"I don't know much about that new player Voup has in Kyle's place, but to me he doesn't seem any great shakes."
"He may be playing foxy."
"That's true, but when I saw him practicing he appeared to be doing his best."
So the talk ran on as the two boys journeyed along. It was a fairly clear day with just a few clouds floating across the sky.
Coming to a large apple orchard they halted long enough to get a number of apples. At the orchard the road took a sharp turn in the direction of the lake. Just as they made this turn they beheld several persons running across the opposite end of the orchard.
"Hullo!" cried Joe. "What are those fellows up to?"
"I give it up," answered Fred. "Maybe they were stealing apples and thought we were after them."
"They were certainly in a tremendous hurry."
They looked into the orchard, but could see nothing further of the strangers. Then they moved on until they came to a spot where the road ran close to the lake shore. It was rather wild and lonely, no farmhouse being within half a mile.
The two boys were suspecting no attack, and when they were suddenly seized from behind they were taken completely by surprise. Each was thrown forward in the grass beside the road, and somebody came down on them with such force that the wind of each was knocked completely out of him.