"
"I'm afraid so, indeed; but justice can follow him even there," replied
the officer, hastening out, already satisfied that the one bare room did
not contain his quarry.
He sprang into the saddle, and the whole party galloped away in the wake
of the dogs, who had found the trail again and started off in full cry.
The party had a hard ride of some hours, the hounds never faltering or
losing the scent; but at length they were at fault. They had reached a
brook and here the trail was lost; it was sought for on both sides of the
stream for a considerable distance both up and down, then abandoned in
despair.
The wily burglar had made his steed travel the bed of the stream, which
was nowhere very deep, for several miles; then taking to the open country
again and traveling under cover of the darkness of a cloudy night, at
length, in a condition of utter exhaustion, reached a place of safety
among some of his confederates; for he had joined himself to a gang of
villains who infested that part of the country.
But "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished." Few if
any of them would escape a violent and terrible death at the last;
and--"after that the judgment"; from which none may be excused.
CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.
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