'How about the sergeant?' said Chippy. 'P'raps he's come a-creepin' arter us, to be sure we've cleared off.'
'No; I'm sure it wasn't the sergeant,' replied Dick. 'The man had a cloth cap on, and the sergeant had a flat-topped soldier's cap.'
Suddenly Chippy's eyes became round and bright, and he turned a look full of meaning upon his companion.
'Wot about a convict?' he whispered.
'By Jingo!' murmured Dick. 'There may be something in that, Chippy! Has a convict escaped? Is he trying to steal across the heath to find somewhere to hide himself? Is that it?'
Chippy said nothing, but he gave a nod of deep meaning, and the two boys stared at each other.
'We must follow 'im up,' said Chippy at last. 'Track 'im down an' see wot it means.'
'Yes, we must,' agreed Dick. 'You see, Chippy, if he is an escaped convict, he may be a very dangerous character to be at large. I've heard of them attacking lonely places to get food and clothes to help them to escape.'
'I've heerd o' that, too,' said the leader of the Ravens; 'an' some o' the h'eth folk, they live in cottages all by theirselves.'
'Yes; and suppose such a man went to a place where there was no one at home but a woman, or a woman and children?' said Dick.