speak, Giraffe knew only too well that they were
up against two desperate characters, and that if they slipped just one
cog, it might have a different ending than the one they wished to see.

What to do with the two men, now that they had thrown down the gage of
battle, and virtually made them prisoner, was a puzzle that Giraffe had
to solve. But his success thus far gave him courage to go at the new
difficulty with resolution. And Bumpus, content to bask in the glory of
his chum's more aggressive nature, gave promise of proving himself a
good scout, obedient to the one in authority over him and capable of
doing his little part in the game.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CAPTURING THE GAME POACHERS.

"Don't yuh shoot, younker!" called out Si Kedge, when, on advancing just
one more step, he found himself confronted by the rifle held by Giraffe,
who had his cheek laid down on the stock, as though he were taking aim.

"I won't, if you do just what I tell you!" said the scout, growing
bolder when he saw that a sudden spasm of alarm had taken possession of
the poacher, as he realized the conditions confronting him.

"Wat yuh want us tuh do?" asked Si.

"Throw up your hands, in the first place, and be quick about it!"
commanded the scout, thinking that was the proper thing to demand;
because, in every account he had ever read of such events, the one who
held the gun always gave that order.

Si Kedge did as he was told, but only after a vast amount of hard
language.

"You too!" Bumpus managed to call out; for since his comrade had shown
the way, he did not find it quite so difficult to follow.

"Ther up, doan't yuh see, ez far ez I kin git 'em!" complained Ed
Harkness; and then seeing the fat boy elevating his gun, he made out to
duck, under the evident impression that Bumpus might be tempted to pull
trigger, and fill him full of bird shot. "Keep thet gun daown thar, kid;
I don't like ther way yuh handles ther same. Yuh got us fur keeps; an'
we ain't squealin', is we, Si?"

Giraffe thought fast. If they allowed these two men to go free, the
chances were they would hang around, and try to give them all the
trouble they could during the night that was now well upon them. And the
idea of letting them remain there by the fire without being put under
bonds, never occurred to the boy. He knew neither of them could be
trusted further than they could be seen; that was stamped on their ugly
faces, and the shifty look in their ev