“And so are Margie and Lucy,” said Teddy. “The girls ought to come first. If they have really disappeared, I think we should—”

He was interrupted by a loud voice shouting:

“Get out of there! Get out of my meadow! Get out!”

48

CHAPTER VI FATTY NOLAN

FATTY NOLAN

Teddy Benson and his two chums were so surprised, for a moment, at hearing the ordering voice that they made no move to obey. They assumed, of course, the order was for them. Though it was the first time they had ever been told to get out of Mr. Mason’s meadow. But the voice cried again:

Teddy Benson

“Get out, I tell you! I don’t want you in my meadow spoiling the fodder. Next I know you’ll be eating all my corn and beans! Get out before I get my gun!”

“Say, he can’t mean us!” exclaimed Teddy. “Mr. Mason wouldn’t talk that way to us.”

“Besides,” added Joe. “We aren’t hurting his meadow fodder.”

“And we surely aren’t going to eat his49 corn and beans,” said Dick. “What’s he mean—talking about getting his gun?”

49

“I have it!” suddenly exclaimed Teddy. “Mr. Mason must mean the mysterious deer. He’s trying to drive the deer away. They eat garden crops, you know.”

“But is this Mr. Mason?” asked Joe.

The boys learned, a few seconds later, that it was Mr. Mason, owner of the meadow, who had been so angrily shouting. They saw him as they walked up out of a little hollow to the top of a small hill. They also saw the farmer throwing stones at some object they could not see.

“It must be the deer,” said Teddy.

Just then Mr. Mason turned and caught sight of the three boys. He walked toward them, asking:

“Is that your deer that’s been running around my meadow?”

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