ral farm buildings, including a corncrib and a long,
low cowshed.

"Oh, for the love of doughnuts!" cried Jack an instant later. "Fred, do
you know where we are?"

"No, I don't. Where?"

"Right in the back of old Lacy's place! There is his house;" and the
oldest Rover boy pointed with his hand.

"You're right, Jack! Gee! we almost ran into the old man again, didn't
we?" gasped Fred. "We had better get out of here as quick as we can!"

"Now you're saying something!" returned his cousin. "Come on, before he
catches sight of us!"

The two boys had just started to leave the road on which they had been
traveling when a shout reached their ears. The next moment another
shout rent the frosty morning air, and then two men came running
towards the lads, one carrying a gun and the other a pitchfork.

"Stop there! you young rascals! Stop!" roared out the voice of Elias
Lacy. "Stop, I tell you! Caleb, cover 'em with your gun!"

"I'm doin' it, Mr. Lacy," replied the other man, and leveled his gun at
the boys. He was the same man the Rovers had met in the woods the
afternoon before.

With the weapon of the farm hand pointed at them the two Rover boys
came to a halt. In a minute more the others came up, Elias Lacy puffing
because of his exertions.

"Now I've caught you!" he snarled. "I didn't think it was goin' to be
so easy."

"You're certainly in luck, Mr. Lacy," grinned Caleb Boggs. "I didn't
think they'd stay roun' here after doin' it."

"They came back jest to have the laugh on me!" snarled the old farmer.
"I know 'em! I s'pose they did it 'cause I took them chestnuts away
from 'em, an' on account o' the way I treated 'em Hallowe'en night. But
I'll fix 'em now! I'll have the law on 'em! I'll send 'em to state's
prison for ten years! Jest you see if I don't!" and thus the old man
spluttered on, saying many things the boys could not understand.

"See here, Mr. Lacy! What are you so mad about?" queried Jack, finally.
"Can't you stand a little fun?"

"Stand a little fun!" yelled the excited old man, fairly beside himself
with rage. "It ain't no fun to kill two o' my cows!" He shook his bony
fist at the boys. "I'll have the law on you, so I will! I'll send you
both to state's prison for ten years!"

CHAPTER XXVII

ELIAS LACY'S DEMAND

The two Rover boys stared at Elias Lacy in open-mouthed amazement.

"What did you say about killing two cows?" questioned Jack.

"Have two of your cows been killed?" came