“It is all curious, Jim, but I have hopes that we may penetrate the mystery before long.”
All this time the two men were carefully making their way toward the lake, both of them constantly gazing about them to discover any signs of danger. Inwood saw nothing, and was about to congratulate himself upon the secrecy which had attended their entrance into this strange section, when Jim suddenly started.
He pointed a little to the right of the lake; but, as Inwood followed the direction of his finger, he saw nothing, and so he said.
“He jest now dropped down--right dere--let’s foller him up,” exclaimed the negro, dashing straight at the spot, while Inwood speedily followed him, hardly certain whether he was acting prudently or not in doing so.
All the time they kept their eyes fixed upon the point, and the nature of the ground being such that the stranger could not escape without being seen, they were confident of either catching or identifying him. Jim made good progress despite his ungainly manner of traveling, and, in a few minutes, he came upon the place, which consisted of a small rock raised about a foot above the surface. Dashing forward, he made a spring over it, his immense feet coming down simultaneously and tremendously.
“_Dere, I got you! hold still now, for you is fast!_”
Inwood laughed at the look of his sable friend, as he gazed about him, as if he did not understand the meaning of all this.
“Gracious! I don’t know; wonder if I didn’t mash him down into de ground,” he said, stepping to one side and reviewing the huge footprints which he had made in the sod. “He ain’t dere! wonder where he went?”
“I suspect he hasn’t been there at all. You must have been mistaken, Jim. Are there any other footprints?”
After strict search they failed to find any, and Inwood was satisfied of Jim’s mistake, although the latter was loth to admit it.
“Now,” said Inwood, “I am going to find out all I can about matters and things. If you choose you can go home, or you can remain here.”
“If it’s all de same to you, I tinks I’ll retire,” said Jim, displaying considerable eagerness to get out of the immediate neighborhood. Inwood watched him until he disappeared from view as he went crouching among the rocks and hills back to his hiding place.