“We can’t seem to shake him off!” complained Jack. “How about a trick?” asked Bert. “Can’t we make a spurt, get ahead of him, and then hide at one side of the path until he gets past?” “I don’t believe so,” replied Tom. “He knows this path and these woods like a book, and he’d spy out our hiding place in a minute. Besides, if we did give him the slip, he might go on until he came to our boat, and then it would be all day with us.” “How do you mean?” asked Dick. “Why he’d set it adrift, or do some damage to it so we couldn’t run it. No, the only thing to do is to keep on until we outdistance him, and then jump into the boat and make a quick getaway.” “I guess that’s right,” sighed Jack. “I’ll try to put on a little more speed, but my leg hurts like the mischief for some reason or other. I thought it was better, but I must have given it a wrench.” “Take it as easy as you can,” advised Tom, but Jack did not spare himself, and limped on. Slipping, sometimes sliding, and often stumbling, the four chums hurried along the path, with the relentless hermit coming after them. “I suppose this ends our chances of finding the treasure in the old mill,” said Bert, when they had covered nearly the remaining distance to the boat. “I don’t see why,” spoke Tom. “We won’t dare risk going there again. He’d be sure to be on the watch for us.” “Oh, I don’t know,” replied our hero. “He can’t always stay in the mill, and we may strike a time when he goes away, as we did to-day. I’m not going to give up so soon. I want to see what that treasure looks like, if it’s there. I’m going to chance it again very soon, even if you fellows don’t.” “Oh, we’ll be with you, of course,” declared Bert. “Sure,” assented Jack, and Dick nodded to show that he, too, would not desert. A turn in the path now hid the old hermit from sight, but they could still hear him coming on, muttering threats and calling them names for interfering in his search for the hidden wealth. “It seems to me he’s farther back,” spoke Tom, listening with a critical ear to the progress of the man behind them. “It does seem so,” agreed Jack. “I hope so, for I’m about all in.” They slackened their speed, and all listened intently. It was so, they could scarcely hear the approach of old Wallace now. “He’s giving up!” exclaimed Dick. “Don’t be too sure,” Tom advised them. “He may be playing a trick on us. Creeping up on us without making much noise.” “Or taking a short cut, as Skeel and those two fellows did that day,” added Bert. “Come on!” urged Jack. “We don’t want to be caught napping. Hurry, fellows!” “Oh, I think we can afford to take it a bit easy,” said Tom, who felt sorry for his roommate. There was a look of pain on Jack’s face, and it was evident that the strain was telling on him. Still he was game. “Do you think it’s safe?” asked Bert.