it, that's what," Bobolink remarked.

"Mine are closing up right fast, I warn you, fellers," said William; "and
before long it's going to be a case of the blind leading the blind. That
branch took me across the face. Hey! ain't that the same old shout?"

"Sounds like it; but much nearer," returned Paul, with a vein of
uncertainty in his voice, as if he might be commencing to doubt whether
they were doing the right thing in paying no attention to the calls.

"Oh! I guess I know what it means," remarked Jack; "I've been trying to
make it out all along. That's sure a different voice. Some of Ted's crowd
have got separated, and they're just trying to get together again. You've
heard quail calling, after being flushed and scattered. How, Paul?"

"Perhaps you've struck it, Jack. Anyway, we are on the road here, and had
better push straight along to the pond first."

"Right enough," uttered Bobolink, as he broke through a cordon of brush,
and jumped out on the highway, though it might be only an apology for a
road after all, being scantily used; "and after that experience it's
going to be something big that drags me into the woods again."

The little group stood there for a minute to recover their wind, which
had been more or less exhausted in the last desperate push through the
dark woods.

"Ready to move on, fellows?" demanded Paul, who had apparently not
changed his mind, and was more than ever bent on covering the last lap
lying between themselves and the pond.

Jack and Wallace fell in on either side, and the march was begun. Since
the other pair did not wish to be left behind, they were forced to
accompany themselves to the movements of the trio.

Thus they walked perhaps a full hundred yards along the winding road,
with the stars showing overhead, and the black mysterious woods flanking
them on either side.

The shouts had apparently ceased; at least none had been heard since the
five lads reached open territory.

Again it was Bobolink who caught a sound of some sort.

"Tell me again I'm hearing owls, will you, fellows? If that ain't a
gasoline wagon climbing a hill ahead there I'm off my guess," he
whispered.

"Chug! chug!" came the plain sound, as the air current veered more toward
the point toward which they were heading.

"I know that hill," Paul observed, as if talking to himself; "it's just
this side of the mill pond. That means the car is coming this way. The
two gentlemen are separating themselv