"
Again the necessary orders were given.
"It was right to take these steps," Rupert said, "for they may be
greater fools than I take them to be; but I think that they have
done one of two things. They have gone either up or down the river
to some place, probably not far away, where horses are in
readiness, or--or, they may be still in the town."
"Still in the town!"
"Yes," Rupert said; "they will know that we should pursue them up
and down the river; that we should scour the country round; but
they may think that we should not suspect that she is still here.
There must be lots of secure hiding places in an old town like
this; and they may well think it safer to keep her hidden here
until they force her into marriage, or wring a fabulous ransom from
you."
"We will search every house," the burgomaster said, "from cellar to
roof."
"It would be useless," Rupert said. "There must be secret hiding
places where she could be stowed away, bound and gagged perhaps,
and which you could never detect. I would lose no moment of time in
sending out horsemen to every village on either side of the river
above and below us, for a circle of twenty miles. If horsemen have
passed through, some villager or other is sure to have been awoke
by the clatter of the horses. If we get news, we must follow up the
traces wherever they go. If not, it will be strong proof that they
are still here. In any case, our pursuit all over the country will
lead them to think that we have no suspicion that she is here, and
we shall have far more chance of lighting upon a clue than if they
thought we suspected it.
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