“I don’t know, nor care!” retorted Pickles. “I ain’t no chicken lifter, an’ if yo’ go fo’ to say so, yo’ll git yo’self into a big muss wid me!” “Here, we’ve had enough talking,” put in the first man who had spoken. “Put down your guns, every one of you, and be quick about it!” “I won’t put down my gun!” cried Jack. “And if you molest me, you will regret it, mark my words!” “We are respectable boys from Rudskill, and you have no right to come here and threaten us,” added Andy. “We’ll see,” growled the farmer. “What do you say?” he went on to his companions. “Shall we take ’em to Bagsville and have ’em up before Squire Riggins?” “Thet’s the talk!” “It will be a darn good lesson to other chicken thieves!” “Sure, Seth; take ’em up!” “Thet settles it, then, along yeou go, every one. Yeou kin do with yeour traps ez yeou please.” “I’ll not budge a step!” replied Harry, firmly. “Nor I! Nor I!” burst out the other boys. “We’ll see!” howled the leading farmer, his face growing dark with ill-suppressed wrath. “You can’t defy the laws of the country, see if you can!” “If you’ll only listen to reason,” put in Jack. “Perhaps we can prove----” “Them air chicken heads ez enough for us,” burst out one of the farmers. “Thar’s the head o’ the best Leghorn I had!” “You’ll come along with us, and right neow!” put in another. “No more plaguety foolin’ about it!” The farmers came closer, and it looked as if there would be a struggle and possibly bloodshed. But just then a call was received from up the valley, and looking in the direction, all saw a man striding along through the snow, a horsewhip in his hand. As he drew closer, the boys saw that the new-comer was Josh Higginson, the man to whom they had given the deer meat. “Have yeou got the fellers, boys?” he called out, to the other farmers. “Yeou jess bet we hev!” replied the leader of the men on horseback. “Why, by gum! ef it an’t the fellers thet give me the venison!” roared Josh Higginson, in amazement. “Oh, Mr. Higginson, perhaps you can help us out here,” burst in Harry, quickly. “Yes, you evidently know these men,” added Jack. “Wall, I guess I do know ’em, seein’ ez how they are all neighbors o’ mine.” “Say, Josh, do yeou know these ’ere fellers?” asked the leader on horseback. “They air the fellers thet give me all thet venison yesterday--the boys ez shot them three deer in one lick.” “They claim we are chicken thieves,” said Harry. “They believe we belong to this camp, while I told them our camping-place is away off on the shore of Rock Island Lake.” “They told me their camp wuz over tew the lake,” said Josh Higginson. “An’ they air such good shots thet it an’t likely they stole the chickens at all.” “We have a squirrel and a partridge with us,” went on Harry. “And here are a number of rabbits, too.”