er Matthew, then nearly seven and a half years old, started out
to hunt up some stray cattle. They proceeded for two or three miles in
the direction of the spot where William Brayton at present lives, but
found no traces of the missing cattle. Here they met a neighbor named
Hart, who was also looking for stray cattle. Matthew had become tired,
and declared his inability to proceed any farther. After a short
consultation it was agreed that William Brayton and Hart should
proceed in search of the cattle, and that Matthew should take the path
which led to the house of Mr. Baker, about sixty rods distant, where
he could amuse himself with his young playmates until the return of
William. The two set out on their cattle hunting expedition, leaving
little Matthew to pursue his way along the narrow and ill-defined
path.

At the close of the day's search, William Brayton called at Mr.
Baker's house for his little brother. To his astonishment he learned
that Matthew had not been seen by any of the family. He then turned
his steps homeward, thinking that Matthew had changed his mind and
gone home, but on arriving there no tidings of the missing boy met
him. The alarm and apprehension that filled the breast of the mother
may be conceived. A thousand fearful thoughts flitted through her mind
in rapid succession. But no time was lost in useless grieving. The men
and women who braved the dangers of frontier life were quick to think
and prompt to act. A little party turned out at once to search for the
missing boy and restore him, if possible, to the anxious household.
From the spot where the brothers had parted, the path to Mr. Baker's
house was narrowly searched, and the marks of the child's feet were
clearly discernible. At no great distance from the commencement of the
path it was intersected by a track made by some logs recently drawn
from the woods. At this point the traces showed that Matthew had
stopped in doubt. They also showed that he had finally taken the log
track in mistake for the regular path. Up that track his little
footsteps were traced for some distance, but, after awhile, they
became fainter, and at last disappeared altogether. The woods on the
margin of the track were searched in vain for traces of his feet.

The Indian trail, before spoken of, crossed the log track near where
the footsteps became invisible, and it was possible that he had taken
that trail; but his footmarks--if he had really followed that
path-