-had been obliterated by the feet of passing Indians.

The party sorrowfully returned from their unsuccessful search, and met
the anxious mother with heavy hearts. The night that followed was one
of sleepless agony to Mrs. Brayton. To what suffering, or dreadful
fate her little boy might be subjected, it was impossible to
conjecture, but the dark night and the lonely woods were fraught with
dangers to him and with terror to her. The absence of the father at
this critical juncture on so long and distant a journey, aggravated
the troubles and distress of the time.

Morning broke at last, and never was daylight more eagerly welcomed.
With the first dawn of light, messengers set out in all directions for
assistance, and soon the woods were astir with searching parties. The
Indian villages were examined, but the Wyandots professed entire
ignorance as to the movements of the missing boy, and joined with much
zeal in the search. The relations between the Braytons and the
Wyandots had been of the most friendly character, and there seemed to
be no possible reason for their interfering with the peace of that
family. They stated, however, that a party of Canadian Indians had
passed up the trail on the day that the boy disappeared, but could not
say whether he had been carried off by that party or not. Another
night came, and again the sorrowful mother met the dejected hunters at
her door and received no consolation. At daybreak the parties again
set out to search new tracts of country, but all without avail. Mr.
Bowe, still remembered in the neighborhood, acted as store keeper of
the party, and filled the bags of the searchers with meal as they
returned from their long expeditions. The settlers for many miles
around turned out in the exciting hunt. Days lengthened into weeks,
and then it became evident that all farther search was useless. Every
foot of territory for miles around had been examined and no trace of
the lost child could be discovered. He could scarcely have wandered
off and perished by starvation or wild beasts, for in either case some
trace would have been left. The only inference remaining was that he
had been snatched up by the party of Canadian Indians and carried off
into hopeless slavery, if not to meet a horrible death. Pursuit now
was useless, had the boy been thus carried off, and the search was
reluctantly abandoned.

Meantime Mr. Brayton had returned from his journey, and the sad
affliction that had befa