We were in no danger of being noticed, and in a twinkling we turned our backs, and as fast as we could we ran down the road.

Fortunately, they were thinking more of secrecy than speed, and in a minute we had doubled the distance between them and us.

In two minutes their lights were mere sparks shining in the gloom behind us.

We lost even the tramp of their feet.

Then I began to look out and go more slowly, peering into the shadows on either side for the fernstack.
On one hand the hill rose steeply, on the other it fell away to the stream.