“How can you tell?” asked Janet.
“’Cause it hasn’t moved since we’ve been looking at it. Here, I’ll show you!”
Ted caught up a stone and threw it at the ragged figure, the rock striking it full in the back. There was a sound as when a stone hits a board fence, and the ragged figure never moved.
“See! I told you!” cried Ted.
“Yes, I guess it is a scarecrow,” admitted Janet. “I’m glad of it. Now we can take all the apples we like.”
“Yes, it isn’t an apple-scarer,” laughed Teddy.
“But it looks terribly natural,” said Jan, as they turned back to the orchard. “No wonder Trouble thought it was a man.”
The scarecrow was very well made, and in the dusk of the evening would have misled almost any one who did not know about it.
“My, you have enough apples for a pie and some sauce,” said Mrs. Martin when the children reached the boat and had told about the ragged figure. “I don’t suppose whoever owns the trees will mind our taking a few apples,” she said to her husband.
“I think not. But to be on the safe side and to be honest I’ll put twenty-five cents in an envelope and hang it on one of the branches,” said Mr. Martin, and he did this.