The night passed, and the next day was far on its way to
sunset before the scouts came in with tidings. No trace of the
mysterious signalers had been found. The embers of the half-dozen fires
were discovered, but their builders were gone. The search took in miles
of territory, but it was unavailing. Not even a straggler was found. The
so-called troupe of actors, around whom suspicion centered, had been
swallowed by the capacious solitude of the hills. Riders from the
frontier posts to the south came in with the report that all was quiet
in the threatened district. Dawsbergen was lying quiescent, but with the
readiness of a skulking dog.
There was absolutely no solution to the mystery connected with the fires
on the mountain sides. Baldos was questioned privately and earnestly by
Lorry and Dangloss. His reply was simple, but it furnished food for
reflection and, at the same time, no little relief to the troubled
leaders.
"It is my belief, Mr. Lorry, that the fires were built by brigands and
not by your military foes. I have seen these fires in the north, near
Axphain, and they were invariably meant to establish communication
between separated squads of robbers, all belonging to one band. My
friends and I on more than one occasion narrowly escaped disaster by
prying into the affairs of these signalers. I take it that the squads
have been operating in the south and were brought together last night by
means of the fires.
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