“I hope we left him behind,” said Thad, presently, when, for the fiftieth time, he turned his head to look.

“But I don’t believe we did,” replied the other instantly.  “See here, you found that other footprint; what d’ye think of this?”

“He’s been here ahead of us, as sure as you live.  Oh, look!  That little twig jumped up into place right before my very eyes.  Don’t you see what that means, Maurice?  He passed along here only a minute or so ahead of us.  That twig didn’t have time enough to get back to its position up to now.  Phew!  Perhaps he’s laying for us further on.”

“Well, what if he is?  Do we go on?”

“Well, I guess yes.  Let me carry the shooter now!” said Thad, as he reached out his eager if trembling hand.

“Oh, no!  What’s the use changing?  I’m as fresh as a daisy; and besides, that stick just fits your hand.  I’ll give him a scare if he tries to jump at us, never fear.”

“Just as you say, Maurice; only please don’t get excited and fill me up with birdshot, instead of the thief.”

“No danger, if you keep where you belong, in the rear.  There’s some pretty suspicious looking trees ahead there, on both sides of the road.  We want to watch close now, Thad.  Once we get by here, I’ve a hunch the going may be better.”

“Yes,” said Thad, whirling his shillalah around in a lively way, as a token of what he meant to do in case of an emergency.

By the time they reached the spot where the trees joined branches across the dimly defined road both boys were in somewhat of a feverish state of apprehension.  They looked at each hoary old trunk as if they believed every tree might conceal a crouching enemy, ready to leap out and attack them.

Yet, strange to say, neither of them once thought of craning their necks in order to survey what lay above.

Perhaps, had Thad done so, he might have received more or less of a shock just about that time.

“Hark!” exclaimed Maurice, pulling up.

“That was a shout, wasn’t it?” demanded his chum, his eyes seeking those of the other instantly.

“I’m dead sure it was, and not an owl,” replied Maurice.

“And it came from ahead there; didn’t you think so?”

“It certainly did.  Listen, there’s more of the same kind.  Now what d’ye make of all that?” muttered Maurice.

“Somebody’s coming this way, for I can hear the sound of running.  Say, perhaps it’s the coons he told us about, the outlaws that live in the swamp!  Mebbe the sheriff’s posse has stirred ’em up like a hornet’s nest, and they’re on the jump!”

Maurice looked annoyed.

“If that’s the case we ought to be hiding ourselves,” he declared.  “Yes, but just remember, boy, that there’s another thing bothering us just now.  What if we ran plump into the arms of that red-top who’s laying for us?”

“Well, then, let’s drop down here behind a couple of these trees.  Perhaps they’ll go past and never get a peep of us,” suggested the one who carried the double-barrel gun.