"Take care of yourself, Tony," said James, the hostler, in a friendly tone.
"Oh, yes, I'll do that," said Tony, little dreaming how necessary the admonition was likely to prove.
"I may as well be starting too," thought Rudolph, and some ten minutes afterward he started at a walk along the road which led to Thornton.
"I'll keep on as far as the woods," he thought, "and then I'll form my plans. The boy must not escape me, for I may never have as good a chance to dispose of him again."
About two miles on began the woods to which reference has already been made. The tramp selected this as probably the best part of the road to accomplish his criminal design.
They extended for nearly a mile on either side of the road, and this was likely to facilitate his purpose.
"I'll explore a little," thought Rudolph. "I shall have plenty of time before the boy comes back."
Some forty rods from the road on the right hand side, the tramp discovered a ruined hut, which had once belonged to a recluse who had for years lived apart from his kind. This had now fallen into decay, for the former occupant had been for some time dead, and no one had been tempted to succeed him.
The general appearance of the building satisfied Rudolph that it was deserted. Impelled partly by curiosity, he explored the neighborhood of the house.