Ponies were saddled, packs lashed on, after which the party started away, the guide leading, carrying a kerosene dash-lamp to assist her in reading blazes on trees and avoiding obstructions, for the lamp had a reflector that threw a fairly strong bar of light.
Daylight must see the Overland Riders some miles from the scene of their fight with the men from Forty-three, and there must be as little trail left as possible.

For the latter reason, Joe Shafto kept to such ground as was covered with a mat of pine needles.

These, being springy, gave way under the hoofs of the horses, leaving no hoof-prints, no trail.
Of the Overland Riders only two persons observed this--Tom and Grace, for, in her brief trips with him into the woods where he, as a forester, spent much time, Grace had learned a great deal about forestry work.
No halt was made until midnight, when the forest woman reined in and directed a ray of light against a huge pine tree.
"A fresh blaze," said Tom, as he trotted up to her to see what the blaze indicated.
"A blaze with a bent arrow cut in it, the arrow smeared with dirt to make it stand out.

Clever, but what does it mean, Mrs.Shafto ?" he asked.
"It's a warnin', Cap'n." "Of what ?" "That I don't rightly know.

The arrow, I reckon, points at the danger." "Is the arrow not pointed in the direction of our old camp ?" asked Elfreda.
"Ye guessed it, Miss Briggs.