"Quite likely. This is a common road, you know. We have no fence
around it."

"But suppose it should be some rough person--"

"If we don't like his looks when he comes up we can run," said Tavia,
coolly.

"And leave the car?"

"Can't take it with us, surely."

For a few moments neither girl spoke. Dorothy had never gotten over
the frights she had received when the man Anderson followed her for the
purpose of getting information about the Burlock matter, and every
trifling thing alarmed her now.

"It's a man," said Tavia, as the form of a heavily-built fellow could
now be discerned on the path.

"Oh, and he has that same kind of hat on," sighed Dorothy, referring to
the hat previously worn by Anderson.

"And it--really--does look like him! Let's run! We have just about
time to get to that house. Come out this side. There, give me your
hand," and Tavia, glancing back to the figure in the road, took
Dorothy's hand and urged her on over the rough path, until Dorothy felt
she must fall from fright and exhaustion.

The road to the farm house was on a little side path turning off from
the one followed by the boys on their way to the blacksmith shop.
Having once gained the spot where the roads met, Tavia stopped to look
back at the car.

"I declare!" she gasped. "He is climbing into the machine."

"Oh, what shall we do?" wailed Dorothy.

"Can't do a thing but hide here until the boys come. We can see him if
he gets out, but if we went over to the house we might miss the boys,
and they might run right into his arms."

"Oh," cried Dorothy. "I am so dreadfully frightened. Don't you
suppose we can get any help until the boys come?"

"Not unless someone happens to pass. And this is a back road: no one
seems to go home from work this way."

"Oh, if someone only would!" and Dorothy was now almost in tears.

"Just see!" exclaimed Tavia, "he is examining the front now. Suppose
he could start it up?"

"But he cannot," Dorothy declared, "if the car worked the boys would
never have left us here all alone," and again she was dangerously near
shedding tears.

"There now, he is getting in again. Well, I hope he stays there until
someone comes," said Tavia. "Isn't it getting dark?"

"And if the boys do not get back-- Oh, perhaps we had better run right
straight on. We may get to some town--"

"We would be running into a deeper woods, and goodness knows, it is
dark enough here. No, we had better st