Before Luke had ceased speaking, the sound of horses’ hoofs came to our ears, telling us that some of his followers were starting out to obey his commands.
The whole gang rode rapidly down the path by which Tom and I had been conducted to the house, and which ran through the cane not more than twenty feet from our hiding-place. In a few minutes more they were galloping up and down the bayou, searching for our trail.
“We had better be moving now,” said Tom, shouldering his gun, and picking up the valise. “They’ll soon find out that we have not crossed the bayou, and then they’ll be back. The house is the safest place for us.”
Since Tom first proposed this plan I had been thinking it over, and was now ready to agree to it.
As things stood there was but one way to leave the island, and that was to cross to the opposite side, and swim the bayou. We might thus succeed in getting the start of our enemies by half a mile or more; but what would that amount to while they were on horse-back and we on foot? As Tom had said, the woods on the main land were open; there was no cane to hide in, and the dogs could see us a long distance. There were still a dozen or more of these savage brutes in the pack, and although we might dispose of half of them by a volley from our double-barrels, the others would be upon us before we could load again.
If we returned to our prison, we could barricade the doors, and bid defiance to Luke Redman and his gang. Our friends would certainly reach the island before dark—we had no fears but that they could follow our trail, in spite of the robber’s efforts to throw them off the scent, and we could hold our enemies at bay until they arrived.
I thought that a much better plan than running a race through the woods with a pack of hounds, and when Tom started for the house, I followed him.
CHAPTER XVII.
TAKING THE BACK TRACK.
We reached the edge of the cane-brake in a few minutes, and there we stopped to reconnoiter.
There was not a man, dog, or even a horse in sight; and having satisfied ourselves on this point, we sprang out of our concealment, and ran toward the cabin.