Under his directions a guard was also set over the boat, with orders to remain in hiding, but constantly ready to spring upon the hunted party, in case he should manage to elude the main body, and make his way to the secret hiding-place of his boat, with the intention of fleeing from the swamp.
And when all these little arrangements had been completed, Tom Smith passed to the other side of the sedge grass, and showed them what seemed to be a sure-enough trail, leading directly into the scrub, and undoubtedly only recently made.
“Wait up for just a minute or so, will you, Tom?” said Thad; and while the boy did not go further in order to explain what he wished to do, when the other scouts saw him move hastily along, and drop down on his hands and knees beside the trail, somehow they just seemed to instinctively guess what was in his mind and heart.
Thad was looking for the track of little feet there; such as would betray the fact that a child had accompanied the man when he passed to and fro from the boat to the secret hiding-place!
All of them fairly held their breath while waiting to hear the result of the scout-master’s investigation. They knew what his ability was in the line of reading “signs,” and felt no hesitation about believing that if any one present could discover the impression of the girl’s shoes in the soil, Thad would.
He got up presently, and those who had seen him almost tenderly touch the ground in certain places with his hand, knew before he said a word that his search had certainly met with abundant success.
“Yes, he has the girl along with him,” Thad went on to say, softly, noticing the anxious faces of his chums; “and so far as that goes, the story that was sent up North was true. But then, we will have to wait a little before we know whether she is really his daughter or—little Polly!” and his voice was very tender as he just softly breathed that name which had been almost constantly in his mind of late.
The sheriff had drawn near the guide, and seemed desirous of learning something more about the expected hiding-place of the fugitive from justice; and thus having his hands doubly strengthened for the anticipated fray.
“Tell us a leetle more about it, Tom,” he urged; “how did ye ever come to think Jasper he’d be a keepin’ undeh cover heah; and what does it look like? We-all ain’t agoin’ to get a chanct to talk agin, I reckons, an’ let it all be said an’ done now.”
The guide did not seem to be unwilling to rest a bit before starting out on the last leg of the “closing-in” process. And no doubt he quite agreed with the sheriff in what the other said about the man who was forewarned being doubly armed.