the
same instant Mark's rifle, which he had held in his hand, fell to the
ground, and was discharged with a report that rang loudly through the
still night air.

The sound was distinctly heard by Frank, who was less than a mile away;
and thinking it a signal from his companion, he rode rapidly in the
direction from which it had come. He had not gone far before he heard
the rapid galloping of a horse, apparently going in the direction of
Wakulla. Although he fired his own rifle repeatedly, he got no
response, and he finally concluded that Mark was playing a practical
joke, and had ridden home after firing his gun without waiting for him.
Thus thinking, he turned his own horse's head towards home, and an hour
later reached the house.

He found Mark's horse standing at the stable door in a lather of foam,
and still saddled and bridled. Then it flashed across him that
something had happened to Mark, and, filled with a sickening dread, he
hurried into the house and aroused Mr. Elmer.

"Hasn't Mark come home?" he inquired, in a husky voice.

"No, not yet. Isn't he with you?" asked Mr. Elmer, in surprise.

"No; and if he isn't here something dreadful has happened to him, I'm
afraid"; and then Frank hurriedly told Mr. Elmer what he knew of the
events of the hunt.

"We must go in search of him at once," said Mr. Elmer, in a trembling
voice, "and you must guide us as nearly as possible to the point from
which you heard the shot."

Hastily arousing Mr. March and Jan, and telling them to saddle the
mules, Mr. Elmer went to his wife, who was inquiring anxiously what had
happened, and told her that Mark was lost, and that they were going to
find him. The poor mother begged to be allowed to go too; but assuring
her that this was impossible, and telling Ruth to comfort her mother as
well as she could, Mr. Elmer hurried away, mounted Mark's horse, and
the party rode off.

Frank knew the country so well that he had no difficulty in guiding
them to the spot where he and Mark had separated. From here they
followed the star that Frank had pointed out to Mark, and riding
abreast, but about a hundred feet apart, they kept up a continual
shouting, and occasionally fired a gun, but got no answer.

At length Mr. March detected a glimmer of light on the ground, and
dismounting, found a few charred sticks, one of which still glowed with
a coal of fire.

"Halloo!" he shouted; "here's where Mark emptied his fire-pan."

They all gather