farther away. Jane reasoned it out when she said to herself that Harriet
had probably turned her head away or else had cawed in a lower tone to
deceive the boys, who were now moving rapidly away, making as many
circles as there were boys in the party.

Jane dared not get down from the tree, but she began moving about,
seeking a better position from which she might look the ground over. If
the boys got far enough away she might try to run, but then there was
the probability of meeting their rivals, no matter which way she sought
to escape.

[Illustration: Jane Dared Not Get Down From the Tree.]

The crow cawed again.

"I tell you that isn't a crow," shouted Larry.

"Go on, go on!" called George.

Jane listening intently, concentrating her attention on what was being
said, rather than what she was doing, lost her footing. She grasped
frantically for a limb and caught one. But the limb did not hold. It
snapped and came away in her hand.

Crash! She landed on a bunch of small limbs and branches. She went right
on through them, tearing off leaves with frantic hands in her efforts to
get hold of something that would stop her progress. The foliage checked
her fall a little, but not sufficiently to prevent her falling the rest
of the way.

A yell from Larry Goheen, an answering shout from George, and another
from Sam, told that the boys had heard the fall. They began running
toward the tree, with shouts of triumph.

"We've got somebody," yelled George. "Look sharp, fellows."

"I'm on the job," howled Sam.

"Get clubs. It may be a spook," howled Larry.

The Tramp Club surrounded the tree, keeping their formation as well as
possible, not forgetting that their prey might slip away from them did
they not guard all sides. As yet they did not now who or what that prey
was. A moment later they halted with exclamations of surprise.

Directly beneath the tree in which Jane McCarthy had been hiding stood a
man. He was dark and swarthy, with high cheek bones and jet black hair.
He was an Indian half-breed. The fellow stood scowling, regarding the
boys with angry eyes. Broken limbs and scattered leaves showed where
Jane McCarthy had fallen from the tree, and broken bushes also showed
where she had floundered after reaching the ground.

The Tramp Club gazed at the scowling face of the half-breed in
speechless amazement.

CHAPTER XXI

A DOUBLE SURPRISE

"Who you?" growled the strange man.

"We--we--" began La