Jack hesitated a short time before replying. It was plain that he hardly knew just what their proper course should be, and wanted to be sure he was right before attempting to sway his companion. What Amos had said must have had an influence upon him, because as American-born boys they nearly always felt alike in such matters. Yes, they meant to be as neutral as they could. Yet there were some crimes that must prevent them from holding out against taking sides. One of these concerned the condoning of treachery.
“Amos,” he finally said, in the other’s ear, “I reckon we’re as one about that. We can’t stand by and see the cause of the Allies suffer through the work of any renegade Belgian, no matter if he is an old man.”
[222]
“Good for you, Jack! I like to hear you say that. Now tell me the next step we must take, for talking without deeds isn’t worth a snap.”
“We must go down there, Amos!”
“Yes, and face the old folks, you mean, of course?” ventured the other lad, fervently.
“We’ll tell them what we chanced to see, and then force them to explain this mystery,” Jack continued. “Perhaps they can do it; perhaps there is something about this queer happening we don’t understand. They’ve got to tell us!”
“Yes, that’s so, Jack, we’ll put the law straight down to them; but say, what if they choose to defy us? Suppose they say it’s none of our business if we’re what we claim to be,—from across the sea,—because America isn’t in this scrap. What then, Jack, old fellow?”
There was no longer any hesitation on the part of the ranch boy. Once he had made up his mind to do a thing, he could see his whole course clear before him.
“Leave that to me, Amos,” he said, firmly. “I’ll find a way to keep the spy fast down in that[223] cellar until we can summon help. He must not be allowed to escape unless his claws are first of all well trimmed.”
“Now by that I guess you mean we’ll see that he isn’t carrying any information in the shape of a map or news about the Allies’ reserves?” Amos ventured to say.
“Just about that,” added Jack. “Come, let’s get our shoes on, and then open the trap to go down.”
“They’ll be some surprised to see us so soon again,” suggested Amos, as he started to get a foot in a shoe.
“Perhaps fairly stunned as well, if, as we believe, they’re guilty of such a foul trick against their kind,” added Jack.
“Do you think the old couple would show fight, and try to get us in a hole when they found that we were on to their game?” asked Amos.
“They didn’t strike me as fighters, either one of them,” he was told. “All the same it will pay us to keep our eyes fixed on them pretty much all the time.”
[224]
They managed to get their shoes and coats on. To facilitate progress, Jack lighted the fragment of tallow candle which had been left in their charge at the time they were conducted to the loft.
“I’m all ready,” announced Amos, finally. Somehow, he did not take quite as much pains to moderate his voice as before; perhaps he fancied that since they meant to drop down upon the old couple it might be as well to give them a little warning to the effect that their young guests were moving about.
So Jack bent over and lifting the trap opened the path to the lower part of the Belgian domicile. It was characteristic of Jack that he should with his other arm bar the way, so that Amos could not have preceded him even though he attempted to do the same.
As the two lads came down the steep stairs from the loft they found the man and woman staring at them. Their whole demeanor expressed alarm, yes, bordering on a panic. It was as though they had suddenly realized that[225] those above must be aware of what was going on under that supposed to be friendly roof covering a Belgian family.
When the boys advanced toward them the man arose to his feet. He held on to the table as if for support, showing that in his fright his limbs threatened to give way under him.
Amos again felt that twinge of pity for the two. He shut his teeth firmly together in order to fight against any weakness. In that moment Amos felt doubly glad it was Jack rather than himself who would engineer matters, for he had much more confidence in his chum than he could ever feel in himself.
Jack faced the two old people, for the woman had also managed to gain her feet, looking as white as chalk, and with a drawn expression about her eyes, as though she anticipated receiving a terrible blow.
“W-w-what does this mean, young messieurs; does not the bed suit you?” stammered the pe............