The boys drew back, and Tom raised the shotgun and Dick his pistol.
"The door is caught!" cried Shelley, and pushed on it as hard as he could.
"What!" exclaimed Cuffer and leaped forward.

He, too, tried to move the barrier.

"This is a trick! Somebody has bolted the door on the outside." "Was there a bolt there ?" "Yes, a heavy one, too." "Then somebody has trapped us!" "Open that door!" sang out Cuffer, before his companion could stop him.
"We are not going to open that door," answered Dick, in an equally loud voice.

"We have got you fast and we intend to keep you so." "Who are you ?" "I am Dick Rover, and my two brothers are with me.

We are well armed, and we'll shoot if you try to break that door down." "Caught!" cried Shelley in a rage, and then uttered several exclamations under his breath.
"What are you going to do ?" asked Cuffer, after a moment of silence.
"Hold you prisoners until we can get help and then turn you over to the officers of the law." "We haven't done anything wrong." "That remains to be seen." "You haven't any right to lock us in here." "Then we take the right," answered Tom grimly.
"Let us smash the door down," came in a low tone from inside the room.
"If you try it we'll surely fire," said Dick, and cocked his pistol so the men might hear the click.