“We call upon you to surrender!” shouted a powerful voice. “The house is surrounded. There are no possible means of escape!”
“Oh—oh!” wailed Larry. “What is going to happen?”
“Come out one by one and throw up your arms!” again thundered the voice. “Be lively, now, or we’ll fire on the house!”
At this awe-inspiring command the boys stood motionless, as though their muscles refused to perform their usual functions. They realized instantly that no time would be given them to choose any plan of action. The voice of the speaker indicated a deadly earnestness not to be trifled with.
Who among them would be the first to go out in the gray, cheerless dawn to face this mysterious body of horsemen who had them completely at their mercy?
For a few seconds the silence was dense—painful. Each waited for the others to speak.
“Are you coming, or shall we fire?” roared the man outside. “Surrender, in the name of the law!”
“Ah ha!” cried Dave, suddenly. “What does that mean? In the name of the law—the name of the law!”
“I—I—be-be-lieve it’s only some kind of a trick!” cried Larry, with vibrating voice.
“For the third and last time: are you going to come out?”