Alberdina groaned, “Mein lieber Gott,” and sank upon a couch with the expression of a condemned man about to be executed.
It was some moments after the whistle before the enemy made its next advance. That also was unexpected and terrifying,—loud knocks on the wooden shutters of the large entrance.
Nobody moved or spoke. Again the knocks came and a voice called:
“We want that gal and her father. You ain’t got no right to shelter criminals. Open in the name of the law. I reckon a sheriff will make you listen to reason.”
“Break the door down, Lupo,” said another voice. “The law’s in its right to git what it wants. They ain’t nobody that kin refuse the law without payin’ for it.”
Although they were so confident of the law, the girls felt sure the mention of a sheriff was a blind, and that the mountaineers were not going to do anything so incriminating as to break in the doors. Then there followed a period of consultation outside. Footsteps could be heard along the galleries; the stout shutters on all the openings were shaken and pounded upon; but Sunrise Camp was indeed as strong as a fortress when it was closed. Storms had beaten against it in vain, and unless the mob outside resorted to hatchets and saws, it would not be easy to break in.
At last the voice of Lupo spoke from the front gallery.
“Ladies, I’m only askin’ justice. You got two dangerous people in this here house. The law wants ’em. We don’t mean no harm to you an’ we’ll leave peaceable if you’ll hand over the prisoners. I’m goin’ to give you five minutes to decide in an’ if you don’t open the door, we’re goin’ to break it open with this here axe.”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort, Lupo,” cried Miss Campbell, her voice ringing with indignation. “And I warn you that unless you wish to serve a long term in the penitentiary, you’d better leave this place at once with your friends. Mr. Campbell would never stop until he saw all of you well punished for this night’s work. You’ve already broken into the house and robbed our maid——”
“Who said I did?” shouted Lupo. “It was Frenchy done that, too. He’s a dangerous man to live in a peaceable place. We’ve been puttin’ up with him and his daughter for too long, and we citizens ain’t goin’ to put up with ’em no longer. They gona’ be punished first, and then they gona’ give up that there home that ain’t theirs by rights and leave this here part of the country forever.”