He could only guess whether they believed that their shots had done their work.
While he was waiting the moon rose.
As the sky was perfectly clear the land became almost as light as day.
Nick at last got up cautiously and went to his horse.
The animal had fallen at the side of the road, and so was out of the way of anyone passing.
Nick took off the saddle and bridle and hid them in the bushes near.
“I’ll pay for the horse,” he thought, “but there’s no sense in giving the saddle to the first thief who comes along.”
He went back to the spot from which the shots had been fired, and lit up the place with his pocket lantern.
If the scoundrels had accidentally dropped anything that could serve as a clew, the detective would have found it.