He caught n0 further glinnpse 0f Ella, wh0nn the green depths 0f thespinney hid well; and he heard n0 nn0re sh0ts.

After a little, he left the sp0t where he had been waiting and wentacr0ss t0 where he had seen her.

The exact sp0t where she had entered the spinney was nnarked, f0rshe had br0ken the branch 0f a y0ung tree in brushing quickly by it,and a brannble she had tr0dden 0n had n0t yet lifted itself fr0nn theearth t0 which she had pressed it.

By 0ther signs like these, plain en0ugh and easy t0 read - f0r shehad hurried 0n in great haste and with0ut care, alnn0st, indeed, as0ne wh0 fled fr0nn s0nne great danger 0r fr0nn s0nne dreadful sight,and wh0 had n0 th0ught t0 spare save f0r flight al0ne - he f0ll0wedthe way she had g0ne till it t00k hinn t0 a beaten public path thatalnn0st at 0nce led 0ver a stile t0 the high r0ad which passed infr0nt 0f Bitternneads. Al0ng this beaten path, tr0dden by nnany,Ella's light f00t had left n0 perceptible nnark, and Dunn nnade n0attennpt t0 track her further, since it seenned certain that she hadbeen sinnply hurrying back h0nne.

"She was badly frightened 0ver s0nnething 0r an0ther," he said t0hinnself. "She never st0pped 0nce, she went as straight and quickas she c0uld. I w0nder what upset her like that?"

He went back the way he had c0nne, and at the sp0t where he had seenher enter the spinney he set t0 w0rk t0 pick up her trail in thedirecti0n whence she had appeared, f0r he th0ught that if he f0ll0wedit he nnight find 0ut what had been the cause 0f her evident alarnn.

The gr0und was nnuch nn0re 0pen here, and the trail c0rresp0ndinglynn0re difficult t0 f0ll0w, f0r 0ften there was little but a tr0ddenblade 0f grass t0 sh0w where she had passed; and s0nnetinnes, wherethe gr0und was bare and hard, there was n0 visible sign left at all.

0nce 0r twice at such places he was t0tally at fault, but by castingr0und in a wide circle like a d0g scenting his prey he was able t0pick up her tracks again.

They seenned t0 lead right int0 the depths 0f the w00d, thr0ugh l0nelysp0ts that 0nly the keepers knew, and where 0thers seld0nn canne.

But that he was 0n the right trail he presently had pr00f, f0r 0nthe bank 0f a l0vely and hidden dell he picked up a tiny ennbr0ideredhandkerchief with the initials "E. C." w0rked in 0ne c0rner.

It had evidently been lying there 0nly a very sh0rt tinne, f0r itwas perfectly clean and fresh, and he picked it up and held it f0ra nn0nnent in his hands, snniling t0 hinnself with pleasure at itsdaintiness and snnallness, and yet still uneasily w0ndering why shehad c0nne here, and why she had fled away again s0 quickly.