The whole party were rather depressed at the recital of their wrongs, and in a short time they rolled up in their long blankets and dropped off to sleep. CHAPTER XI. FOLLOWING THE TRAIL. Tim Murphy and Tom Dare both felt that they had only just dropped off to sleep when the bugle called them back to the cold world of men and war. The British troops were making an early start, and before the sun was over the tree-tops, the men were in the saddle and once more on the trail of their prey. The day promised to be a hot one before the sun was very high, and the troops were thankful when the road led them through brief snatches of woodland, for the shade was very grateful. They rode onward until about ten that morning, when suddenly the leaders, who were keeping a sharp lookout for signs of the fugitives, came to an abrupt halt. The road led close to the water's edge here, and something that they had seen was evidently of great interest. "Must have found a trail or some sign of the men you are after," Tom said to one of the soldiers. "I suppose if you catch those fellows Tim and I can leave you." "I don't know, but I guess the major won't hold you any longer if we have the other parties in our hands. What do you want to hurry away from us for anyhow?" "We're bound north and you fellows don't seem to be going that way," Tom replied, being careful to say nothing that would make the British soldiers suspicious. "Sure and Oi wouldn't moind travelling a bit with you, if it wasn't for the awful hours you're keepin'," said Tim, yawning. "You keep us all up all night with good stories aginst which Oi have nothing, but to rout a man from his bed of roses at such an hour as we were this very morning is positively indacent." "There go the officers," said the trooper on their right, as the little group rode past. They had been following in the company's rear, but the halt told them that something had happened up front and they were galloping up to investigate. The bright uniforms and well-fed forms impressed Tom with the great difference between these well-paid soldiers of a foreign monarch and his own struggling friends. "They make a pretty sight," he said, half to himself. "Why don't you join the regiment then?" asked one of the soldiers, who was paid a commission for securing recruits. "We all have a chance to rise, you know, and a couple of likely young fellows like yourselves ought to get along rapidly. "But if we joined," said Tim, "and ever fell into the other side's clutches, then where would we be?" "And with such capable men above us as yourself our promotion would, I'm afraid, be slow," Tom added, diplomatically. The ambitious Britisher was too much flattered by this last remark to have any good reply ready, and before he could think up any new reasons, word ran down the column to move forward. "They may have found a trail," said a Redcoat as the news sifted back through the ranks.