's a horse and wagon coming this way."

"Maybe it's the officers returning from the hunt," suggested Reade,
who was on a lower limb of the next tree.

"There's only one man in the wagon, and he's whipping up the horse,"
Dick announced.

"There are good enough reasons for the man wanting his horse to
hurry," chuckled Danny.

"Maybe the dog is in pursuit now," hinted Darrin.

Dick, who had the best view of the road to the westward, peered
carefully.

"I don't see anything to suggest a pursuing dog," Prescott made
answer. "If the dog is near, he must be running under the trees
along the side of the road."

Greg climbed up beside his leader.

"Why, that man has stopped whipping the horse," young Holmes declared.
"And is lighting his pipe. That doesn't look as though he were
very much scared about anything."

"We'll stay where we are until we've talked with the man," Dick
decided.

Just before reaching the other end of the covered bridge the driver,
a farmer, and with what looked like a light load of farm produce
in the body of the wagon, slowed his horse down to a walk, at
which gait he drove over the bridge. Then, sighting the boys
up in the trees, and each with a club, he reined up.

"Hello, boys!" he called drawlingly. "Who's been a-chasing you?
What scared you?"

"Read that notice, sir, tacked up at the bridge entrance," urged
Dick.

Alighting, and drawing a pair of spectacles from a vest pocket,
the farmer complied.

"Mad dog, eh?" he drawled. "Sho!"

"Did you see anything of the brute?" called Darry.

"No; I didn't," answered the farmer. "Don't believe there is
any mad dog along the way, either. I've reined up and talked
with neighbors during the last hour and a half along the way.
They didn't mention nothin' 'bout any peevish dogs. Now, it
stands to reason that the officers would have stopped and warned
folks along the road, don't it? And the neighbors would have
passed the gossip with me, wouldn't they?"

"Didn't you see any officers coming from this way?" asked Dick.

"Nary one," rejoined the farmer. "Only fellers that passed me,
coming from this direction, was two young dudes---I sh'd say about
your ages. They was in a high-toned speed wagon-----"

"Automobile?" asked Reade.

"Said so, didn't I?" drawled the farmer. "Them dudes looked mighty
tickled about something. They was laughin' a whole lot and looked
mighty well pleased with themselves. Do you reckon they was
any