The chill and panic now were the reaction from the previous strain.
For when the sound of his pursuers' voices broke upon his ears early in the evening, Ralph shook no more; the warm blood set back again toward the extremities, and his self-control returned when he needed it.

He gathered some stones about him, as the only weapons of defense at hand.
The mob was on the cliff above.

But he thought that he heard footsteps in the bed of the creek below.

If this were so, there could be no doubt that his hiding-place was suspected.
"O Hank!" shouted Bud from the top of the cliff to some one in the creek below, "be sure to look at the Spring-in-rock--I think he's there." This hint was not lost on Ralph, who speedily changed his quarters by climbing up to a secluded, shelf-like ledge above the spring.

He was none too soon, for Pete Jones and Hank Banta were soon looking all around the spring for him, while he held a twenty-pound stone over their heads ready to drop upon them in case they should think of looking on the ledge above.
When the crowd were gone Ralph knew that one road was open to him.