“They’re climbing in!” said Art. “Quick, now, to rouse the house!”
He sprang up, Peanut after him, and emitted a Comanche yell, and then began shouting at the top of his lungs, “Robbers! Robbers!”
The two of them sprang up the steps of the house and began to pound the door with their fists, crying, “Robbers, robbers!” all the while, as loud as they could.
The response was startlingly sudden, and came from all directions at once. The first thing was a switching on of lights in the house itself, in the upper rooms. Then the hall light came on. A second later, the boys saw the two burglars come rushing around the corner to the path, and make hot footed by the nearest way, which was the path, for the road and their auto. Art, so excited he hardly knew what he was doing, jumped off the veranda and started to follow, yelling “Stop!” But they kept on running. Across the clearing from the Profile House came the sounds of running feet, as two watchmen raced to the scene. In the other houses lights came on, heads appeared in windows, the front door of the house where the boys were pounding was thrown open, and two men appeared there in pajamas and dressing gowns. Behind them the boys had a glimpse of frightened women in nightgowns, and servants in night clothes, also.
“What’s the matter, what’s the matter?” the men exclaimed.
“Two burglars--got in your house--side window--they’ve run down the road to their auto--we punctured the tires----” Peanut gasped out.
“We can catch ’em if we hurry,” cried Art.
“After ’em, then, boys!” they shouted. “Show us the way!”
Two or three other men, half dressed, had now appeared on the scene, the boys never knew from where. They were too excited. Peanut and Art dashed down the path, the rest following, and led the way toward the stalled motor.
“They can’t use the car,” Peanut panted back over his shoulder. “They’ll have to beat it on foot!”
The pursuing party was going rapidly, but Peanut was running faster than the rest. He was now fifty yards ahead. He suddenly heard the engine of the motor start.
“They’ve got that wire back!” he thought. “But they can’t go far on flat tires.”
He yelled back at the rest to hurry, and at the sound of the yell, he heard the car start down the road. It was gone when the rest came into the open space!