CHAPTER IV 

A MIDNIGHT SEARCH 

That night was destined to be an eventful one on the Rover farm. Arriving home, Sam and Tom told of the fun they had had and Dick laughed heartily. Then all three of the boys went to bed. 

About midnight came a loud shouting from the barn, followed by the report of a shotgun. This was followed by a shriek from Sarah, the cook, who was afraid that burglars had come to murder her. 

"What's that?" questioned Dick, as he hopped out of bed. 

"That's Jack Ness' gun," answered Tom. "Something must be wrong at the barn." 

"Chicken thieves again--I'll bet a new hat," said Sam. By this time Randolph Rover and his wife were up and were lighting a lamp. Without waiting for them, the boys slipped on some clothing and their shoes and ran downstairs. Dick took with him a pistol and each of the others a baseball bat. 

"Boys! boys! be careful!" shouted their uncle after them. 

"All right," returned Dick, readily. 

He was the first outside, but Sam and Tom were close upon his heels. He heard Jack Ness running to the edge of a cornfield, shouting lustily. Then came another report of the shotgun. 

"What is it, Jack?" shouted Dick. "Who are you shooting at?" 

"I'm after two men," was the hired man's reply. "They jest run into the cornfield." 

"Chicken thieves?" queried Tom. 

"I guess so--anyway they was prowlin' around the hen house an' the barn. I called an' asked 'em what they wanted and they ran for dear life--so I knew they was up to no good." 
did anyone scream?
This was followed by a shriek from Sarah