Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/80

64 the men he had left behind him at the hut. And Nero was doing his very best to aid him.

Leaping over the obstacles before him, occasionally swerving from the direct course, and yet bounding down the hillside, the sure-footed beast kept on his way. Leaning upon his horse's neck and occasionally glancing behind him to make sure that his enemies were not close in pursuit, Robert drew near to the place where he would turn into the road. Suddenly he heard from the hillside in his rear the sound of two shots fired in rapid succession. He quickly sat erect and peered keenly all about him. It was evident at once that he had not been the target, for the sounds indicated that the pistols had been discharged at a considerable distance from where he then was. There was but one conclusion to be formed, and that was that a signal of some kind had been given, and in that event it was plain to him that men must be in waiting somewhere near. The most natural place would be at the junction of the path and the road, and he instantly checked the speed of his horse while he endeavored to decide what was best for him to do. He did not know whether or not Brown and Russell had horses at their command. Russell had ridden Nero,