"He was inclined to get rather dictatorial toward the last," admitted Ned. "Come to think about it, he didn't look like an ordinary villager at that. Wonder who he could have been."
"I'm not wondering so much at who he could have been as what he's liable to do," was Jack's answer. "I began to suspect him just the minute you warned us. I'm glad we didn't tell him anything."
"Let's get out of here, boys," suggested Harry. "If that fellow is within fourteen rows of apple trees of the truth and this village is deserted by all the able-bodied men, we won't have much chance of getting gasoline or food or information at this place."
"What shall we do?" asked Ned. "What is your idea?"
"I move we go back to the Eagle and 'get out of town'."
"Second the motion," cried Jack eagerly. "I don't like this place a little bit! Let's be going now."
"All right, then; right about face, march!" commanded Ned.
All three boys wheeled and started back in the direction they had come. They traveled at a good pace for the first few moments.
Jack even essayed to whistle "Tipperary" between his teeth to help them along. With visions of a speedy departure from that neighborhood in their minds, the boys swung along at a good pace.
Suddenly they were startled to hear the report of a rifle and to be greeted by the peculiar tearing sound made by a bullet in its flight through the air. Almost as if actuated by a common impulse the three lads crouched low and broke into a run.