noon
Finding , after a few minutes further conversation , that he could glean no additional information the detective returned to his car and drove west toward Millsville on the assumption that the fugitives would seek escape by the railway running through that village . Only thus could he account for their turning off the main pike . The latter was now well guarded all the way to Payson ; while the Millsville road was still open . No sooner had he departed than Willie Case disappeared , nor did he answer at noon to the repeated ringing of the big , farm dinner bell . Half way between the Case farm and Millsville detective Burton saw , far ahead along the road , two figures scale a fence and disappear behind the fringing blackberry bushes which grew in tangled profusion on either side . When they came abreast of the spot he ordered the driver to stop ; but though he scanned the open field carefully he saw no sign of living thing . `` There are two men hiding behind those bushes , '' he said to his companions in a low whisper .