"Hi, what are you doing there?" came, in the voice of the Wadsworth gardener. "Come here, I want to talk to you!" "Somebody is in those bushes!" exclaimed Roger, and ran from the summer-house, followed by his chums. They were just in time to find Joseph, the new gardener, running after a young fellow who was making his way through an apple orchard on the other side of the brook. Joseph was somewhat stout and not quick of foot, and the young fellow easily outdistanced him, leaped the orchard fence, and hurried down the back road. "Who was it, Joseph?" demanded Dave, when the gardener came up, all out of breath. "I--don't--know--sir!" gasped the man, puffing for breath. "He--was--hiding--in the bushes back of--the--summer-house." "Hiding here!" cried Dave. He looked at his chums. "Can it have been Merwell?" he murmured. "Would he dare come here?" asked Phil. "He dared to come to Crumville, after he knew there was a warrant out for his arrest." "How did that fellow look?" questioned Roger. "I didn't see his face, sir," answered the gardener, who had now recovered somewhat. "He had on a soft hat and a brown, baggy suit." "That's the way Merwell was togged out, so Laura said!" cried Dave. "Fellows, it must have been Link! Now what do you know about that!" "Do you think he heard what we said?" asked Roger, much disturbed. "He must have, if he was hiding in those bushes," answered Phil. "Wonder how long he was there?" None of the boys could answer that question, nor could the gardener enlighten them. Joseph had been coming along the side of the orchard when he had espied the fellow and had called to him, thinking it was some boy from Crumville who had sneaked up to steal some of the orchard fruit. He had been surprised when the fellow dashed away so quickly. "Maybe he wasn't alone," suggested Roger. "Let us take a look around." This was done, but nobody else seemed to be near. Much disturbed, the three lads walked all over the place, and even down the back road in the direction the intruder had fled. "If it was Merwell he must have heard all that was said," remarked the senator's son, gravely. "If he did, it won't do him any good," answered Phil. "I don't think he'll hunt for that mine." "He may follow us and try to make trouble," returned Dave. "He is very bitter--and so is Job Haskers. They'd put themselves out a whole lot to give us a black eye, so to speak." "Oh, I know that." Much disturbed, the three youths returned to the house, where Roger put his map and papers in a safe place in his trunk--the one he was to take on the trip West. In the meantime Dave telephoned to the police, telling them that Merwell had been seen in the vicinity of the Wadsworth mansion. He was glad of the fact that Mrs. Wadsworth and the girls had gone out to do some shopping, for he did not wish to alarm them further.