"He's bound for home now," said Jack, "and he'll go straight there."
"If Rad did come this way," said Rufe, "he was shrewd, after all. He knew that by passing through a busy place like the Mills, he would hide his tracks as he couldn't in any other way."
"To find 'em again," Jack replied, rather gloomily, "we shall have to examine every road going out of this place."
It must have been near midnight when they entered the village. The houses were all dark and still; not a ray at a window, not even the bark of a dog, gave sign of life as they passed.
"This looks discouraging," said Jack.
"A needle in a haystack is no comparison," replied Rufe. "The lantern is almost out."
"I can get another at our house," said Jack. "We may as well follow the dog now. What did I tell you? He is going straight home!"
The dog trotted up to the gate before Mr. Lanman's cottage, and the wagon turned up after him.
"What's that ahead of us?" said Jack, as the mare came to a sudden stop.
"Seems to be a wagon standing," said Rufe, shading his eyes from the lantern and peering into the darkness.