him, set foot on this land. So that's your game; is it?" and
he leered at them.

"Game! We don't know what you mean!" said Mollie with asperity. "We
certainly are up to no game."

"Indeed not!" echoed Betty indignantly. The girls, even Amy and Grace,
had recovered their "nerve" now. The opposition, when they knew they had
done no real harm, was enough to make them assert themselves for their
common rights.

"Well, you'll have to git right away from here. I won't stand for no
nonsense!" cried the fellow. "Fer all I know you may be tryin' some
law-dodge on me. Move on!"

He advanced threateningly, and the dog growled menacingly. Even Mollie
and Betty were not brave enough to stand their ground now, and they were
preparing for a precipitate retreat when the sound of a shot was heard
close at hand.

The man uttered an exclamation of alarm, and the dog barked, ending in a
howl.

"Ha! More trespassers!" ejaculated the man. "Are they with you? Are they
friends of yours?" he asked cunningly.

"They might be," answered Mollie, thinking of the boys who had gone
hunting.

"Well, if that's the case," began the man, "I'll have to----"

But he did not finish, for, at that instant, Will, Allen, and Frank came
out from behind a clump of bushes. Will bore a gun that still had smoke
coming from the muzzle. The boys started at the sight of the girls, and
looked wonderingly at the man who was so evidently threatening them.

"What's up, Sis?" demanded Will, striding forward.

"Has this--fellow--been annoying you?" asked Allen.

"I warned 'em away--they are trespassing on Mr. Jallow's land," said the
man, but his manner was much softened. Evidently the sight of the three
young huntsmen had had a good effect.

"Oh, so this is Mr. Jallow's land?" inquired Allen quickly. "Is this the
part that is in dispute?"

"I don't know nothin' about no dispute," was the sullen response, "but I
know what my orders are, and I'm going t' carry 'em out."

"Far be it from us to stand in the way of you doing your duty," remarked
Will pleasantly. "But if you have been annoying these young ladies----"
he paused significantly and looked at his two chums.

"Oh, he--he didn't annoy us!" said Grace quickly. She wanted no
unpleasantness.

"I am glad of it," spoke Will.

"Perhaps you will be glad enough to point out just where the boundary
marks are," said Allen quietly. "We may be walking in these woods often,
and we would not like to trespass