Does the premise 'His vigorous strides soon enabled him to gain upon them, and by the time he, in his turn, reached the corner the distance between them was sensibly lessened.' naturally result in the hypothesis 'He was trying to accost them.'
His vigorous strides soon enabled him to gain upon them, and by the time he, in his turn, reached the corner the distance between them was sensibly lessened.###He was trying to accost them.