keep somewhat in the lead.

But the object of their pursuit took alarm, too, and gaining the
road, flew like the wind.

"Hold on there, you!" challenged Dick. "We want a little conversation
with you at once."

At that vocal warning the fugitive put on an even better burst
of speed.

"It must be a man!" exclaimed Dick. "He evidently understood me."

"No use for you to try to get away!" shouted Reade. "We intend
to get you if we have to chase you all the way to the seaboard."

That was enough to make the fugitive veer suddenly and dart in
under the trees. Tom vented an exclamation of disappointment,
for he knew the chances were easy for escape in the deep shadows
of the forest.

At that instant Dick raised his right hand. In it he held a small
stone that he had picked up at the first instant of discovering
the presence of the stranger.

Now Dick threw the stone, with the best judgment that he could
command in the darkness.

Ahead there went up a cry, as though of pain. Then all three
pursuers distinctly heard an angry voice say!

"Hang him! He hit me in the heel!"

If there were any reply to this from a confederate of the injured
fugitive neither Dick nor his chums heard it.

After a minute all three stopped at a low uttered order from young
Prescott.

"Hush!" whispered Dick.

"Sh!" confirmed Tom Reade.

As they stood there in the forest not a sound of another human
being was audible.

For some five minutes the trio of high school boys stood without
stirring from their tracks.

"We've lost the trail," whispered Dick at last. "We could remain
here, of course, waiting for more things to happen, but my belief
is that daylight would find us still standing here, like so many
foiled dummies. We might as well return to camp. What do you
think?"

"Yes; we'd better go back to camp," assented Tom.

"I'm agreeable," murmured Greg

So back to camp they went, going by the open road as much of the
way as served their purpose.

"There's the camp," muttered Tom, as they caught sight of a light
between the trees. "Why the fellows have started a campfire."

"What do you say if we slip up on them and give them something
to jump about?" laughed Greg.

"That might work with some people," negatived Dick, "but Darry
is there, and he's impulsive. He might half kill us before he
discovered his mistake. O-o-o-h, Dave!"

"Hello!" answered Darrin, coming away from the campfire. Then
he waited until t