hand.

"Take that, you damned fool," he growled, "and mind your own business."

Jasper did not wait to argue. In a twinkling he threw himself full
upon the man. His blood surged madly through his veins, for the blow
stung him to fury. His opponent, though he tried to put up a fight,
was as a child in Jasper's hands, and soon he was sprawling upon the
ground with Jasper sitting upon his body.

"Now, then," the victor calmly remarked, "as you would not answer my
question in a civil manner while standing on your feet, perhaps you
will do it here on the ground. And you will do it before you get up,
remember that, so you might as well speak first as last. Who are you,
and why were you following me up the road and prowling so suspiciously
around my cabin?"

"I'm a stranger here," was the low reply, "and I was looking for a
place to spend the night. Will that satisfy you?"

"No, it will not," Jasper emphatically replied. "I believe that you
are lying. What is your name?"

"Jim Dobbins," was the somewhat hesitating answer. "I am seeking for
work with the Light and Power Company and got astray."

"Now, look here," and Jasper rose to his feet, "it's no use for you to
string off such lies to me. Your name is Sydney Bramshaw, the artist.
I know who you are, but why you are acting this way I do not know. So
get up now, and clear out of this. If I catch you at any more such
pranks I'll break every bone in your body. You had better mind what
you do while in this place, and keep out of my sight after this."

Without a word the prostrate man rose to his feet and stood for an
instant as if he would speak. He was trembling with rage, though in
the darkness Jasper could not see the ugly expression upon his face.
Presently he turned and glided away swiftly from the cabin, and was
soon lost to sight.

Jasper stood for a while and peered through the night. He was almost
tempted to follow the man to be sure that he really departed and was
not hiding among the bushes but a short distance away. He called
himself a fool for letting him off so easily. He should have kept him
until morning to be sure that he would do no mischief under cover of
darkness. At length, however, he entered the cabin and threw himself
upon his cot. He wished to think it all over and keep awake lest the
man should return and wreak vengeance upon him in some under-handed
way. He felt sure now that Lois' opinion of the man was correct, and
that