Garry soon struck a bargain, and a reasonable one, and the hotel man sent one of the loungers to show him where it was.
He unshipped the canoe from its resting place, and gave it a hasty examination to determine whether or not it had sprung a leak anywhere from its long disuse. It was a well-made Kennebec canoe, however, and in sound condition.
Packing his knapsack and rifle securely in the bow, Garry took his paddle and started out straight across the river, which was not less than a quarter of a mile wide at this point.
On the other side, he beached his canoe, and taking one of the white strips he had prepared, tied it to a branch, so that it was not conspicuous but could be easily seen by anyone with whom arrangements had been made to look for it.
Then he arranged the trail signal to show that he was going down river. This consisted of three stones. On the largest stone he placed a single one, and then on the ground beside it was placed one indicating the direction he was to take.
This done, he pushed out in the river again and paddled down stream, always keeping a sharp lookout along the banks.
At intervals of a quarter of a mile or so he would beach the canoe and attach signals to guide his companions should there be need of following him.
Several times he wondered if his hunch in going to the place where the attempt to lay a railroad had been started was wise. Then he reflected that he had no stated course to pursue, hence following a hunch was the only thing left to do. He was sure of one fact, that LeBlanc had come that way. Then this was the only likely place to come.
He would hardly take a captive to the Forest Reserve; there was always the danger that he would come upon a Ranger, and this reserve was better patrolled than any other of the state woodlands, for the government and not the state exercised supervision. The Rangers here covered more ground, for Garry had been told that they were all mounted.
On the side of the river where the town lay, there was no place where one could hide out very successfully, for the timber growth there was mostly hard wood, and there was constant cutting. Straggled farms dotted that part of the country.