I understood now what Dean had meant by the Coltons realizing that the Lane was still open.

I ran at full speed through the scrub and bushes, through the grove, and emerged upon the Lane directly opposite the Colton estate.

The wagon--Zeb Kendrick's weir cart--was approaching.

Zeb was driving and behind him in the body of the cart were four or five young fellows whom I recognized as belonging to the "billiard room gang," an unorganized society whose members worked only occasionally but were responsible for most of the mischief and disorder in our village.

Tim Hallet, a sort of leader in that society, with the reputation of having been expelled from school three times and never keeping a job longer than a fortnight, was on the seat beside Kendrick, his back to the horse.