"
As soon as the man had ridden past they leapt to their feet, and,
at a run, kept along the hedge. He had started at a brisk trot, but
when, a quarter of a mile on, they reached a gate, and looked up
the road after him, they saw to their satisfaction that the horse
had already fallen into a walk.
"He does not mean to go far from Barnet," Charlie exclaimed. "If he
had been bound farther, he would have kept on at a trot. We will
keep on behind the hedges as long as we can. If he were to look
back and see us always behind him, he might become suspicious."
They had no difficulty in keeping up with the horseman. Sometimes,
when they looked out, he was a considerable distance ahead, having
quickened his pace; but he never kept that up long, and by brisk
running, and dashing recklessly through the hedges running at right
angles to that they were following, they soon came up to him again.
Once, he had gone so far ahead that they took to the road, and
followed it until he again slackened his speed. They thus kept him
in sight till they neared Barnet.
"We can take to the road now," Harry said. "Even if he should look
round, he will think nothing of seeing two men behind him. We might
have turned into it from some by-lane.
Pages:
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414