"
"Ah! there he is now! crossing the track."
I started in pursuit of the man, followed by my two acolytes, or
rather followed by one of them, for the other, Massol, proved
himself to be a runner of exceptional speed and endurance. In a
few moments, he had made an appreciable gain upon the fugitive.
The man noticed it, leaped over a hedge, scampered across a meadow,
and entered a thick grove. When we reached this grove, Massol was
waiting for us. He went no farther, for fear of losing us.
"Quite right, my dear friend," I said. "After such a run, our
victim must be out of wind. We will catch him now."
I examined the surroundings with the idea of proceeding alone in
the arrest of the fugitive, in order to recover my papers,
concerning which the authorities would doubtless ask many
disagreeable questions. Then I returned to my companions, and
said:
"It is all quite easy. You, Massol, take your place at the left;
you, Delivet, at the right. From there, you can observe the entire
posterior line of the bush, and he cannot escape without you seeing
him, except by that ravine, and I shall watch it. If he does not
come out voluntarily, I will enter and drive him out toward one or
the other of you.
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