"Well," he said, "it's annoying to be shot at, and when I heard somebody running I thought I might catch the fellow off his guard. You see, I had already gone into the wood to look for him."
"But you must have known that it would have been very rash for the man who fired the shot to run noisily down the middle of the road."
"I suppose I was rather excited and didn't remember that," Foster replied.
Gordon said nothing for a few moments and Foster saw that he had been fencing with him. He had admitted that he had partly expected to be attacked, and the other knew of the danger to which he had been exposed. This was puzzling; but it was lucky the man had not asked his reasons for fearing an attack. Foster believed he had not omitted to do so from carelessness.
Then Gordon said, "I must try to find out what my men are doing. Where are you going to stop tonight?"
Foster told him and he nodded. "I know the inn and will call there as soon as I can. Leave your address if you go before I come."
He went away up the road and Foster, setting off again, had gone about a mile when he heard steps behind him. Soon after he stopped Pete came up.
"Ye're no' hurt?" he asked.
Foster said he was uninjured, and when he asked where Pete had been the latter grinned.
"Up the hill and sitting in a wet peat-hag. There was a polisman who ran better than I thought an' it wasn'a a'thegither easy getting clear o' him."