ith the team, and both
running as fast as they could.

"They've come this way!" shouted George, "and now it only remains to be
seen whether we can get there in time."

There was no need to say anything to urge either of the boys on to
greater speed, for they were making every effort, and George himself was
really the one who would be left behind if the race was continued very
long.

Bent only on reaching a given point as quickly as possible, the boys
paid no attention to anything else save getting over the ground rapidly,
and the farmer's voice rang out long and loud before they realized that
they heard it.

"Hello! Hello-o-o! Hello-o-o-o!" was the cry.

And when finally the boys did hear it, they understood by the tone that
there was urgent reason for them to make haste, for now, beyond a doubt,
the thieves were trying hard to remove the barricade.

Panting, almost breathless, but not realizing how nearly exhausted they
were, the boys rushed on, intent only on noting the way, that they might
lose no time or vantage by a misstep, until they emerged from the woods
at a point where they could see that which was causing such an outcry
from the farmer, who was taking quite as much interest in the saving of
their property as he would have done in his own.

George could see his team halted in front of the barricade they had
piled up with so much, and what at the time Bob had thought useless,
labor, while the men were straining every nerve to remove it, the farmer
standing at a safe distance, screaming at the top of his voice, even
though he must have seen the boys coming towards him as rapidly as they
could run.

Already had the two men succeeded in removing the two dump-carts, and
were now at work upon the hay-rack, with every prospect of pulling it
sufficiently out of the way to admit of their driving past; but when
they saw the three boys coming down the road, they evidently concluded
that they had worked quite as long as was safe, for they began to look
out for their own welfare, instead of trying longer to get away with the
team.

After one look at the boys, probably to make sure they were the same
ones whom they had seen coming up the road, the thieves ceased their
efforts to move the hay-rack, and sought safety in flight, running down
the road towards Babcock, instead of trying to escape in the opposite
direction.

The farmer, who was anxious that all horse-thieves should be placed
beyond the possibility