hums had started in to see what they
could do toward finding Colon. As usual they looked to Fred to do pretty
much all the planning. Somehow, in times like this, when boys are
called upon to meet a sudden emergency, they naturally turn toward the
strongest spirit. In this case it happened to be Fred.

"Now, in the beginning, fellows," he remarked, when he found that only
Corney, Sid Wells, Bristles, and Semi-Colon were gathered around him;
"we've got to go into this thing with some show of system."

"That's right," admitted Corney.

"Too many already just prancing around," observed Bristles, scornfully;
"up one road, and down another, peekin' into barns, and asking questions
of every farmer around. All that's what we call 'wasted endeavor,' at
school. Fred, system is the thing. But just where do we make a proper
start, so as to cover the field, and not go over the same ground twice?"

"That's just it," replied the other; "we want to map out our course
beforehand, and then stick to it. Now, to begin with, Bristles, let's
decide which way Colon would have gone from your house, if he had really
made up his mind that he must have a last two mile practice spin before
he went home, and to bed."

"Say, I can tell you that right off the reel," declared Bristles,
officiously.

"Then get busy," remarked Corney.

"Why, you see," said Bristles, "when he talked of doing that little
stunt, he said he'd a good notion to run up to the graveyard and back,
which would make an even two miles."

"But you didn't say anything about that before?" Fred objected.

"Clean slipped my mind," his chum admitted, frankly; "fact is, I never
thought it made the least difference what Colon _said_. The main thing
seemed to be he was gone, like the ground had opened and swallowed him.
But if he took that run, Fred, make up your mind it was up there."

Corney gave a little whistle.

"Gee! the loneliest old road inside of ten miles around Riverport, too.
I guess old Colon must have been wanting to give them fellers the best
chance ever. If he'd been offered a prize to accommodate 'em, he
couldn't have hit the bulls-eye better."

"Then that's the road we want to take," said Fred, decisively. "Don't
mention it to anybody, but come along. Somebody who knows all the quirks
of that road better than I do, lead off. And every fellow keep on the
lookout, right and left, for signs."

So they hurried away toward the house where the Carpenters lived.