Then Andy gave a shout.

“Hey, you fellers, look at that door go shut!  The prisoner must have got loose!  How about it, Ben Cooper?  What happened to you?”

“They’s another feller in there ’sides the prisoner.  He knocked me clean silly, and threw me out o’ the door,” whined the other, rubbing his head dismally.

“Who was it—­any of that crowd from over by the hemlocks?” demanded Andy, much excited, and apparently ready to tear up things generally.

“I reckon ’twar that Jerry Wallington—­wait till I gets him some day, that’s all.”

“Hey, fellers, d’ye hear that?  Another of that lot bagged in the cabin.  Come on, an’ we’ll do him up!” yelled the brawny leader, rushing forward.

When he reached the door, he tried in vain to break it open.  It seemed to be braced in such a manner that he could make no impression on the planks.

“Bring me the ax, somebody!” he howled, after beating his fists vainly against the panel.

One of his followers made haste to obey.  When Andy was aroused in this way the bravest of them did not dare brook his anger.

He immediately swung the implement about his head.

Crash! went the ax into the door, which began to split under the vigorous assault, as though unable to stand long before such tactics.

“He’ll do it—­he’s going to break his way in; and I’ve got Jerry’s gun!  Oh! dear what shall we do?” exclaimed Will.

“Stop that chopping, you!” shouted Frank, running forward with raised gun.

CHAPTER X

UNCLE TOBY FLIES HIGH

“Here, don’t shoot!” shouted Andy, dodging behind one of his companions.

“We surrender!” cried another, throwing up his hands.

Frank and Will looked very threatening as they advanced.  Both of them had their guns leveled, and besides, the latter was encumbered with his camera, so that he presented the appearance of being fairly loaded down with war material.

“Hey, Jerry, open up!” called Frank.

The door of the shack immediately began to move, and presently it was shoved aside, with the ax still sticking in its planking, just as Andy had left it.

“Talk about your rescue parties, say, don’t this take the cake?” exclaimed a familiar voice, and Jerry’s head was thrust out of the opening.

“Is Bluff there?” demanded Frank.

“Sure,” came in the voice of their missing chum.

A second head had by this time shown up.

“Hey, you, Franky boy, what d’ye mean bombarding our camp in this way?  What have we done to your crowd, I’d like to know, to be treated like dogs?  First there was that Bluff Masters a-walkin’ in here an’ accusing us of stealing his blamed old gun, when the only one we’ve got is a musket Pet owns.  Now you come tearing up things.”

Andy was evidently getting indignant; but all the same he kept on the watch, and whenever he thought he saw one of those weapons pointing in his direction he slipped quietly behind one of the others.