A month and more had elapsed since Bob Yancy's trial.

Just two days later man and boy disappeared from Scratch Hill.

This had served to rouse Murrell to the need of immediate action, but he found, where Yancy was concerned, Scratch Hill could keep a secret, while Crenshaw's mouth was closed on any word that might throw light on the plans of his friend.
"It's plain to my mind, Captain, that Bladen will never get the boy.
I reckon Bob's gone into hiding with him," said the merchant, with spacious candor.
The fugitives had not gone into hiding, however; they had traversed the state from east to west, and Murrell was soon on their trail and pressing forward in pursuit.

Reaching the mountains, he heard of them first as ten days ahead of him and bound for west Tennessee, the ten days dwindled to a week, the week became five days, the five days three; and now as he emerged from the last range of hills he caught sight of them.

They were half a mile distant perhaps, but he was certain that the man and boy he saw pass about a turn in the road were the man and boy he had been following for a month.
He was not mistaken.