They looked to where her finger pointed. Undoubtedly, it was a farmhouse, located on the farther edge of the clearing in which they had halted. There was a vacant s.p.a.ce about it, and several barn-like structures. But there was a curious lack of life around the place.

"I don't believe any one lives there," said Jack.

"Don't be a pessimist," urged his sister. "Let's go and find out."

They hurried toward the house, but the nearer they approached it the more it seemed that it was not a farmhouse in the ordinary sense of the word. Though in the midst of cleared fields that must at one time have been part of a farm, there were no growing crops. The fields were overgrown with weeds, there were no horses or cattle to be seen, and no challenging dog rushed out to bark at the boys and girls.

"Still some old man or woman may live there who can put us on the right road," Cora suggested. "We won't give up yet."

Confirmation of Jack's idea that the house was uninhabited was given as they went up the weed-entangled front path. And the sight of broken windows, a door sagging open on fractured hinges gave further aspects of abandonment.

"Anybody home?" called Walter, knocking on the door, which swayed as though it wanted to part company from the only hinge that held it up.

"Who's in here? h.e.l.lo inside!"

An echo was his only answer, though as they had approached the place Paul had said he heard a noise inside.

"n.o.body home," said Jack. "But this is at least encouraging. We are getting 'warm' as they say in hunt the thimble. Let's go around back.

Maybe they don't use the front door."

He started around a side path, followed by Cora, Bess and Belle. The others straggled along in the extreme rear. As the four in the lead turned around an ell of the house, Cora uttered a cry and pointed to two men who were running out of the barn, not far off.

"Look, Jack!" she cried.

Jack stood still, quite taken by surprise, and then Belle added:

"Why, Cora! I declare! One of those men looks like one of the two who ran off with your car!"

"Are you sure about that, Belle?" demanded Cora's brother. "I don't want to make a mistake."

"I only saw their backs, of course," explained Belle, quite excited.

"But that one on the left looks like the one who took the wheel and steered Cora's auto away from the tea room. The coat is just the same."

"Well, it's pretty slim evidence on which to chase after two strange men," said Jack, "but here goes. Come on, boys!" he called to Walter and Paul. "Tally-ho!"

"What's the excitement?" asked Walter, as he and Paul came running around the corner of the house. "Dog after you, Jack?"

"No, but we want to get after those two fellows. See 'em?"

He pointed to the fleeing men.

"Who are they?" Paul queried.

"Belle thinks they're the ones who took Cora's auto. It's a rather slim identification, but we'll take a chance."

"Yell at 'em," suggested Paul.

"Good idea," commented Jack. "I say there-you two! Hold on a minute, we want to talk to you!" he cried.

The two men, running away, never heeded nor looked around. They ran on toward the woods, the boys following, while the girls stood in a group near the deserted house.

CHAPTER XVIII-REAL SURPRISES

"They aren't going to stop," observed Paul, as he ran along beside Jack, watching the fleeing men.

"No, and that makes me suspicious. Why should those men run away just because we hailed them? They don't know us-that is, they haven't any reason to suppose we represent the girl whose auto was taken. They have never seen us."

"And they didn't have a chance to get a good look at Cora and the other girls, even supposing they are the thieves who took the auto. According to what Belle says, the men didn't once look around as they got into the car and drove off.

"Though they must have been hanging around the Spinning Wheel for some time to have disposed of the tickets," said Walter. "They might have seen the three girls, and again recognized them as they came along now."

"Possibly, but not probably," declared Jack. "They are either tramps, who have been sleeping in the barn and think we own this place and have come to drive them out, or they are the auto thieves, and naturally would run."

"I'm inclined to the tramp theory," declared Paul. "They don't look like knights of the roads, though."

"I guess we won't have much further sight of them," commented Jack.

"They're almost at the woods, and going strong."

The men, indeed, were distancing the boys, running fast with never a backward glance.

"Give 'em another hail!" cried Paul. "All together. Tell 'em we only want to ask the way from them. Now yell!"

The three lads united their voices in a loud shout, but it had no effect, and, a moment later, the two fleeing men plunged in among the trees.

"Shall we follow?" asked Paul, bringing his run down to a walk.

"Hardly worth while," commented Jack. "We'd never find them in the woods."

"Besides, we don't want to leave the girls alone," added Paul.

"They are evidently determined not to be left alone," commented Jack with a smile. "There they come after us."

Cora and her chums were advancing across the weed-grown field that lay between the house and the woods, and over which the unsuccessful chase had taken place.

"Come on, we'll give it up," Walter said, as he started back to meet the girls.

"We didn't like to stay there all alone," confessed Cora.

"So we observe," remarked Jack.

"You didn't get them?" questioned Cora.

"They wouldn't even hesitate," laughed Walter. "Now for an inspection of the barn and house."

"Are you going in?" asked Hazel.