le to find out what that fellow is driving at. I
don't see that I have much chance of learning without his help."

If there was any opportunity for the stranger to withdraw, Ned would
have suspected the man had done so, but he was satisfied it was
impossible for him to elude him in that way, and consequently he must
still be behind the rock. Clinton at last grew tired and called to Jo
that he was about to fire his gun, to compel the stranger to let him
know who he was and what he wanted. Before doing so, he scanned the wood
in his immediate vicinity, fearing that some other questionable
character had stolen near enough to take a shot at him.

He was relieved, however, when after the closest search he was unable to
find any cause for fear. There seemed to be no grounds for further
delay, and pointing his weapon at the spot where he had last seen the
head, he took a quick aim and pulled the trigger. It was a strange
coincidence that at this very instant the man was in the act of rising
to view again, and the poorly aimed shot, even when the distance was so
great, came near proving fatal to the stranger. The smoke was scarcely
wafted from the muzzle of the rifle, when the man sprang up from behind
the rock, and standing erect, called out in a voice that penetrated far
beyond the point aimed at.

"What the mischief are you trying to do?"

"I was trying to make you show yourself," replied the amazed Ned
Clinton, "and that seemed to be the only way to do it."

"Well, I can't admit that I fancy that style of saying how-de-do to a
fellow. Why don't you sing out to him and ask him what he is after?"

As the individual asked this question in the same loud voice, he
unhesitatingly stepped from behind his concealment and began walking
toward the one that had used him as a target. Ned accepted this
proceeding as a proffer of good will, and although he was not quite
satisfied, yet he began descending the tree, so as to be on the ground
to meet him. He had barely time to acquaint Jo and Rosa Minturn with
what had occurred, when the stranger appeared at the base of the tree
and seemed not a little surprised to meet another young man with his
handsome sister.

The new-comer was a man apparently in middle life, with a yellow, shaggy
beard, reaching nearly to his eyes, dressed in rather tattered garments,
that had more of the look of the farmer than the military about them.
His face, so far as it could be seen, was by no means a pl