“Hello!” exclaimed Rick. “What’s that?” It was a green object, tied with cord into a round shape and it rolled toward Ruddy after it landed. The dog sprang toward it.
“Look out! Maybe it’s poisoned meat!” exclaimed Chot.
Rick caught hold of his dog’s collar and pulled him back. Uncle Tod looked at the object for a moment and then picked it up. The boys could now see it was a cabbage leaf wrapped about something and tied with string.
“Somebody’s playing a joke!” laughed Rick.
“One of the fellows,” was Chot’s opinion. “Tom Martin, I reckon.”
Uncle Tod slowly opened the cabbage leaf. There dropped from it a stone and another small object which Rick picked up.
“It’s a bullet!” he cried. “What does this mean?”
There was a strange look on Uncle Tod’s face.
“Let me see that!” he cried.
Rick handed over the bullet—it was not a cartridge, but a leaden missile from one and as he passed it to Uncle Tod the boy noticed some peculiar marks on the bit of lead.