"All right. Come, on, boys," said Dick. "Goodnight, Ike."
"Good night, sah! Much erbliged!" cried the aged colored man. "Hope yo'-all dun catch dem rascals," he added earnestly.
"We'll do our best," answered Tom.
In a few seconds more the Rover boys had plunged into the woods. Here it was quite dark, and Dick took the lead, holding the lantern close to the ground, so that he might follow the trail he and his brothers had made on leaving the Dartaway. All were gratified to find that the wind had died down completely.
"I don't know how a run in the darkness will go," said Dick. "But we can try it. But I don't see how we are to steer."
"I've got my pocket compass with me," answered Sam. "That may help some. We know those towns are west of us. We can sail along until we see the lights and then go down and ask about the touring car."
"A good idea, Sam."
Skirting the swamp with only the rays from the lantern to aid them was no easy task, and once Tom slipped from a clump of rushes and went down over his ankles in soft mud.
"Hi! hi! help me out!" he yelled. "Quick, before I get in any deeper!"
