But she did not draw rein, and the three continued to ride up and
on. Suddenly, however, one of them showed disturbance. Mr. Sloan
was seen to turn his head sharply, and in another moment his two
companions heard him say:

"We are followed. Ride on and leave me to take a look."

Instinctively they also glanced back before obeying. They were
just rounding the top of an abrupt hill, and expected to have an
uninterrupted view of the road behind. But the masses of foliage
were as yet too thick for them to see much but the autumnal red
and yellow spread out below them.

"I hear them; I do not see them," remarked their guide. "Two
horses are approaching."

"How far are we now from the Lodge?"

"A half-hour's ride. We are just at the opening of the gully."

"You will join us soon?"

"As quickly as I make out who are on the horses behind us."

Reuther and the lawyer rode on. Her cheeks had gained a slight
flush, but otherwise she looked unmoved. He was less at ease than
she; for he had less to sustain him.

The gully, when they came to it, proved to be a formidable one. It
was not only deep but precipitous, descending with the sheerness