o begin with," he said. "After
that none of us need go near the house. I will buy a basket and some
flowers from one of the peasant women who bring them in, and will take
my seat near the gate. By three o'clock Plexo will have finished his
offices in the temple, and may set out half an hour later. I shall see
at least which road he takes. Then, when you join me at dusk, one of
you can walk a mile or two along the road; the other twice as far. We
shall then see when he returns whether he has followed the road any
considerable distance or has turned off by any crossroads, and can
post ourselves on the following day so as to find out more."

"The plan is a very good one, Chebron, and we will follow it. Once we
get upon his trail I will guarantee that it will not be long before we
trace him to his goal."

Accordingly that afternoon Chebron, dressed as a peasant woman, took
his seat with a basket of flowers fifty yards from the entrance to the
house of Ptylus. At about the time he expected Plexo and his father
returned together from the temple. Half an hour later a light chariot
with two horses issued from the gate. Plexo was driving and an
attendant stood beside him. Chebron felt sure that if Plexo was going
to visit Mysa he would take the road leading into the country, and the
post he had taken up commanded a view of the point where the road
divided into three--one running straight north along the middle of the
valley, while the others bore right and left until one fell into the
great road near the river, the other into that on the side of the
valley near the hills. It was this last that Plexo took; and although
he might be going to visit acquaintances living in the many villas
scattered for miles and miles along the roadside, Chebron felt a
strong hope that he was going to Mysa's hiding-place. As soon as it
was dark he was joined by Jethro and Amuba.

"He started at three o'clock!" Chebron exclaimed as they came up to
him, "and took the road leading to the foot of the hills."

"We will go on there at once," Jethro said. "He may return before
long, and we must hurry. Do you walk quietly on, Chebron, and stop at
the point where the road ahead runs into the main road. Amuba shall
stop two miles further; I will go two miles further still. If he comes
along the road past me we will begin at that point to-morrow."

Jethro had but just reached the spot at which he proposed to wait when
he heard the sound of wheels approachi