He stood erect, a tense, tall figure, alarmed, but not afraid.

His eyes searched the thickets, but saw nothing.

The slight movement of the bushes was made by the wind, and no other sound reached his ears.
But he might be mistaken after all! The most convincing premonitions were sometimes wrong! He would give Tom ten minutes more, and he sank down in a crouching position, where he would offer the least target for the eye.
The appointed time passed, and neither sight nor sound revealed any sign of Tom Ross.

Then Henry awakened Shif'less Sol, and whispered to him all that he had seen.
"Whatever took Jim and Paul has took him," whispered the shiftless one at once.
Henry nodded.
"An' we're bound to look for him right now," continued Shif'less Sol.
"Yes," said Henry, "but we must stay together.

If we follow the others, Sol, we must follow 'em together." "It would be safer," said Sol.