for the moment. Presently they
came back, aimlessly threshing the woods and flashing their lights, but
they had lost the trail now. They were looking for a needle in a
hay-stack. Evan's only fear was that they might stumble on Charley,
but he heard no sounds from that direction that indicated they had done
so. The sounds of searching moved off to the other side of the road,
and Evan determined to go to Charley himself.

Leaving the old man with a whispered admonition to silence, Evan set
off. He found Charley where he had left him under the leafy bush.
Evan whispered in his ear:

"I found her. I am on your side now. The police are all around us.
Make no sound!"

He unbound Charley. The latter sat up and rubbed his ankles. Whatever
he thought of the new turn of affairs, he said nothing.

Evan said: "I have Deaves back here. Follow me."

Foot by foot they crept back in a course parallel to the rough road.
Hearing footsteps approach, they hugged the earth. Two men passed in
the road. One was saying:

"Send Wilson back in the car to the road house to telephone for enough
men to surround this patch of woods. You patrol the road outside."

Evan and Charley crept away through the underbrush like foxes at the
sight of the hunter.

They reached the big spruce tree without further accident. The old man
greeted them with a moan of relief. Evan and Charley drew away from
him a little while they consulted.

Evan said: "Corinna and Aunt Liza are somewhere in the woods across the
road. We had to separate. How can we get in touch with them?"

"They'll be all right," muttered Charley. "Corinna knows this place.
They're safer than we are."

"I can't leave here until I am more sure," said Evan. "Will you take
the old man and put him on the way home?"

"All right."

"How will you go? I'll have to follow you later."

"The Lafayette trolley line will be watched, and the Yonkers line stops
at one o'clock. We'll have to walk to Yonkers. Follow the road
through the woods in the other direction, and it will put you on a
regular road. Keep going in a westerly direction."

"I get you," said Evan. "Where does Corinna live?"

"What do you want to know for?" growled Charley.

"If I hear nothing from her here, I want to go to make sure she got
home all right."

"Well, I won't tell you."

"Everything is changed now. I am on your side and hers."

"I hear you say it," Charley said sullenly.

Evan's sen