Part 32 (1/2)
After he had gone the auctioneers procured another horse and wagon from the tavern-keeper and also a couple of lanterns The mountaineer had aon foot
They traveled the road by which the young auctioneers had coe was situated in a small open spot, and nohen they once more found themselves between the mountains, they were enveloped in a darkness which the rays of the lanterns scarcely dispersed
They traveled along as rapidly as possible, and inside of half an hour came to a fork in the road which Matt had had in mind since the discovery of their round here,” he said ”It is more than likely he branched off here”
He was soon hard at work, and all of the others with hion track they had folloas very plainly to be seen, and now Matt saw, at a spot which was covered with loose stones, where the thief had branched off with his stolen outfit
”That is the road he took,” he announced to the others ”Had we followed hiht up to hiht one?” questioned the erly
”I believe it is”
”Then I'm off fer the reward!” shouted the brawny fellow ”Git up, Bones!” and he slapped the mule with the flat of his hand, and was off without another word
”Raruo any further”
And he turned on his heel and started back for the village, followed by le man to race after the e their fresh horse forward But the as now even darker than before and also rougher, and it ith difficulty that the wagon
”I don't believe he went very far on this road,” said Matt, bringing the horse to a halt ”I a down froround,in front of the horse It ell that he did so, for hardly had he advanced a hundred feet than he uttered a cry and ca forward through the gloom
”He turned off here and went into the brush on the left Don't you see the tracks?”
”But there is no road through the brush He would lose his way and get caught a the rocks further back”
”I have an idea that he drove away in here to hide the wagon,”
suddenly cried Matt ”He could very well do that, you know, and then ride off on horseback to soht”
”By the boots, I believe you are right!” returned Andy ”Why, of course that is just what he has done! How stupid of us not to think of that before”
”I hope the wagon is still O K,” went on Matt ”It would be hard work to get a spring fixed in this out-of-the-way place”
”Well, we o ahead on foot”