"That was right up toward the road!" panted Dave Darrin, leaping
from his cot barefooted and clad only in pajamas. "Don't stop
to dress. Come on! Chase 'em!"

"Go as far as you like!" chuckled Dick, stopping to pull on his
shoes and fasten them, as did most of the others. Hazelton went
only to the doorway of the tent, but Danny Grin followed Darrin,
keeping at the latter's heels.

Prescott and Reade were hardly sixty seconds later in heading
up the slope toward the road, Greg and Harry remaining at the
camp.

As they came out from under the trees and into the road Dick discovered
that the first signs of dawn were appearing. In a few minutes
more it would be possible to see clearly over a stretch of road
more than half a mile in length. Already objects were beginning
to take shape. Dave was coming back, followed by Dan. Both were
limping slightly, for neither boy was accustomed to traveling
barefoot and both had picked up slight stone bruises in their
progress.

"Did you sight anything or anyone?" called Dick.

"No," grumbled Darrin, in deep disgust. "The odds are all against
us, anyway. The scoundrels know which way they are going; we
can only guess at their course."

"One thing looks rather certain, at any rate," yawned Dick, covering