"Good night, Ike." "Good night, sah! Much erbliged!" cried the aged colored man.

"Hope yo'-all dun catch dem rascals," he added earnestly.
"We'll do our best," answered Tom.
In a few seconds more the Rover boys had plunged into the woods.

Here it was quite dark, and Dick took the lead, holding the lantern close to the ground, so that he might follow the trail he and his brothers had made on leaving the _Dartaway_.

All were gratified to find that the wind had died down completely.
"I don't know how a run in the darkness will go," said Dick.

"But we can try it.