"
With redoubled interest now we resumed the chase. We had mounted a
hill and had run down into the shadows of a valley when, following
in the second car, we heard a shout from Kennedy in the first.
Halfway up the hill across the valley, he had come upon an
abandoned car. It had evidently reached its limit, the momentum of
the previous hill had carried it so far up the other, then the
driver had stopped it and let it back slowly off the road into a
clump of bushes that hid a little gully.
But that was all. There was not a sign of a person about. Whatever
had happened here had happened some hours before. We looked about.
All was Cimmerian darkness. Not a house or habitation of man or
beast was in sight, though they might not be far away.
We beat about the under-brush, but succeeded in stirring up
nothing but mosquitoes.
What were we to do? We were wasting valuable time. Where should we
go?
"I doubt whether they would have kept on the road," reasoned
Kennedy. "They must have known they would be followed. The hardest
place to follow them would be across country."
"With a lantern?" I objected. "We can't do it."
Kennedy glanced at his watch. "It will be three hours before there
is light enough to see anything by," he considered.
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