On arriving at the green in front of my uncle's house, where we three had
agreed to meet, I found that Jacob's outfit was even less than mine. In
his grief because of his father's fate, he had thought only of his weapons
and ammunition, and by the expression on his face I knew full well he
would use them manfully if we came within striking distance of Lieutenant
Wormwood's murderers.

Sergeant Corney was equipped in much the same fashion as was I, and
immediately after my arrival he said, impatiently:

"There is no reason why we should remain here many minutes, as if tryin'
to show ourselves. It stands us in hand to strike the trail while it is
yet warm, an' by dallyin' the people will come to believe our only idee is
to look bigger'n we really are."

"It is for you to say when we shall set out," I replied, envying those of
my comrades who stood near at hand to witness the departure, and the words
had hardly more than been spoken before the old man started off at a smart
pace in the direction of the thicket where Lieutenant Wormwood's body had
so lately been found.

As a matter of course we two lads followed, I making every effort to keep
pace with him, lest those who were watching should suspect I was not as
brave as I looked, and in a few moments we had shut out from view the
houses of the settlement.

We were not long in traversing the short distance which led us to the tree
at the foot of which the officer came to his death; it can well be
understood that we did not linger many seconds in that gruesome locality.