It is easy to lead a fool a chase."
The next morning Richard Wood was early awake, and, while all the rest
were apparently asleep, he, in his turn, stole forth to look about him.
"I trust not these knave Saxons entirely," he said to himself. "Though
we all ride together now, they will seek to outwit us at the end, and
gain the reward for themselves."
He had not gone far when he came upon the evidences of a recent passage
along that way, and, in great excitement, he returned to the camp and
roused up his followers, and, incidentally, the two Saxons. "Lie not
here sleeping," he said, "when we be close on the trail. Let us be off
speedily!" His men rose eagerly, and the Saxons also seemed to be
stirred up at his words. And very soon, after half a breakfast, they
all mounted and rode off, Richard Wood keeping in the advance. Soon he
struck the trail blazed the night before by Bernulf, and eagerly he
followed it, though he was obliged to do so slowly; for the trail went
on ahead for three miles, then doubled, then zigzagged, then went
straight east three miles, and bent round till it went due west again.
Pages:
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219