“Shall we follow?” asked Pepper of Jack.

“Might as well,” returned the young major.  “Andy may get into trouble with Ritter, and if so we want to be on hand to help him.”

Ritter and the man were talking in a low tone, so that what was said could not be overheard.  They had stepped into the house to get out of the keen wind that had sprung up.  Andy tiptoed his way across the unfinished parlor and applied his eye to a crack where a lath was missing.  He watched until the man shoved back his soft hat and turned his face around.  Then he uttered a low cry.

“See anything, Andy?” whispered Pepper.

“That man—­he’s the same fellow—­I feel sure of it!” gasped the acrobatic youth.

“What are you talking about?”

“That man!  Don’t you remember how the horse ran away with me and I got caught in the tree and was knocked unconscious?  Don’t you remember my telling how I had seen a man ahead of me just before the accident?  Well, that is the man!”

“Are you sure?”

“I think so.  Of course, I didn’t get a very good look at him—­I had my hands full with the horse.  But I think that is the man.”

“Then maybe he robbed you, Andy!”

“Maybe he did.”

“Don’t say that unless you are sure of it,” warned Jack.  “It’s a serious accusation and may get you into trouble.”

“Oh, I know enough to go slow,” answered the acrobatic youth.

Ritter and the stranger had turned to the rear of the house and the watchers saw something passed between them.  Then, a minute later, Ritter turned and hurried off by a back way, while the stranger turned to leave by the way he had come.

Andy was undecided what to do, and while he still hesitated the man came through to the front of the house.

“Hello!” he cried, as he caught sight of the three cadets.  “What are you doing here?”

“Perhaps we might ask the same question,” returned Jack, as he saw that Andy did not know what to say.

“Have you been following me?” demanded the man, suspiciously.

“Why should we follow you?” asked Pepper.

“No reason at all, so far as I know.  I only asked the question,” and now the man tried to speak as carelessly as possible.

“I saw you come in here a few minutes ago and I followed, because I want to speak to you,” said Andy, shoving to the front and eyeing the fellow closely.

“What do you wish to speak about?”

“Haven’t I met you before?”

At these words the man started, but quickly recovered.

“I don’t think so,” he answered slowly, looking Andy straight in the eyes.  “You see, I am a stranger in Cedarville.”

“Didn’t I meet you in September, on the road back of Putnam Hall school?” asked the acrobatic youth, sharply.

“In September?” The man shook his head slowly.  “No, I wasn’t here in September—­I was in Boston.”