g of them, but that proves nothing--they may be at the farm and in
bed by this time." But in an aside he whispered to the doctor, "I don't
like Oscar's scream, though;" and the doctor shook his head, as over an
obstinate patient, when he scarcely knew what to do with him.

"Do you take the lantern, Sam," went on the surgeon to the carter, "and
search about for them. Of course, even give the Ugly Leap a call, and
make inquiry for them; and when I've played the polite man, and seen the
doctor well on his way with these young ladies, I'll join you--two heads
are better than one even in the matter of looking up two boys that we're
not sure are lost on a snowy night."

With this, Sam marched off with the lantern, and Carlo with him, as if
he understood the plan of operation, and that the lads were missing, and
he must play his part in finding them.

"Better walk, dears; 'twill stir your blood," said Dr. Willett at
starting; and so they did for a time, but before they reached the farm
they were glad to be carried, like two small over-done children as they
were.

By the time they had reached the foot of the Tor the snow clouds had
quite cleared, and the moon shone. Ah! upon what were those pale beams
falling on those snowy heights? Not upon Dick, for when the party
reached the farm they found that he was there, safe in bed, after being
held almost a prisoner by Mrs. Grant. "You see, sir, he was that mad to
be off again, when he heard you and Mr. Barlow had started for the Tor,
that I had to shake some sense into him, and put him to bed--the best
place for him, too, for he was ready to drop," so the housekeeper told
her master. Mr. Gregory, too, had just arrived to make inquiries for his
two missing ones, so the three doctors turned into the snowy night
again, to follow in Sam's and Carlo's wake, and hear of what success
they had met with in their search.

None; nothing; nobody: this was Sam's three-worded account of his
failure--for it was failure--while Carlo hung his head, dropped his tail
forlornly, and whined like a dog baffled.

He, Sam, had been to the Ugly Leap, and beat about everywhere he could
think of, but could find no trace of the boy. All the dreary round he
and the two doctors went again; all the long night they were out in the
snow; but it was a fruitless quest--they were fain to return home in the
grey light of the morning, with only this bare certainty, that Oscar was
lost--to them at least. Dr. Willett