Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/215

Rh ceive a rude path or roadway leading into the woods by his side, and suddenly he resolved to follow it. He was in need of rest himself, and his horse was even more wearied than he. In the early light of the morning he would be able to resume his journey, and would have less to fear because he would be in better condition, he assured himself, and resolutely he at once acted upon the impulse.

He had advanced not more than two hundred yards into the woods when he perceived the outlines of a rude building before him, and instantly he halted and peered intently at the structure. Not a light was to be seen near or within it, and not a sound broke in upon the stillness of the summer night. Dismounting, he tied Nero's bridle to the projecting limb of a tree and cautiously advanced on foot, but he had not gone far before he was convinced that the building was unoccupied, and yet it seemed strange to him that such a structure should be found in the woods.

More boldly he advanced now, and entering through the open doorway he discovered that there were two bunks on one side of the room, but he was not able to see that they had been used recently. He concluded that the building had been erected to serve as a shelter