"Come on. I want to be in on some of the fun."
But when the detectives arrived at the edge of the woods, they were confronted by the fact that they were ignorant of the direction to take to reach the rest of the posse.
"Perhaps they'll shout again," hazarded one of their number. Yet, though they listened intently, no further sound came from either the posse or the winner of the hundred dollars.
At the end of five minutes, the detectives were unable longer to stand the suspense.
"Hey, some of you! Come and show us the way!" halloed Higgins.
Instead of obeying, however, the countryfolk yelled for them to ride in a straight line from a clump of beeches.
Unfamiliar with the different kinds of trees, the professional man-hunters were unable to recognize the beeches and quickly made the fact known, whereupon the grizzled farmer, who had acted as guide for the others, returned to them.
After separating from his chief, Cole had laid his course so that he would come out on a little rise in front of Brett's hut between it and the field in which the Pinkertons were.
Unaware of their presence, the outlaw was mounting the elevation when the cry from the detectives came to him.