Mark then related to Mr. Chittenden more fully what he had found out as to Big Tom's plans, and added: "If I were you, Mr. Chittenden, I would say nothing about this to Grace, for it might unnecessarily alarm her. She is safe, at least, until Big Tom gets well. If I did not think so, I would not rest until I had hunted the dog down. As it is, I must be absent for a week or two, but not longer." Mark waited until nightfall, and then he, too, rode away. CHAPTER XXI THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS It was the second day after Lawrence had left the valley of La Belle, and so far nothing of interest had occurred. Lawrence and Dan were riding along side by side, when suddenly a stone struck in the road just ahead of them, causing their horses to rear and plunge. The road ran close to the bluff, and no doubt it was from the top of the bluff that the stone was thrown. A careful scrutiny of the bluff revealed nothing, and they were about to ride on, when Lawrence suddenly exclaimed: "Hold on! there's a paper wrapped around that stone." Springing from his horse, he secured the paper. It proved to be a rude scrawl, telling them they were being pursued by a hundred men, and that another hundred had been sent to head them off. "What do you think of that?" asked Lawrence, handing the scrawl to Dan. Dan deciphered it, after some trouble, and then remarked: "A hoax, probably." "It's no hoax, Dan. We may as well be prepared." "But where did the two hundred men come from?" asked Dan. "Even if those fellows who were paroled turned back, they had no arms." "It's a raiding party from the South, in all probability," answered Lawrence, "and we left just in time to miss them." "Whew! Why couldn't we have stayed a few hours longer?" "What! And fought the two hundred?" "Sure; we could have licked them easily." "Well, I am not sorry we left. I am not aching for a fight against such odds; but if they overtake us, we will show them what we can do. What puzzles me is, who gave us the warning?" "Give it up," said Dan. Harry was now called, and told what had happened. "You take Jack and Bruno and guard the rear. Don't let those fellows get close to us, without our knowing it." "No danger, as long as Bruno is alive," laughed Harry. "What about the front?" asked Dan. "We may run into those fellows who have gone to head us off." "They haven't had time to head us off yet," said Lawrence, "and before they meet us, I want to teach those fellows in the rear a lesson." The horses began to show signs of weariness, and, coming to a settler's cabin, around which grew a fine field of corn, Lawrence, concluded to halt, rest and feed the horses, and allow the men to make some coffee. There were some fine pigs running around, and two of these were slaughtered. The owner of the corn and hogs made strenuous objections to this appropriation of his property. He was a tall, gaunt mountaineer, and his face showed that he was both cunning and crafty.