The two captives looked at one another, sitting bound on the floor of the shop, their backs against some boxes.
"I guess it's all up, and we might as well make a clean breast of it," admitted Kurdy.
"Perhaps it would be better," said Tom quietly. "Eradicate," he went on, to the colored man, "go to the house and tell Mrs. Baggert that everything is all right and no one hurt."
"No one hurt, Massa Tom? What about dem dere fellers?" and the colored man pointed to the captives.
"Well, they're not hurt much," and Tom permitted himself a little smile. "I don't want my father to worry. Tell him everything is all right."
"All right, Massa Tom. I'se gwine right off. I'se got t' look after mah mule, Boomerang, too. I'se gwine," and he shuffled away.
"Who else besides Feldman got away?" asked Tom, looking alternately at the prisoners.
They hesitated a moment about answering.
"We might as well give up, I tell you," spoke Kurdy to Ransom.
"All right, go ahead, we'll have to take our medicine. I might have known it would turn out this way—going in for this sort of thing. It's the first bit of crooked business I ever tried," the man said earnestly, "and it will be the last—believe me!"