No reply was made by the moonlighters; but the horses were urged to still greater speed, and the race had begun. "Don't drive so fast!" said Ralph, believing the time had come for him to act in George's behalf. "Why not?" asked Jim, coolly. "They'll overhaul us if we don't put on all steam." "And what if they do? This is Harnett's team, and there is no reason why we should run away." "What about all these things that are in here?" "There is nothing here but what we have a perfect right to carry, and I know that George will be angry by running away from the officers with his team, which is probably well known. We seem to be doing something which we have no right to do," said Ralph, sternly, at the same time that he endeavored to get possession of the reins. "Look out! Don't make a fool of yourself!" cried Jim, sharply. And he urged the horses on until he had worked them up into such a state that it required all his strength to hold them. To have attempted to seize the reins then would simply have been to capsize the buggy, for the road was so rough that the least deviation from the beaten track, at the pace the horses were then going, would have been fatal, and Ralph was obliged to acquiesce in the flight by remaining perfectly quiet. On the horses dashed as if bent on the destruction of the carriage. Behind could be heard the clatter of hoofs, as the pursuers did their best to overtake the violators of the law, and in the advance was the carriage, with its deadly load, that the least concussion would liberate in all its dreadful power. CHAPTER X. THE RETURN. In the excitement of the flight, and the sorrow caused by the thought of the injury which was being done his friend, in which he was forced, unwillingly, to take part, Ralph almost entirely forgot the dangerous load in advance, until an exclamation of triumph from Jim caused him to look ahead, when he discovered that Bob was no longer in sight. Ralph was almost certain that they had just passed the road that led to the new camp, and equally positive that Bob had driven in at that point, but there was nothing to show that the torpedo-wagon had been driven in there, and Jim was too much occupied with his efforts to keep in advance of his pursuers to answer a question, or even to speak. George's horses, of whom he was so fond that he would never allow them to be forced to full speed, were urged by both whip and word until they could no longer trot, but were running madly on, while the light carriage swayed from one side of the road to the other, until it seemed certain it would be overturned. Ralph was powerless to prevent such use of his friend's property, but he entered his protest against it by saying: