he could
strike another road to Jedburgh in three or four miles if he crossed
the heath. There seemed to be no reason why he should do so, but he
left the road and some time later came to a burn that ran down hill.

By and by a rough track began in a marish field and got smoother as it
followed the burn. Then a hedge of tall thorns, with wool-fringed gaps
between their stems where the sheep went through, ran down the
waterside, and Foster sat down on a stone and studied his map. He
thought it would take him nearly two hours to reach Jedburgh, but the
small farm Pete had spoken of was not far off. The track he was on
seemed to lead to a better road in the valley. Mist was gathering in
the hollow, but when he looked back the sky was bright and the yellow
glow rested on the hill. The evening was very calm; he heard a curlew
crying far off across the moor, and then raised his head sharply at a
quick ringing sound. There was a wire fence up the hill, which he had
got over because the rotten gate stuck fast. Somebody had stumbled in
climbing it and his foot had struck the wire.

Foster's eyes narrowed as he gazed up the track and saw two figures
come round a corner. They were too far off to be distinct, but were
walking fast. If he sat still, he would be invisible for two or three
minutes but not longer, and he quickly studied his surroundings. There
were large boulders and brambles between him and the water, and the
tall hedge offered a hiding place on the other side. It might be wiser
to get out of sight, but he would make an experiment, and dropped a few
wax matches and a London newspaper he had bought in Carlisle. The
country people did not use wax matches and London newspapers were not
common among the Border moors.

Then, moving slowly, he made for the hedge. There were only a few
bushes between him and the approaching men, but he had a good
background, into which his figure would melt, and was ready to lie down
if needful. He paused for a moment at the edge of the burn, which
spread out in a shallow that reflected the fading light. He might be
seen against the water, but something must be risked, and if the men
were looking for him, they would watch the road. Stepping into the
stream, he waded across, making as little splash as possible, and found
a hole in the hedge, through which he crawled. He was now in the
shadow and it would be difficult to distinguish him among the thick
stems.

The men w