“Yo-you let me alone, Dave Porter!” spluttered Merwell. He was almost out of breath, so violent had been his exertions.
Dave kept on and soon reached the low bushes. Then he saw Merwell again, this time leaping for some brushwood between two tall rocks.
“I’ve got you now!” he said, sharply. “You may as well give in!”
“Oh, Porter, please let me——” commenced Link Merwell, and then Dave’s hand caught him by the shoulder and whirled him about.
As this happened something else occurred that filled both pursued and pursuer with alarm. The grass and brushwood under their feet began to give way. Then of a sudden Link Merwell sank from sight, and Dave disappeared after him!
In the meanwhile Phil and the others kept on in the direction Nick Jasniff had taken. Twice they caught sight of the former bully of Oak Hall, but each time he was further away than before.
“You’ll not catch me!” cried Jasniff. “You might as well give up trying.” Then he dove into another section of the forest and they saw no more of him.
“What has become of Dave?” asked Phil, when he and Roger came together, a little later.
“I thought he was with you, Phil.”
“And I thought he was with you.”