retained his hold on his bludgeon.
The dust cloud was coming nearer.

From the elevation of his perch in a tree Dick soon discovered and announced: "It's a horse and wagon coming this way." "Maybe it's the officers returning from the hunt," suggested Reade, who was on a lower limb of the next tree.
"There's only one man in the wagon, and he's whipping up the horse," Dick announced.
"There are good enough reasons for the man wanting his horse to hurry," chuckled Danny.
"Maybe the dog is in pursuit now," hinted Darrin.
Dick, who had the best view of the road to the westward, peered carefully.
"I don't see anything to suggest a pursuing dog," Prescott made answer.

"If the dog is near, he must be running under the trees along the side of the road." Greg climbed up beside his leader.
"Why, that man has stopped whipping the horse," young Holmes declared.
"And is lighting his pipe.

That doesn't look as though he were very much scared about anything." "We'll stay where we are until we've talked with the man," Dick decided.
Just before reaching the other end of the covered bridge the driver, a farmer, and with what looked like a light load of farm produce in the body of the wagon, slowed his horse down to a walk, at which gait he drove over the bridge.

Then, sighting the boys up in the trees, and each with a club, he reined up.
"Hello, boys!" he called drawlingly.