“Why,—that’s—that’s one of our horses!” exclaimed Harry suddenly.
“So it is. Maybe that fellow’s been sent out to search for us. Wow, but he’s a wild-looking customer, though!”
His shaggy hair, huge, unkempt beard and ragged clothes did, indeed, give the horseman a mysterious, almost uncanny look as, with head bent down, he came riding out of the wood into the sunset light. Suddenly he raised his head and saw the two boys for the first time.
“Hey, mister!” cried young Simmons.
The next instant, with a wild cry like that of some animal, the uncouth figure wheeled his pony and dashed off into the wood from whence he had come.
“Well, what do you know about that?” gasped Persimmons, gazing after him.
“I don’t know what to make of it. He looked like a wild man; but that was one of our ponies, I’ll take my oath on that.”