sful search Mr. Cobb and Mr.
Buckman held a consultation and decided that the best thing to do,
unless they wanted to get lost themselves, was to stay where they were
and wait for dawn. So they found a sheltered spot in the lee of a big
rock and made themselves as comfortable as they could. Warren suggested
a fire and a half-hour was spent in finding fuel within the radius of
lantern-light. Finally, however, the flames were leaping and the sparks
flying and the party regained some of their ebbing spirits.

[Illustration: Mr. Cobb and the search-party looking for Roy.]

"If he sees the light he will look it up," said Mr. Buckman. "That was a
good idea of yours, Warren."

"What I'm afraid of," said Mr. Cobb, "is that he has met with an
accident of some sort. Seems to me that if he had the use of his limbs
he would have reached the school before this, or at least have
communicated with us. Well, we'll have to make the best of things until
the light comes. Better take a nap, fellows, if you can."

But they were in no mood for napping. The leaping flames lent their
tinge of romance to a situation already sufficiently out of the common
to be exciting and the boys wanted to live every moment of it. The
uncertainty as to Roy's fate added a qualm of uneasiness, but when once
Warren had got well into his story of the Wyoming outlaws who lived in a
cave and robbed trains and stage coaches, even Chub forgot the purpose
of the expedition for whole minutes at a time. I think Harry
unconsciously dozed several times, although she always denied it
indignantly. Now and then one of the party would mend the fire and then
crawl back to the protection of the ledge and the waving bushes. Mr.
Cobb followed Warren with some stories of Cornwall wreckers which he had
read, and after that every member of the party save Harry, who happened
to be very quiet about that time, contributed some tale of dark deeds.
Presently Jack made the discovery that it was possible to see the
branches of the wind-whipped bushes behind them. Chub climbed to the
summit of the ledge and announced that there was light away down on the
horizon toward the east. Then followed an hour of waiting during which
the world gradually turned from black to gray. The fire died out for
lack of fuel and the boys snuggled into the collars of their sweaters,
for it seemed to grow more chill each moment. Then, when objects a few
yards away could be distinguished, Mr. Cobb suggested tha