ow-looking affair, whose sides were of horn
sheets, with here and there fancy devices punched in the tin to supply
air to the burning candle within.

Crumps, from the dairy, Graders the baker, and John Wrench the
carpenter, all were there, and it seemed a wonder to Macey where all the
lanterns had come from. But it was no wonder, for Greythorpe was an
ill-lit place, where candles and oil-lamps took the place of gas even in
the little shops, and there were plenty of people who needed the use of
a stable-light.

There were two policemen stationed in Greythorpe, but they were off on
their nightly rounds, and it was not until the weird little procession
of light-bearers had gone half a mile from the town that there was a
challenge from under a dark hedge, and two figures stepped out into the
road.

"Eh? Master Vane Lee lost?" said one of the figures, the lights
proclaiming them to be the policemen, who had just met at one of their
appointed stations; "then we'd better jyne you."

This added two more lanterns to the bearers of light, but for a long
time they were not opened, but kept as a reserved force--ready if
wanted.

At last, in almost utter silence, the moor was reached, the men were
spread out, and the search began. But it was ended after an hour's
struggling among the bushes, and an extrication of Chakes, and Wrench
the carpenter, from deep bog holes into which they had suddenly stepped,
and, on being drawn out, sent home.

Then Rounds spoke out in his loud, bluff way.

"Can't be done, doctor, by this light. It's risking the lives of good
men and true. I want to find young Mester, and I'll try as if he was a
son of my own, but we can't draw this mash to-night."

There was a dead silence at this, and then the rector spoke out.

"I'm afraid he is right, Lee. I would gladly do everything possible,
but this place really seems impassable by night."

The doctor was silent, and the rector spoke again:

"What do you say, constable?"

"As it can't be done, sir, with all respect to you as the head of the
parish."

"Seems to me like getting up an inquess, sir," said Dredge the butcher,
"with ooz all dodging about here with our lights, like so many
will-o'-the-wispies."

"Ay, I was gooin' to say as theered be job for owd Chakes here 'fore
morning if he gets ower his ducking."

"I'm afraid you are right," said the doctor, sadly. "If I were sure
that my nephew was somewhere here on the moor, I should say