Presently one of the constables exclaimed: "'There's the smoke, sir, right behind us.' "I looked around and, sure enough, there was a column of smoke, and a long way off it was.
"'What have you been doing, you rascal ?' I said to the black.
'There's the smoke right behind us.

You have been leading us wrong, altogether.' "The black insisted that he was right, and that the fire must have been made by the black fellows.

I didn't know what to make of it.
It was two or three minutes past six; and I noticed, when we halted before, that your watch was exactly with mine.

So I said to the men: "'We will wait five minutes longer and, if we see no other smoke, you may be sure that that is made by Captain Whitney.' "We waited the five minutes, and then I gave the word to start, when one of the men exclaimed: "'The black fellow's gone.' "Sure enough, he had slipped away without being noticed, while we were looking for the smoke.

I felt sure, now, that something must be wrong; and we galloped towards your smoke, as fast as the horses could lay their feet to the ground.