ay near the house, then, if
worst comes to worst, we can ask them to keep us all night--"

"Tavia you make me shudder," cried Dorothy. "Of course we will not
have to do any such thing."

But Tavia's spirit of adventure was thoroughly aroused, and, in her
sensational way, she forgot for the moment the condition of Dorothy's
nerves, and really enjoyed the speculation of what might happen if "the
worst came to the worst."

"There he goes again," she burst out, beginning to see humor in the
situation, as the figure in the car climbed from the front seat to the
back. "He is like the little girl who got into the house of the 'Three
Bears.' One is too high and one is too low--there now, Doro, he has
found your place 'just right' and will go to sleep there, see if he
doesn't."

"Hark! That's Ned's voice--"

"And that's Nat's--"

"Yes, there they come. Oh, I am so glad--"

"Me too," said Tavia, in her pardonable English.

"Had we better go and meet them?"

"No, indeed, the man in the car might take it into his head to come to.
Better keep quiet."

Presently Ned and Nat reached the corner.

"Hush," called Tavia, coming out from her hiding-place.

"Well, what on earth--" began Nat.

"Listen," commanded Tavia. "There's a man in the car. He has been
there ever since you went away--"

"In our car! Well, his time is up," blurted out Ned. "He must move
on," and the boy's manner indicated, "I will make him move on."

"But he may be dangerous," cried Dorothy. "Oh, please Ned, don't go
near him until you have someone to help you!"

"And what would I be doing?" said Nat, in that same challenging manner.
"Come along, Ned. We will teach that fellow to let our girls and our
property alone."

"But please!" begged Dorothy, clinging to Ned. "Call someone from that
house. He did look so like--"

"Our friend Anderson," finished Tavia, for Dorothy seemed too
frightened to utter the name.

"Did he though?" and Nat gave Ned a significant look. "All the more
reason why I should like to make his acquaintance. You girls will have
to hide here until we get rid of him, and we have no time to spare if
we want to work by daylight. Come along, Ned. Girls, don't be the
least alarmed. We will be down the road after you in a jiffy. It
won't take two seconds to put in this clutch."

"But I feel sure it is that dreadful man," wailed Dorothy. "Oh, if
some strong person would only come!"

"Now, you just sit down ther