his old knack was coming back to him.

Undoubtedly the most humiliated man present was George Melville. Though
that capitalist had not been averse to stooping to the purchase of
secrets from another man's trusted employe, he felt badly indeed to have
Farnum detect his son.

So George Melville now came out quickly from cover.

"Don," he demanded, "how could Farnum ever have gotten wind of this?"

"Talk it over with Mr. Emerson," panted Don Melville. "I'm off after
Benson and Farnum."

With that Don put his own sprinting abilities to the test, dashing into
the woods at the point where he had seen the others vanish.

Though it flashed through George Melville's head that Broughton Emerson
must have given information to the rival boatbuilder, the elder Melville
did not now stop to question Mr. Emerson.

Instead, the father, who was rather heavy, started off puffily in the
wake of his son.

"This looks like ticklish business," George Melville told himself, "and
Don, though usually self-contained, is hot enough of temper, at a time
like this, to make matters pretty bad for all concerned."

Wanting to see the matter through Broughton Emerson kept a little to
the rear of the other capitalist. It was a curious Indian file that
stretched out through the woods with the uniformed boy in the lead.

"You may as well stop!" yelled Jacob Farnum, after the fugitive. "I'm
going to catch you, anyway!"

It looked that way, indeed. Dark as it was, with the moon behind a
cloud, the running boy, looking back over his shoulder, could see the
enraged boatbuilder coming after him at great strides.

Mr. Farnum was soon so close upon the heels of his quarry that he could
all but reach out his hand and grasp the boy's collar. But just then
the boy went down to earth, instantly rolling himself as nearly into a
ball as he could.

Jacob Farnum, unable to stop in time, tripped and fell over the fugitive,
plunging, head-first, into a clump of bushes and scratching himself.

With a jubilant laugh the boy in uniform was up again, and off. He got
a good start, but the boatbuilder, after listening a few seconds, and
getting the sounds of flight, bounded off, once more, in the right
direction.

Don had halted precipitately, when he saw the tumble, but now he too
darted forward once more.

"If Farnum can catch him," shivered Do; "I've got to be at hand to help
out in a lightning rescue."

Mr. Farnum did some tall running before he