It was a fine, clear morning and promised to be quite warm by noon.  But Clint and Amy snuggled down into the seat and presented as small a portion of their anatomies as was possible to the fresh morning breeze that rushed by them.  They passed the first sign-post and the second and the first farm they had seen, but after that the road was quite unfamiliar since they had travelled over it in the dark.  The car whisked along at an even thirty-mile speed until, shortly after the farm-house was passed, Clint suggested that as neither he nor Amy were certain as to the location of the hut the car proceed more slowly.  After that a careful look-out was kept.  No one in the car could recall a hut of any sort along the road, and, when they had travelled at least eight miles from Wharton without finding it, Chief Carey showed signs of impatience.  The car was stopped and a consultation was held.  The boys reiterated their statement that the hut, to the best of their knowledge, was between four and six miles from Wharton.  Finally it was decided that they should turn around and go back slowly in order that the boys could identify the spot where the automobile had met its mishap the afternoon before.  Clint was not at all certain that he would know the place when he saw it again, but Amy stoutly asserted that he would recognise it at once.  And he did.

There, finally, was the quick turn in the road and beyond, still plainly visible, the tracks of the auto in the looser soil and turf of the bank and meadow.

“There’s the tree we ran into,” pointed out Amy, “and there’s the field we went across.  Now let’s see.  We found a stream there; you can see it, can’t you?  Then we followed along this side of it and up that sort of hill—­”

But beyond that he couldn’t trace their wanderings.  Woods and pastures ran into each other confusingly.  One thing was explained, however, or, rather, two things; why they didn’t find the trolley line and why they didn’t succeed in reaching the road again.  The trolley line, the chauffeur explained, was more than a mile distant, and the road ahead of them turned widely to the left just beyond.  They had, consequently, roamed over a stretch of country at least two miles broad between dirt road and railroad.  When they went on, which they did very slowly, all hands peered intently along the right side of the highway.  They had proceeded possibly three-quarters of a mile when one of the officers called out and the car stopped.

“I think I saw it,” he said.  “Anyway, there’s something there.  Back up a little, Tom.”  The chauffeur obeyed and the quest was at an end.  There was the hut, but so hidden by young oak trees with russet leaves still hanging that only from one point was it noticeable.  Out they all piled.

“Now,” said the Chief, “you boys get in there and stand just where you did last night and then come out and indicate about where those fellows dug—­if they did dig.”