Who knocks on the door in the middle of the night? "Civil Peace" by Chinua Achebe

Jonathan asks who knocks, and the man identifies himself as thief with "him [sic] people." Maria immediately screams for help, and Jonathan and the children soon join her, calling to both the neighbors and the police. They stop after a few moments, to hear only silence.

How do the thieves respond when Jonathan`s family begins to yell?