hill a hum of voices came from above; the voices of
people, men and women, mingled and consonant like the voices of the
birds, but with a certain tone of trouble and expectancy. Every now and
then one individual voice or another would dominate the general murmur,
and would be followed by a quick flutter of sound denoting acquiescence
or disagreement. From this they knew that most of their neighbors had
arrived before them, having been summoned earlier in the journey of the
messengers sent out from the distant home of the lost child.

[Illustration]

On the crown of the hill stood a curious structure, actually small, but
looming large in the grayness. The main body of the building was
elevated upon posts, and was smaller at the bottom than where the
spreading walls met the peaked roof. This roof spread out on both sides
into broad verandas, and under these two wing-like shelters some three
or four score of people were clustered in little groups. Lanterns and
hand-lamps dimly lit up faces that showed strange in the unfamiliar
illumination. There were women with shawls over their shoulders and
women with shawls over their heads. Some of the men were in their
shirt-sleeves, some wore shooting-coats, and a few had overcoats, though
the night was warm. But no stranger arriving on the scene could have
taken it for a promiscuous or accidental assemblage. There was a
movement in unison, a sympathetic stir throughout the little crowd that
created a common interest and a common purpose. The arrival of the two
men was hailed with that curious sound with which such a gathering
greets a desired and attended accession--not quite the sigh of relief,
but the quick, nervous expulsion of the breath that tallies the coming
of the expected. These were two of the men to be counted on, and they
were there.

Every little community such as this knows its leaders, and now that
their number was complete, the women drew together by themselves save
for two or three who clearly took equal direction with the men; and a
dozen in all, perhaps, gathered in a rough circle to discuss the
organization of the search.

It was a brief discussion. A majority of the members of the group had
formed decided opinions as to the course taken by the wandering child,
and thus a division into sub-groups came about at once. This left
various stretchings of territory uncovered, and these were assigned to
those of the more decided minority who were best acquainted wi