It was the crowing of a rooster.
"If you know how hungry I am, my bird, I doubt if you'd make any noise to draw me your way." However, the crowing had given him a valuable clew, for he reasoned that the barnyard home of Mr.Rooster must be near the general buildings of a farm.

These buildings he decided to avoid.

So, when he came to a fork in the path he chose the direction that led him further from what he believed to be the location of the farm buildings.
By this time he was moving more rapidly, though striving to make no noise in moving.

Suddenly he came to a road and stopped, gasping.
"I don't want anything as public as this," Dick told himself.
"Troops use roads.

However, as I've reached the road, and want to get as far from the train as possible, I believe I'll take a look from the other side of the road.