in
the ditch, and crept along until he, too, gained the woods.

Running in the soft stuff at the side, pausing to listen, and running
ahead again, Evan continued to follow Charley by the sound of his
nervous steps on the hard road. The road turned slightly, and the
lights behind them passed out of sight. The tall trees pressed close
on either hand, and it was as dark below as in a cavern.

The steps ceased. Evan paused, listening. Had Charley stopped, or had
he, too, taken to the soft stuff? They re-commenced, grew louder, he
was coming back! Evan hastily withdrew close under the bushes at the
side. Charley passed him at five yards distance. In the stillness
Evan could even hear his agitated breathing. In a queer way Evan felt
for him. It was no joke to fancy one's self followed on such a road at
such an hour. He showed pluck in thus boldly venturing back.

Evan was obliged to take into account the possibility that this whole
excursion up the dark road might be a feint. He dared not let Charley
out of sight and hearing. He followed him back to the turn in the
road, still creeping in the soft stuff. From this point Charley's
figure was outlined against the twinkling lights of the trolley
terminus, and Evan waited to see what he would do.

Charley went back to the edge of the woods: stopped, listened, walked
back and forth a few times, then returned towards Evan, but now, like
the other man, taking care to muffle his steps in the grass alongside.
Evan could only see him at moments now. He was on Evan's side of the
road. Evan drew back under a thick bush.

Charley came creeping along, bent almost double with the primordial
instinct of concealment. He paused to listen so close to Evan that the
latter, squatting under his bush, could have reached out and touched
Charley's foot. Evan breathed from the top of his lungs, wondering
that the beating of his heart did not betray him. He heard Charley's
breath come in uneven little jerks.

For seconds Charley stood there. Was it possible he knew an enemy was
near? Evan could make out his head turning this way and that. The
tension was hard on nerves. Though he lay as still as a snake it
seemed incredible to Evan that Charley did not feel his nearness.

Finally he went on, and a soft, blessed breath of relief escaped Evan.

He gave him ten yards and started to follow. Charley was on the alert
now; very well, he must be twice as alert and beat him at h