on such journeys as these, he generally carried his
father's watch, so as to "make his connections" better. The timepiece
was of great size and thickness, having been made somewhere in England a
good many years before. It ticked so loudly that it sounded like a
cricket, and would have betrayed any person in an ordinary sized room,
when there was no unusual noise. Nick's own handsome watch was too
valuable for him to carry.

The former was so heavy that it seemed to Nick, when walking with it,
that he went in a one-sided fashion. However, the lad was quite proud of
it, and perhaps took it out oftener than was necessary, especially when
he saw the eyes of others upon him.

Nick was kept in Dunbarton so long by the many errands he had to
perform, that he was fully an hour late in starting. The mare was
spirited enough to make up this time, if urged, but there was no need of
doing so, and the boy knew his father would prefer him not to push the
animal when no urgency existed.

Thus it came about that when Nick re-entered the main highway that
afternoon, and looked in the direction of the school-house, he saw
nothing of Nellie, nor indeed of any one coming from the school.

"She has gone home long ago," was his conclusion, as he allowed the mare
to drop into a brisk trot, which speedily took him to his house.

When Nick had put away the horse and rendered up his account of the
errands done, he was surprised to learn that Nellie had not yet
appeared.

"I cannot understand what keeps her," said the father, in his native
tongue; "she was never so late before."

It was plain from the mother's face and manner that she also was
anxious, for she frequently went to the gate, and, shading her eyes,
looked long and anxiously down the road, hoping that the figure of the
little girl would come to view, with some explanation of the cause for
her delay.

But the sun was low in the west, and its slanting rays brought to light
the figure of no child hurrying homeward. The single object that was
mistaken for the loved one proved to be a man on horseback, who turned
off at the forks and vanished.

"Nick, go look for your sister," said his mother, as she came back from
one of these visits to the gate; "something has happened."

The boy was glad of the order, for he was on the point of asking
permission to hunt for Nellie.

"I'll stay till I find out something," said Nick, as he donned his hat
and took a general look over himself