We're going north and the river is about twenty miles ahead
of us."
"And we're going about one mile an hour," replied Shadrack, slipping in the
mud.
It was nearly noon when they heard the sound of horses galloping along the
road toward them. They jumped into the bushes and waited breathlessly. A
few seconds later, four horsemen, each of them carrying a rifle over his
arm, went riding past.
"They're after us," said Wilson.
Tom nodded. "What do you think we'd better do? I'm for staying to the
road."
"If it wasn't so blamed muddy we could go across the fields," said
Shadrack, "but we'd get bogged again."
"The road's our one chance," added Wilson. "Let's get to work."
During the remainder of the afternoon they worked their way up along the
edge of the road, hiding in the bushes time after time. Several small
bodies of armed men passed them, and once they caught a scrap of
conversation about "Yank bridge burners." The hunt was on.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CAPTURED
"Halt there!"
The command came from behind. They whipped about and found themselves
facing a raised rifle. The man was a civilian, tall and lanky. He waved the
rifle from one to the other.
"Where're you going?" he demanded.
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