e same young man who had appeared on the bank of Bang-up
Creek and saved Short and Long from the farmer's dog. His very good
looking hunting suit was now sadly torn and wrinkled. He was without a
hat. There was a scratch upon his face that had drawn blood, and he
was altogether rather messy looking.

He bowed gravely to Mrs. Morse. "I see," he said, "that this young
lady," and he looked at Laura, "knows who I am. And further
introduction would be unnecessary."

"Ye--yes?" said Mrs. Morse, rather doubtfully.

"I pray that you will not blame Lizzie Bean. She would sacrifice
herself for my safety; but I could hardly allow her to do that, don't
you know? I had an idea that that sheriff would really not come to
this camp, and I could get away again after dark."

Lil had given over any intention of screaming again. She was examining
the scratched face of the strange young man with growing approval.

"Isn't he romantic looking?" she whispered to Nellie.

"Poor fellow," sighed the doctor's daughter. "He _doesn't_ look
wicked, does he?"

"He's a regular heart-breaker when he's dolled up, I bet," giggled
Bobby.

"It's too bad!" murmured the Lockwood twins, in unison.

Thus did the appearance of the young man, Mr. Norman Halliday, tell
upon the covey of frightened girls. Mrs. Morse herself began to
recover from her disturbance of mind. _This_ was no criminal
character, for sure!

Suddenly the sheriff in the tree set up a bellow: "That's the feller I
want! That's him! Don't you let him escape----"

"Why don't you come down and take him?" demanded Bobby, wickedly.

But immediately the Barnacle began leaping under the tree and barking
and Sheriff Larkin climbed higher.

"You see, the police want me," explained the young man, simply.

"We--we should judge so," gasped Mrs. Morse.

"But I really don't want to be arrested. Especially by this sheriff. I
do not want the bank I work for to be put to the expense of paying him
a reward for my apprehension."

This sounded rather odd--from a criminal!

"You see," went on the young man, with a more cheerful smile, "I am
going to return to Albany when my attorney lets me know that I may
safely do so. Had I remained when I was first charged with the crime
of forging names to coupons and bonds, and selling the same for my own
benefit, I could not have disproved the accusation."

"It had been arranged to make me a 'scapegoat'--to railroad me to
jail, in fact. But I have one go