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.” “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 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.” 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.