e woods in the hope of being the lucky ones to
find the missing boy.

The chief of police and his party had gone off in an altogether different
direction.

"How long can we keep this up, Paul?" asked Jack, when they had been
moving on for two hours, with no end in sight.

"Don't know, but we ought to be able to put our best foot forward just
as long as that little fellow does, don't you think?" replied the other,
reproachfully.

"Why, of course, and don't think I'm showing the white feather so early
in the game. I've made up my mind never to go back until he's found. Why,
we can camp right in the woods if it comes to it. And that would be a
bully experience for every Fox in the bunch. Think of having to make beds
out of branches! Ain't I glad some of us brought our camp hatchets
along."

"And Jack, it would leave us in a good position to take up the hunt again
in the morning; for you see we'd be right on the ground where the little
chap passed along. Suppose you call out again. He might hear, and
answer."

Jack obeyed, and repeated the name of Willie in a loud voice again and
again. But only the echoes of the great woods answered. If the boy were
within reach of that cheery hail he must be wrapped in the sleep of
exhaustion, and unable to reply.

Finally Jack ceased to call, for he was growing very husky.

The search still went on with unabated zeal, each boy trying to vie with
his mates in the endeavor to make some new discovery. Paul examined every
faint print of that little foot, desirous of fixing the time it was made.
Wallace joined him in this, and it was clearly shown that hours must have
elapsed since the child passed that way.

"Still, he may be within fifty yards of where we are. Let's keep at it as
long as we can, and only camp when some are too tired to go on," declared
Paul, greatly disappointed to think that they had thus far been baffled
by hard luck.

It was astonishing to see how far the little fellow had wandered; but
fear always lends wings to the feet; and all the while Willie doubtless
really believed he must be heading toward home.

And Paul noted another fact that somehow gave him new interest in the
enterprise. By degrees the trail had swung around to the left, as is
nearly always the case when grown persons are lost; and the principle
seemed to hold good in the case of even a child.

In itself this was not strange; but Paul knew that if they kept on for
another hour the chances w