It was two days after this that Teddy was down in the far end of the house garden, doing a little weeding. The garden was one in which Teddy had an interest. It was a tomato patch and his father had said Teddy could have half of the tomatoes to sell if he would keep the patch weeded and the vines up off the ground on little wooden supports.
It was in the afternoon and Teddy was stooping down, pulling out some weeds when he suddenly felt himself touched on the back.
“Hey, quit that!” he called, thinking it was either Dick or Joe who had sneaked up on him.
There was no answer. But a moment later Teddy suddenly was upset and thrust forward so that he fell flat on the ground among the tomato vines.
CHAPTER XVII
ON THE DEER’S TRAIL
Scrambling to his feet, Teddy whirled around thinking to confront one of his chums who had upset him. Teddy was angry. He started to say:
“What’s the big idea? What right have you to—”
That was as far as Teddy got. For as he stood up and turned to look, he saw neither Joe nor Dick.
But rapidly disappearing from view across a field adjoining the Benson garden, and heading for Mason’s woods, was the mystery deer.