have given chase, there came a second rifle shot from the trees and
Hal felt the breeze as a bullet sped by his ear. At the same moment
Edwards yelled:

"Come back!"

Hal wasted no time in thought. He obeyed Edwards' command and dashed back
to shelter with all speed.

"Whew!" he muttered. "That was pretty close."

"Rather," agreed Edwards dryly. "Where did the little man get to?"

"Oh, he's over there with our unseen enemy some place. He got away from
me."

"I saw him," said Edwards grimly. "He's likely to have a warm time on the
other side of the road."

Hal grinned in spite of himself, as he replied:

"He is that. I suppose we should do something to help him, but I am frank
to say I don't know just what."

"We'll have to figure some way to get rid of that fellow," said Edwards.
"He's dangerous. Apparently there is only one."

"Tell you what," said Hal, "you stick here. I'll sneak through the trees
here for a quarter of a mile, cross the road and double back. If I can go
quietly enough perhaps I can catch him off his guard."

Edwards considered this plan.

"Might be done," he said finally. "I don't think of anything else. Off
with you then."

Hal walked still deeper into the woods and then turned to his left.
Keeping himself well screened from the road he made his way carefully and
silently along. At last, when he felt sure that he could no longer be
seen by their unexpected foe, he approached the road again.

The lad poked his head out cautiously and, after a quick glance back to
make sure there was no one in sight, crossed the road at a bound, almost
expecting as he did so to hear a bullet whiz near.

No bullet came.

Once safe on the other side, the lad turned again to his left and doubled
back. He went more cautiously now, making sure of each footstep that he
might not warn the unseen foe of his approach.

In the woods there was the silence of death.

Hal, moving slowly forward, now felt that he must have reached the point
from which the two shots had been fired and stopped and listened
intently. Once he thought he heard the sound of a snapping twig and
became perfectly quiet, waiting for the sound to be repeated; but it did
not come again.

"Guess I must have been mistaken," the lad told himself, as he moved
forward again.

Five minutes later Hal stopped suddenly in his tracks. He had heard a
sound close at hand and knew he was not mistaken this time. A twig had
snapped perhaps twenty ya