be swindled, will you help matters by turning thieves? You can sue the man who has done you up; but there's a penalty for stealing, as you will find out if you keep on in this way."