se
and shambling-a rare thing with him, and Henry knew that he, too,
had failed. He realized now that he had not expected anything else.
Shif'less Sol shook his head, sat down on a root and said nothing. Henry
sat down, also, and the two exchanged a look of discouragement.

"The others will be here directly," said Henry, "and perhaps Long Jim
will be with one of them."

But in his heart he knew that it would not be so, and the shiftless one
knew that he had no confidence in his own words.

"If not," said Henry, resolved to see the better side, "we'll stay
anyhow until we find him. We can't spare good old Long Jim."

Shif'less Sol did not reply, nor did Henry speak again, until lie saw
the bushes moving slightly three or four hundred yards away.

"There comes Tom," he said, after a single comprehensive glance, "and
he's alone."

Tom Ross was also a dejected figure. He looked at the two on the hill,
and, seeing that the man for whom they were searching was not with them,
became more dejected than before.

"Paul's our last chance," he said, as he joined them. "He's gen'rally a
lucky boy, an' mebbe it will be so with him to-day."

"I hope so," said Henry fervently. "He ought to be along in a few
minutes."

They waited patiently, although they really had no belief that Paul
would bring in the missing man, but Paul was late. The noon hour was
well past. Henry took a glance at the sun. Noon was gone at least a half
hour, and he stirred uneasily.

"Paul couldn't get lost in broad daylight," he said.

"No," said Shif'less Sol, "he couldn't get lost!"

Henry noticed his emphasis on the word "lost," and a sudden fear sprang
up in his heart. Some power had taken away Long Jim; could the same
power have seized Paul? It was a premonition, and he paled under his
brown, turning away lest the others see his face. All three now examined
the whole circle of the horizon for a sight of moving bushes that would
tell of the boy's coming.

The forest told nothing. The sun blazed brightly over everything, and
Paul, like Long Jim, did not come. He was an hour past due, and the
three, oppressed already by Long jim's disappearance, were convinced
that he would not return. But they gave him a half hour longer. Then
Henry said:

"We must hunt for him, but we must not separate. Whatever happens we
three must stay together."

"I'm not hankerin' to roam 'roun jest now all by myself," said the
shiftless one, with an uneasy laugh.