Hopwood agreed without a word of protest and led the way into the tunnel. They were halfway through it when they were startled by a crashing in the brush ahead. Hopwood crouched and listened an instant and then motioned frantically for Scott to go back. Scott needed no second warning. The scare Hopwood had given him had shaken his nerves a little and he ran back through the tunnel like a rabbit. Hopwood was close on his heels.
“What is it?” Scott asked anxiously.
“Foster coming back.” Hopwood replied briefly. “Come.” He ran lightly to the wall of laurel beside the cabin and slowly pushed his way into it. Scott followed as close as he could but found himself no match for Hopwood at this game. Hopwood did not go far. He did not have to. A few feet in that thicket and they were completely hidden, but they could see out fairly well.
They were scarcely settled in their retreat when Foster lunged out of the tunnel into the little clearing. He was apparently in a towering rage and was mumbling savagely to himself. He looked keenly around the clearing and strode over to the cabin. From the length of time he was inside he must have made a very thorough examination. When he came out he was examining the ground for tracks. Scott thanked his stars that he was wearing tennis shoes.
Whatever the tracks were that Foster was following so carefully they led him out to the tunnel again. The two refugees breathed more freely when he was gone, but their troubles were not over. Foster was not making the noise he did when he came in and they could not tell where he was. Had he gone away or was he still in the tunnel?
They had waited five minutes and no sound came from the tunnel. The suspense was beginning to tell on them.
“I’ll sneak out and see,” Scott whispered.
“No,” Hopwood remonstrated. “Let me go. He would shoot you on sight. He would not shoot me.”
“He tried to kill you a while ago, didn’t he?” Scott asked indignantly. “He will not shoot me on sight because he is not going to see me, not if I can help it,” he mumbled to himself.
He did not wait for Hopwood to answer, but slipped as quickly and silently as he could out into the clearing. He listened intently but could hear no sound. Slowly he crawled to the tunnel and peeped into it. There was no one in sight. With one more attempt to pick up a sound he crawled cautiously in.