The snow and the dead leaves hid the sound of his fall
and the others did not notice it. As he looked up he saw their dim
forms disappearing among the bushes. He rose to his own feet, but
uttered a little cry as a ligament in his ankle sent a warning throb
of pain through his body.
It was not a wrench, only a bruise, and as he stretched his ankle a few
times the soreness went away. But the last sound made by the retreating
footsteps of his comrades had died, and their place had been taken by
those of his pursuers, who were now drawing very near.
Dick had no intention of being captured, and, turning off at a right
angle, he dropped into a gully which he encountered among some bushes.
The gully was about four feet deep and half full of snow. Dick threw
himself full length on his side, and sank down in the snow until he was
nearly covered. There he lay panting hard for a few moments, but quite
sure that he was safe from discovery. Only a long and most minute
search would be likely to reveal the dark line in the snow beneath the
overhanging bushes.
Dick's heart presently resumed its normal beat, and then he heard the
sound of voices and footsteps. Some one said:
"They went this way, sir, but they were running pretty fast."
"They'd good cause to run," said a brusque voice. "You'd a done it, too,
if you'd expected to have the bullets of a whole army barkin' at your
heels."
The footsteps came nearer, crunching on the snow, which lay deep there
among the bushes.
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