e," said Ned, tenderly, "and when you hear
us whistle you will know it is all right. It may be only a poor farmer
resting on his way home."

But the girls were too certain that no farmer would have enjoyed
climbing from one seat to the other as they had seen this man doing,
and they had strange misgivings about him--of course Anderson was in
jail, but--

"Now, don't be a bit worried," added Nat. "We will be spinning down
the road directly," and at this the boys left the girls again, and
started down the road to interview the strange man in their automobile.

"Oh, I do feel as if I shall die!" cried Dorothy. "Let us pray, Tavia,
that nothing will happen to the boys!"

"You pray, but I have to watch," answered Tavia, not realizing how
scriptural her words were, "for if they should need help I have got to
go to that house after it."

Then, on the damp grass, poor Dorothy buried her head in prayer, such
prayer as can come only from a heart in distress.

Tavia, as she had said, stood straight out in the middle of the road,
watching through the dim light.

The boys were at the car now, and they were speaking to the man!

CHAPTER V

THE POLICE PATROL

For some moments neither girl spoke: Tavia stood out in the road like
an officer, while Dorothy did not lift her head from her attitude of
prayer. Suddenly Dorothy, in a frenzy of fear, rushed out to where
Tavia stood, and threw her arms around her.

"Tavia," she exclaimed, "I must go to them. I cannot stand another
moment like this--I am simply choking. Come: See, they have not been
able to manage him. He is in the car yet. Oh, do let us go!" and the
look on the terrified girl's face so frightened Tavia she forgot to
watch, forgot everything but Dorothy--something would surely happen to
her if that anxiety was not soon relieved.

But to go to the boys! Might not that make matters worse?

"Dorothy, darling," began Tavia, "don't be so frightened. Perhaps they
are just talking pleasantly to him--"

"Then I must hear them. I must know what it is all about. Do come!"
and she tried to drag Tavia from the spot to which she seemed riveted.

"If you would only wait here while I go down first, and then if it is
all right, that is, if the boys want us to come--"

"No, no," cried Dorothy. "I must go at once! See! Oh, Nat is coming
this way--"

"Yes, here comes Nat. It will be all right now," and Tavia was
soothing Dorothy as if she were a baby--pa