“Yes, and did you notice who he was?” asked Bart, who appeared to be laboring under some excitement.
“No. Who?” gasped Ned.
“The mysterious stranger who entered the school just before we did—the man who shot against me at the gallery! Fellows, it’s the same man—we must catch him!” and, as he had done that night in the shooting gallery, Bart darted after the stranger, followed by his chums, Fenn still carrying the turtle.
CHAPTER VII
GETTING READY FOR CAMP
“Come on, fellows!” exclaimed Bart, as he stumbled on ahead. “We mustn’t lose sight of him again! There’s some mystery about that man. I believe he stole the diamond bracelet.”
Slipping, and almost tripping over sticks, fallen trees, stumps and stones, the chums hurried on. But the man had a number of advantages. He had a start of several hundred feet, darkness was coming on, and he evidently knew the paths through the woods better than did the boys, for when they caught occasional glimpses of him he appeared to be running at full speed, whereas they had to go slowly, and pick their way.
At last they could see him no more, and, as it seemed to grow rapidly darker, the boys were forced to give up the chase.