hances of burning one
of the good farm buildings the old one, which now practically
belonged to Mr. Pertell, was taken.

"That barn dance will be fun," said Alice to Ruth, the evening on
which it was to take place. "There's going to be a country fiddler.
Come on out and let's look at the decorations. Sandy has hung up long
strings of unshelled ears of corn. It looks just like a real country
barn now, for he's moved some of his machinery into it, and there's
going to be a real cow there!"

"Mercy, I'm not going to take part, then!" cried Ruth, nervously.
"I'm afraid of cows."

"Silly! This one will be tied. And you've got one of the principal
parts. You're to dance with the young son of the rich farmer, and
fall in love with him, and I'm to be the jealous one, and all that
sort of thing, you know."

"Yes, I know. Haven't I been studying my part for the last week? But
I know I'll never do that Virginia Reel right. Since we learned the
new dances I've forgotten all the old ones."

The two sisters went out to the old structure, but it seemed
deserted. They looked in and saw how well Sandy had arranged it to
make an effective picture for the camera.

"Come on," invited Alice, humming a tune.

Ruth advanced toward her sister, to take a dancing position, when a
noise startled the girls. It was the same sort of noise they had
heard before, when their father, Mr. Pertell and Sandy had made an
unsuccessful attempt to learn the cause of it.

"What's that?" gasped Ruth.

"I--I don't know," whispered Alice. But she did know--it was that
same strange sound, as of a heavy body falling. And this time there
was a groan--the girls were sure of this.

Without another word they ran out of the barn, hand in hand toward
the farmhouse, intending to give an alarm. And, as they got outside,
they saw, running off in the dusk, across the fields, a man who
limped as he sped onward.

CHAPTER XI

THE RUNAWAY MOWING MACHINE

"Look!" gasped Ruth.

"It was that man--hiding in the barn! Who can he be?" asked Alice,
pausing a moment.

"Don't stop! Come on!" commanded Ruth, in fear.

"But we ought to see who it is," insisted the younger girl. "Or at
least watch where he goes. Sandy ought to know."

"Well, we'll go tell him; but don't stand and watch that man. He
might do you some harm."

"How could he--away off there; and he's running away, besides," spoke
Alice. "I think I would know him again. I had one glimpse of his