When they were out of sight I hastily struck a match and scrawled these words on a bit of paper:—
“Gone to shore where the Catch Me was beached.”
This brief message I pinned fast to the bark of a tree and then followed the men.
As I moved along my thoughts were busy, thinking over what I had heard. It was a surprise to me to learn that the robbery had been so perfectly planned, and that I had been dragged into it because to do so was a trick “of the trade,” whatever that might mean.
Mr. Norton and his actions were a perfect mystery to me. He had taken such pains to establish himself as my guardian, and now he seemed willing to let the whole matter drop. Of course he had not expected to be discovered as one of the robbers of the bank, but for all that I—well, I simply couldn’t understand the man.
The men moved along swiftly, and in order to keep them in sight, I had to approach quite close to them. In doing this I was injudicious, and when they suddenly halted, I nearly ran over them.
I checked myself as quickly as possible, but not before I had made considerable noise, which reached the ears of the entire party at once.
“What was that?” exclaimed Mr. Norton.
“Somebody following us!” cried Avery. “Hullo, there! who are you?” he called out, as he made a dash back.