“Oh, don’t!” cried Herbert.
The bullet did not touch the horse, but only the strap which held him. Joe lifted head and heels. The quick motion tore the pierced bridle through and Joe was gone, bounding over the rocks and through thickets as though on a smooth race-course.
Once or twice Herbert was given directions to walk toward the right or the left. Otherwise his captors did not speak. Black Smith had evidently accepted reproof, for he said no more about the “mountain people.”
Herbert began presently to stumble over stones and projecting roots. It was now almost dark and his head was dizzy. They seemed after a while to have stepped into a rough road, even a road upon which some work had recently been done. If so, he was not being entirely separated from the rest of mankind. Then a thought startled him. Sheldon had spoken of road-makers in connection with this mysterious paper. There evidently had been road-makers in the neighborhood. But Elizabeth could not have come as far as this!
At last, when it seemed to Herbert that he had walked almost all night, he began to hear voices, and in a moment saw a faint light. The light was darkened, apparently, by the passing of an object before it. Another man joined them, and still another.
“Sit down!” ordered Sheldon.
“Where?” asked Herbert.
Sheldon took him by the arm and guided him to what appeared to be the doorway of a cabin. He sat down, breathing uncomfortably a heavy human and canine odor which seemed to emanate from within the cabin. Sheldon whistled and Herbert felt a panting creature pass him.
“Watch him!” ordered Sheldon.
Herbert heard the sound of retreating steps, of other growls, of voices near at hand. One was a woman’s.