aid probably meant more to Farmer Weeks than it could to her or any
casual listener. But, even so, there was plenty to disturb her in what
she had heard. Evidently the danger point was Jericho, and she tried
hard to remember what she had ever heard about that place. It was a
little town, she thought, not far from Hedgeville--and, then, suddenly,
she got a clue to the whole plot. She realized why the change in their
direction had worried her. They were going toward Hedgeville, back
toward the section of the country from which she and Zara had escaped
with so much difficulty on account of Farmer Weeks's vindictive pursuit.

And she remembered, too, Charlie Jamieson's warning about crossing the
state line. That, then, was what Holmes meant to do--get her into the
state where, although she did not understand exactly how, she was in
danger of being deprived of her liberty for a time at least. It would be
easy enough, in the automobile. State lines are not well marked along
country roads. Even now she might have crossed that imaginary boundary
that spelled the difference between safety and peril for her.

"Listen to me, Dolly," she whispered, when she had finished revolving
her thoughts. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm sure that
Mr. Holmes is trying to get me back to the people I had to run away from
in Hedgeville. You remember--you know what happened when we were on our
way to General Seeley's place, when that man caught Zara and carried her
off?"

Dolly nodded, greatly excited.

"So you can see that I may get into a lot of trouble, Dolly. You'll help
me, won't you?"

"Of course I will! And I'm awfully sorry for getting you into it in the
first place, Bessie."

"Don't worry about that! I'm going to forget about it. But now remember
that you must do just as I say for the next hour or so, even if you
don't understand why. I don't know yet what Mr. Holmes is going to do,
and so I can't make any plans ahead. I'll just have to try to do the
best I can to fool him when he shows his hand, and it may be that the
only way I can do it is with your help."

"I'll help you, Bessie. I won't be silly again."

CHAPTER XI

A DARING MOVE

For some time, then, Holmes drove the car in what Bessie soon saw to be
an aimless fashion. The morning was nearly done, and Bessie, used to
guessing at the time from the sun, knew that it was very near noon.
Holmes seemed to be doubling on his tracks, and to be driving in w