saddle a couple of
horses. You and one of the boys must go back in search of her. She
must have hung back somewhere to-day."

"Can't call to mind seeing her to-day," said the gardener.

"Not seen her to-day?"

"No, papa," said Ida. "I looked for her this morning, but I did not see
her, nor yet yesterday, nor the day before. I thought you had tied her
up somewhere."

"Never mind, father; we'll soon find her," said Rifle. "She will not
have strayed far from the track, will she, Sam?"

"I can't say, sir, now, as I've seen her for three days."

"Then you have neglected your duty, sir. You ought to have known every
one of those beasts by heart, and missed one directly. It is
disgraceful."

"Yes, sir, I'm afraid it is, but I never missed her, and I feel about
sure now that I haven't seen the poor beast since three days ago, when
you came to me and said you wanted to drive for a couple of hours, and
sent me to mind the leading cart. Next day Mr Munday Bedford, sir, was
driving all day at the rear. I was very careful. Shall I start back at
once?"

The captain was silent for a few minutes. Then turning to Ida: "Do you
think it is three days since you have seen the heifer?"

"Yes, papa; I am almost sure it is," she replied. "But have you been to
try and find her?"

"Yes, every morning; but I never for a moment imagined that she was gone
right away."

"I won't come back without her, sir," said German eagerly.

"It is of no use," he replied sternly. "We cannot wait here, perhaps
six days, for you to go back and return. No: we may find her later on
when we are going back to the port. We can't go now."

"Oh!" said Ida, piteously.

"I am very sorry, my dear, but it would be madness to stop. We must go
on."

"But couldn't you get some one else to look for her?"

"Whom shall I send?" asked the captain drily; and for the first time Ida
realised how far they were from all society, and that by the same time
next night they would be farther away still.

"I forgot," she said. "You know best."

"Let us go, father," said Norman. "We boys will find her."

The captain waved his hand and turned away, evidently very much put out
at the loss, for the mouse-coloured heifer was destined to be the chief
ornament of the dairy out at the new farm.

"I can't help it, Miss Ida," said German, deprecatingly. "I took all
the care of the poor beasts I could. I get all the blame, because I
found out she was gone,