od picture film!" exclaimed Russ.

"It sure would," agreed Paul. "Only we haven't time to do it. Say, he
can run some; can't he?"

"He sure can. Oh, look at that, would you!" cried Russ.

They had now come in sight of a white house, standing back a little
from the road. And in front of the house stood an automobile
runabout.

What caused Russ to cry out was the sight of the mysterious man
leaping into the auto, the engine of which had evidently been left
running. In another moment he was off down the road, going at the
limit of speed of the machine.

"Well, we might as well give up now," said Paul, coming to a stop.
"I'm done up, anyhow."

"Same here," agreed Russ. "That is, unless we can find another auto."

They saw a man run from the farmhouse from in front of which the auto
had been so audaciously taken. He was a physician, it appeared.

"The idea! The idea!" he cried. "That perfect stranger ran up and
took my auto. Was he a friend of yours?" he asked as Russ and Paul
came up. He looked at them suspiciously.

"A friend! No indeed!" exclaimed Paul. "We want to catch him; but we
can't do it now."

They heard the sound of hoofbeats in the road behind them, and,
turning, they saw Sandy coming along on the farm horse. He had taken
a short cut, guessing or hoping that the chase would lead that way.

"Where is he?" cried the young farmer, as he galloped up.

"Gone!" replied Paul.

"In an auto," added Russ.

"My auto," corrected the doctor. "The impertinent chap had the nerve
to take my machine, and I need it, too."

"I'll get him!" cried Sandy, as he clapped his heels to the side of
his panting horse.

"You can never get him while he's in that machine!" called Paul.

"Maybe the auto will have a break-down!" the young farmer answered
over his shoulder. "Such things have happened."

"Indeed they have--to me often enough," remarked the doctor. "I have
had more break-downs in that car than I like to remember. But just
when we want one, so we may be able to catch that scoundrel, it may
not happen."

"If Mr. Sneed was here he'd be sure to cause something to happen,"
remarked Russ, jokingly. Sandy galloped on down the road after the
mysterious man in the automobile he had so daringly taken.

CHAPTER XXII

CAUGHT

There was considerable excitment about Oak Farm when Russ and Paul
returned from their unsuccessful chase after the mysterious man,
leaving Sandy to continue the hunt. All the player