"What shall we do?" inquired Frank.
"Go to his house and get the caps, of course," said Nat. "The caps won't come to us that is certain."
"What will you tell the man?"
"Tell him the truth," replied Nat, "and it ought to get our caps, and shield us from punishment."
"Perhaps he is a crabbed fellow who will show us no favors; and he will say that our running away is evidence of our guilt."
"We were fools to run," said Nat; "and if I had stopped to think one moment I should have stayed there, and explained it to him."
Finally, it was decided that Nat and Frank should go after their caps, on which errand they started at once, while John and Charlie proceeded homeward. In the mean time the owner of the tree had reached his house very much amused at the flight of the capless boys. He was somewhat angry when he first saw the boys in his tree, but the possession of the two caps well filled with cherries modified his wrath considerably. It would take him two hours to pick that quantity of fruit. "Surely," he thought, "the boys have beaten the bush and I have caught the birds."
"You must go to the door and explain it," said Frank to Nat.
"I am going to, and convince him that we did did not mean to steal."
Nat gave a gentle rap at the door, to which a lady at once responded.