"Say, they're coming on the jump!" exclaimed Maurice, who had remained on his feet while the other squatted, the better to carry out the process of secreting the precious packet. "How many?" asked Thad, between quick breaths, induced by the tremendous excitement of the occasion. "Don't know, but a whole lot of 'em. And every mother's son seems to be armed with some sort of gun. A fine chance we'd have against such a husky bunch, if we showed signs of fight. Yet it does go hard against the grain to give up without striking a blow." Maurice gnashed his teeth and frowned while speaking, fingering the lock of his Marlin nervously. By this time Thad had risen to his knees, an overwhelming sense of curiosity urging him on. "Why, Maurice, that's funny!" he exclaimed, immediately "I don't see it; what's struck you now, Thad?" "Why, don't you remember what Mr. Stallings told us?" "Sure I do--that these swamp rats were about as ugly a crowd to handle as he had ever heard tell of; and I guess he was right; for if I ever saw a tough lot of fellow citizens they're coming down on us right now, five, six of 'em. Ugh!" growled Maurice. "I think you'll live to take that back, old fellow," chuckled Thad, who seemed to be far less alarmed than he had been a brief time previously, though still excited. "What ails you?" asked the other, querulously. "Look for yourself. Are those chaps white men or coons?" "Why, I reckon they all seem to be white, so far as I can see--oh! I declare, I remember now--" "The storekeeper told us those bad men were niggers!" "Right; that's what he said. Still, these may be another lot, connected with your friend with the sorrel-top!" declared Maurice, who died hard. "Rats! You know now just as well as I do that yonder is the sheriff and his posse! Perhaps they think we're some of the riffraff they've been chasing, and that's why they keep aiming their blamed old guns at us that way. Hadn't we better hold up our arms, Maurice, and give 'em to understand that we surrender? Some fool might think it fine to take a snapshot at us and explain afterwards he thought we meant to fight!" "That's right, Thad; a clever idea. So up you go, my boy." Maurice, as he spoke, allowed the gun to fall at his feet, and elevated both hands as high as he could get them. Thad hastened to follow suit, and it might be he unconsciously cast his eyes upward at the same instant, as though eager to see just how his chum held his. A sudden spasm seemed to shoot through the frame of Thad, and his companion heard him give utterance to an exclamation; but being so intensely interested in the coming of the runners, who were now very close, he made no comment, nor did he ask questions. The men quickly closed in around them.