and the
white dust added to the effect of the moon, that was now well over
the trees.

But, to the surprise of the two men, no figure was in sight. As they
reached the highway it was deserted, though it had been but a few
seconds since Sandy had seen and called to the man in the road.

"He--he's gone!" gasped Sandy.

"So he is. Must have slipped to one side," agreed the manager. "Do
you want to get him? Who was he?"

"That's jest what I don't know. First I thought he was 'Bige Tapper,
who lives down th' road a piece. But 'Bige would have answered."

"But this fellow didn't, so he couldn't have been your friend," spoke
Mr. Pertell. "And why should he have run when you hailed him?"

"That's what I can't understand," replied Sandy. "It's sort of
suspicious; ain't it?"

"It surely is. Come on, let's have a look."

Together they went down the road in the direction taken by the
mysterious stranger. But, though they looked on both sides, and
peered amid the bushes, they saw no one. They called out, demanding
to know who had gone past the house; but of course, in case the man
was a suspicious character, they could hardly have expected an
answer.

Their shouts, though, brought out Paul, who had not yet gone to bed,
and he joined in the search.

"Who do you think he was?" the moving picture actor asked of Sandy,
when they had given up the attempt to find the man.

"Oh, he might be some tramp. There's been chicken thieves around
lately, and maybe he was lookin' for a chance to sneak into our
hen-house."

"Well, I guess you've scared him off, at any rate," said the manager.

"There's an idea for a film," said Paul, with a laugh. "We can have a
chicken-stealing. The thief gets caught in a bear trap, and can't get
loose--farmer comes out with gun--chase over the fields and all
that."

"Good!" cried Mr. Pertell. "We'll try something of that sort. I'm
glad you mentioned it."

"Gosh!" exclaimed Sandy, admiringly. "You fellers would make a
picture out of anything, I guess."

"That's what we would!" laughed Mr. Pertell.

They came back from the unsuccessful man hunt, and soon quiet settled
down over Oak Farm.

"I only wish I could help them," mused Mr. Pertell as he retired. Yet
he was destined to help them, and in a most surprising manner.

Yielding to the wish of Sandy, Paul and the manager said nothing the
next morning of the chase after the man.

"It might only worry pa and ma," said the kind-hearted but
s