"No," grumbled the man. "He is a slippery fellow, and is giving us a lot of trouble; but we will have him yet. We are working right through the wood, and we must be driving him before us, and when he gets to the other side——"
"He will bolt," said Ralph.
But the man smiled grimly.
"Into our arms. We have four men stationed keeping watch there. No, we shall have him yet. You have not seen him?"
"There was a man in that little hollow, the other end of this path. I saw him there," said Ralph, with perfect truthfulness.
"Which hollow? The one to the right?" said the man quickly.
And Ralph nodded.
"Ah, we have looked there! He has bolted. Then we are right on his track. Stop a minute, though. That old tree looks a likely place. Here, give us a hand, boy! I will lift you, and you look in. Can you see anything?"
And he lifted Ralph, and helped him to scramble up, and peer down into the hollow depths of the old oak.