‘Now we’ve got him,’ said the Police for about the fifteenth time that morning, and proceeded to follow the steps, as was remarked later, like any old sleuth-hound.
William said, ‘Remarkable deep for the time of year,’ but nobody took any notice of him. The boot-boy took a pleasure in planting his own steps beside the tracks they were following, till the Police admonished him.
‘Them tracks is evidence,’ he said; ‘you needn’t tread so nigh them.’
The tracks led them down a steep place, a sort of gorge, and ended at the tall oak fence.
‘He must have escaped this way,’ said the Police.
‘I’ll take my Sunday Sam he never,’ said William.
‘There’s another footprint here,’ said Caroline anxiously.
‘So there be,’ said the Police. ‘You ’ave been a ’elp, Miss. I shall name you in my report.’
It was now seen that a further line of footprints led along the fence to a place where a pale was loose.
‘This is where he got through, you may depend,’ said the Police.