Which road are you going to take?"
"The upper road," decided Pepper, "it runs through the woods, but
it's by far the shortest way."
With a whistle the boy started off along the thoroughfare at a good
pace. "Look for me at 1 sharp," he called back as he went off.
He had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile on his way when, as he was
passing a small clump of bushes by the side of the road, there was
a rustle behind the bushes, and a voice cried:
"Halt!"
Pepper, however, broke into a run which carried him past the clump,
when again came the command:
"Halt, or I'll shoot!"
The boy hesitated for a moment as to whether he should stop or run,
and as he did so Gerald and Jack came out upon the scene.
"Did we scare you?" asked Gerald.
"No," replied Pepper stoutly, "I thought it was a joke."
"We just wanted to test your courage," said Jack.
"That reminds me--" began Dick, who had now joined the others.
"That it is time for me to be getting along," broke in Pepper.
"Good-by, fellows," starting off again.
"Good luck," called the boys after him.
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