put in Whopper. "He was running like a house
afire, too."

"Where did he go?"

Nobody knew, but some thought he might have taken to the road.
Finding his wife had not been harmed, only badly scared, Simon
Lundy ran out to the road and gazed up and down, and the boys
did the same.

"I don't see nuthin'," said Pop Lundy.

"Let us run down the road a bit, fellows," suggested Shep.

"Will ye come back?" asked the farmer, anxiously. "I---er---I
won't say nuthin' about them apples."

"Yes, we'll be back," answered Snap.

The boys spent the best part of an hour on the road, hunting up
and down for some trace of the negro, but without success. They
knew he was short and stocky and wore a light, checked suit, but
that was all.

When they returned to the farmhouse they heard Mrs. Lundy's story
in detail. She had been on the point of sweeping the sitting-room
when the negro had appeared and asked for Mr. Lundy. She had
told him her husband was out, and then the colored man had wanted
something to eat. She had refused to give him anything, and then,
seeing the watch on the mantelpiece, he had snatched the timepiece
and run. She had screamed for assistance and then fainted from
excitement.

"Was the watch a valuable one?" asked Snap.

"Yes, it was," answered Simon Lundy. "It was gold and given to
me by my father years ago. I wouldn't take a hundred dollars
fer it nohow. I was mighty careless to leave it on the mantelpiece,
but I didn't want to carry it around in the orchard when I picked
apples."

"What will you do about it?" asked Shep.

"I dunno. Go tew teown an' tell the constable, I guess. Be yeou
goin' to town?"

"No; we are off on a hunting trip," answered Giant. "And, by the way,
we had better be getting back to the boat," he added to his chums.

"Mr. Lundy, we'll give you a quarter for those apples," said Shep.

"All right, as ye please," said the old farmer. He was so upset
over the loss of his watch he could think of nothing else.

The boys passed over the money---that is, Shep did, for he had
been appointed treasurer of the expedition. Then, after a few
words more, the young hunters hurried back through the orchard
to where they had left their rowboat among the bushes.

"Gosh! what a mean man!" was Whopper's comment. "To take that
money after what we did to catch that negro."

"It isn't likely that he'll get his gold watch back," said Giant.
"That nigger will shake the dust of thi