Meanwhile Tom Wagstaff and Jim McGovern, the two youths from New York, found themselves involved in a series of singular and stirring incidents.  
It will be admitted that they were not fond of meeting the kind of persons who brought the old stage to a standstill in the depths of Black Bear Swamp, and, when they saw an opportunity to leave, lost no time in doing so.
 
They were trembling in their seats, wondering what would be the next act of the fellow dimly seen in the gloom, when Ethan Durrell performed his brave exploit which ended in the capture of the .
 
“Now’s our chance!” whispered Jim, who saw the couple struggling on the ground; “bimeby he’ll kill that greenhorn and next the driver and then our turn will come.”
 
“If that’s so, I don’t see any use in waiting,” replied Tom, losing no time in out of the coach, and dropping to the ground in such haste that he fell forward on his hands and knees.
 
The driver and the New Englander were too much engaged at that moment to pay any to the youths, who were in such desperate haste to get away from the spot that they dashed among the trees at the risk of seriously themselves.
 
After pressing forward until they were nearly out of breath, they came to a halt in the depths of the wood for . They had managed to reach a point some distance from the highway, where they felt safe for the time.
 
“It’s lucky we were cool enough to bring our guns with us,” was the bright remark of McGovern, “or there’s no telling what might have happened.”
 
“Do you think those robbers will follow us, Jim?”
 
“Of course they will; you don’t suppose they want us to testify in court against them and have them hanged, do you?”
 
“But we didn’t see them plain enough to know them again.”
 
“That don’t make any difference,” was the brilliant reply, “for I would know that fellow’s voice among a thousand.”
 
“I guess maybe you’re right; it won’t do for us to go back to the road, for we would be sure to run against them.”
 
“No; we’ll push on through the woods till we come out somewhere. If we were only acquainted with the country we would know what to do, but there’s no saying where we’ll fetch up.”
 
At such times a person feels safer while in motion, and, though the young men had no more idea of the points of the compass than if adrift in mid-ocean, they pressed on, by their anxiety to place all the space possible between themselves and the stage-robbers, who, they believed, numbered three at least.
 
They agreed that the New Englander was the most foolish of persons in attacking the criminal, for, even if he succeeded in bearing him to the ground and overcoming him, his companions had already rallied to his help and would quickly dispatch him and the driver.
 
Jim and Tom listened for sounds of the conflict, and the fact that they heard no shouts or more reports of fire-arms did not their belief that it was all over with Lenman and Durrell.
 
The boys were still picking their way through the lonely woods when they found their feet sinking in the spongy earth and were stopped by a which grew worse at every step.
 
“It won’t do to go any farther over this road,” said Wagstaff, who was a few steps in advance, “for the water is getting deeper and I don’t believe there are any boats for us to use.”
 
The obvious course was to turn back and make an change in their route. This was done and they soon were walking over the dry leaves.
 
“Tom,” whispered his companion, who was still a few feet behind him, “somebody is following us.”
 
“You don’t say so!” exclaimed Wagstaff, stopping short and looking around in the gloom; “are you sure of that?”
 
“Listen!”
 
Both were silent. There certainly was a of the leaves behind them, which could not have been made by the wind, for hardly a breath of air stirred the branches. The violent that had so alarmed them when riding in the coach had and was succeeded by a calm that gave no sign of the flurry.
 
“It’s one of them robbers,” was the frightened reply of Tom, “and he’s after us sure enough.”
 
“You’re right; what shall we do?”
 
“How would it work to climb a tree?”
 
“What good would that do?” was the sensible question of Jim.
 
“He wouldn’t know where we were, and by and by would give up the hunt.”
 
“That won’t work. Why, Tom, I forgot; we’ve got our guns and they’re loaded; why not use them?”
 
“That’s so. I didn’t think of that, but we must look out that he don’t get in the first shot, I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” added Tom, stepping so close to his friend that his mouth almost touched his ear; “you walk around back of him, so as ............