“I can’t explain now, but it is very important that we prevent their escape.”
“Burglars! We were all over to supper at wife’s folks--”
“Spies, fits the case better, sir--some rival road spite work, maybe. It’s serious, as I shall explain to you later.”
“There they are. Hey, stop!”
Two figures had cut across the lawn from the rear of the house.
“They are the same men,” declared Ralph, and both he and the paymaster put after them.
The fugitives paid no attention to the repeated demands of the paymaster to halt. They crossed a vacant field and suddenly went clear out of sight.
“They’ve dropped over the wall guarding the north tracks,” said Ralph.
“And we’ll follow!” declared Mr. Little dauntlessly.
At this point the north branch of the road ran down a steep grade and was walled in for over a thousand feet. Ralph dropped onto the cindered roadbed. Mr. Little more clumsily followed him.