They knew the footing well, although the path was rough with tree stumps and rocks thrown there from the fields at the side. Suddenly there was an exclamation. Turning quickly Tavia saw the man's form rolling in the deep grass. "He has fallen over the big stump," she said, "and has rolled into the thick briars. Hurry now, we will get out all right." And, with renewed courage, the girls ran on, reaching the end of the lane in full view of houses, before the "tramp" could possibly overtake them. "That was the same fellow," declared Tavia. "What in the world does he follow us for?" "It's all the Burlock business," Dorothy answered. "But hurry, we must give the alarm this time. Perhaps they will be able to catch him." Out of breath, and very much frightened, the girls reached the center of the village, going directly there instead of turning into a side street to go home. "Perhaps father is in his office," remarked Dorothy. "There's Ralph," said Tavia, as that young man emerged from a doorway. Quicker than it takes to tell it a searching party was formed. The three men who had been talking politics were still in the major's office, and when told of the girl's fright they promptly started out for the lane picking up more help at every turn. "We will get him if we have to burn down the woods," declared the major, deeply incensed at his daughter's peril. "And not a gun in the crowd," remarked Mr. MacAllister. "This is where we need our constable." They had reached the lane now, and it was quite dark. Numbers of men, who had been taking a quiet evening smoke at their own doors joined in the "rounding up" as Mr. Ford called it. "No Squire Sanders to help him out this time," some one remarked. Then the men scattered--completely surrounding the place where the tramp had been last seen. "The only way he could get away from us would be in a balloon," said Mr. MacAllister. "Or an airship," spoke up someone else. With heavy clubs and every available weapon to beat down the brush they started out through the lane on the man hunt. Surely twenty good men should be able to find the one "tramp" now. But would they? CHAPTER XVI THE GIRLS HAVE IT It was an entirely new experience for Dalton men--searching for a miscreant that spring evening in the lane. But evening wore into nightfall and no trace of the "tramp" had been discovered. From either end of the lane the men came together at last, and admitted they had been again outwitted by the "slick rascal." Mr. MacAllister, in dismissing the party, urged them to be at the town meeting that night to vote for a constable, and never had the need of such an official been so plainly demonstrated. "We must go about to-night," he said, "and notify business persons to be on the lookout for a fellow of this description. Of course, if we had a regular constable we might save ourselves that trouble."