Part 3 (1/2)
”If Benson leads the way around to here there may be trouble,” he et out and head hiet out, how shall I turn to find the trail ere pursuing? In this darkness a fellow couldn't see his hand before his face”
At last Fetter threw hi Gilroy and Potts still conversing earnestly by the fire The two desperadoes talked in a low tone, so that Joe now caught but little of as said
The backs of both men were turned toward the side of the cave where Joe was in hiding; and, plucking up courage, the youth started forward on tiptoe, bent upon getting out of the cave before the men should make some move which would expose him
Step by step he advanced, until he reached a point where he ithin a dozen feet of Gilroy and almost as close to Potts He hardly dared to breathe, and his heart thumped madly beneath his jacket But the men continued to smoke and talk, unconscious of his proximity
At the entrance to the cave the rocks were soh and theforward rapidly, when one foot slipped, and he pitched headlong,considerable noise
”What was that?” cried Matt Gilroy, and leaped to his feet He had been gazing into the fire, and for the moment could make out little in the darkness
”I don't know,” returned Nat Potts ”Soer man reached for his pistol, which still re to his feet A good bit of his wind had been knocked out of him, but he felt that hefor breath
”Hi! stop!” roared Matt Gilroy, catching sight of him at last ”Stop, I tell you!”
”A boy!” ejaculated Nat Potts ”Hein here!”
”If he was he overheard too rowled Gilroy ”Come, we must catch hi
CHAPTER IV
LOST IN THE FOREST
”I ht which surged through Joe Moore's brain as he dashed from the cave in the o hard with him Did the desperadoes learn that he had overheard their conversation, they ht make his very life pay the forfeit
Forward he pitched, into the rain and the inky darkness, not knowing in what direction and just then caring but little His one idea was to put distance between himself and his pursuers
”Stop!” he heard theof a pistol ha low, continued to move on No shot came, for the reason that the desperadoes could not locate hith Joe reached a cluht have run into thelided around the into a broad belt of timber
Still with his hands before hirowth and between the stately trees for a distance of several hundred feet
He was now exhausted with running and with fighting the entangling vines, and had to halt to catch his breath As he came to a stop he listened attentively, to learn if the , but the downpour of rain drowned out every other sound
Soaked to the skin, hatless, and still short of breath, he went on once h from the cave for safety
He tried to steer a course in the direction of the cave where he had left Darry and the old scout, but whether he was successful or not he could not tell
A hundred yards further and Joe carass Down this he rolled in the darkness, to bring up in more brush below Then he cli a large fallen tree, sat down to rest and think over his situation The tree lay partly under one ide-spreading branches, so the boy was somewhat sheltered from the storm
It must be confessed that Joe's heart sank within him as he reviewed the situation Where he was he could not tell, nor could he for his cousin and old Benson More than this, he was afraid that the desperadoes ht come up at any minute and pounce upon him