Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/212

196 Robert hastily complied with the demand, for Russell and his companion might at any moment return now, and he fully understood what such a return would imply. A rope was passed through the bridles of the two horses when they had been withdrawn from their stalls, and then Robert with the end of the rope in his hand leaped quickly upon the back of Nero.

"Get right out o' here!" exclaimed Jacob, as he struck the rear horses when they passed out from the door.

The horses reared for a moment, but as Nero at once began to run they both responded to the pull upon them, and in a brief time were speeding down the road and soon had turned the bend, when the tavern and Jacob, who had remained standing upon the piazza watching the departure of his recent guest, could no longer be seen.

The night would soon be at hand, and with the oncoming darkness Robert was aware that both his own peril and his chance of escaping were increased. The shadows already were lengthening and the western sky had the deeper glow which indicated that the darkness would not long be delayed. He held his horse to the swift pace at which he was mov-