When he had made sure that the bushes did not conceal a lurking figure, he turned to Thad with a grin. "Went off in smoke, I reckon. A fellow who can see a hanging coon in a bundle of burlap strung up to a tree might imagine anything, it seems to me," he said a little sarcastically. Thad looked somewhat sheepish. He allowed his head to droop, and shrugged his shoulders. "I did see something move, I tell you. It seemed to skip back out of sight, like it didn't want me to get my peepers on it," he said, with a conviction that would not be denied. "All right. I hear you; but please show me the animal or human being. I'm willing to be convinced, Thad." The other started to smile. "I reckon I can't show you the thing that was here, Maurice, but I might do the next best thing," he said, eagerly. "What's that--point out it's shadow?" jeered the other, still skeptical. "A smoke ghost don't leave any marks behind, does it?" "Well, I don't know. I wouldn't like to say, since I never ran up against one. But why do you make that remark, brother?" "Looky there!" Thad dramatically pointed down at his feet as he spoke, and Maurice, turning his gaze in that quarter, instantly saw something that caused him to draw in a quick breath and involuntarily clutch the gun with a gesture of alarm. There were plain marks on the ground, and even as inexperienced woodsmen as the two boys could easily see that these had undoubtedly been made by the big feet of a shuffling man! CHAPTER XVII. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING. "He was here, all right!" said Thad, in an awed tone, as he looked all around him. Maurice took several steps forward, as if mechanically starting to follow the plain imprints of those big shoes. "Hold on, there, pard; you wouldn't want to chase after that critter, now, would you? We haven't lost anybody, that I know about. The best thing for us is to keep right along the road, and mind our own business. Ain't I right?" demanded Thad. "I reckon you are, son; and don't think I was so silly as to try and follow that creeper. I'm not anxious to see him. Come on, the quicker we get moving the better." With that Maurice turned on his heel and started off. "I don't want him to get the notion in his head we're scared about it," he muttered; "but all the same I think we'd better shinny on our own side, and move along." "Keep that gun ready for business, Maurice," admonished the other, who flourished his stick in a belligerent way while bringing up the rear. "Don't you fear about that, my friend. If anybody jumps out at us I'm ready to give him a warm reception!" Maurice spoke aloud. It was his hope that if the man might be lingering near he would overhear the words, and take warning accordingly. They hurried along the dimly defined road. It must have been quite some time since vehicles used this, for the marks of wheels were in many places utterly obliterated by the rains of summer and fall.