FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>  
of their whereabouts. He was resolved to do this in company with his cousin, so that precisely the same thing would have been accomplished had they remained together. Howard having hurried a great deal, thought it likely that he was some distance in advance of his cousin. He stood some minutes listening for his signals, and then began walking toward the northern end of the hill that he might meet him as he came around. He observed as he advanced that they increased in rocky ruggedness, and could see that it was quite a feat to pass through them. Going some distance he paused again, and listened intently, but nothing beside the deep murmur of the woods reached his ear. "What can it mean?" he finally asked himself, as a vague alarm crept over him. "We must be much closer together than we were before, and I haven't heard him whistle for the last half-hour." He began to doubt whether it was best to proceed further or not. It might serve only to mislead in case Elwood was searching for him. Still hearing nothing to indicate the location of his friend, he made the signal himself--a long, screeching whistle, that rang out in the solemn stillness with a penetrating clearness that sent the chills over him from head to foot. "He must hear that if he is within a mile," was his reflection, as he leaned his head forward and listened for the first approach of the answering sound. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes passed away, but nothing was heard, and the poor boy looked around in sore alarm. "Can it be that Elwood is jesting?" he asked himself. "He would not do so if he knew what I am suffering." Howard was now in great distress. He could not decide what to do. If he advanced he could feel no assurance of meeting his friend, while a retreat was equally hopeless. Where was Elwood? Had he wandered off among the hills, tempted by the wild scenery, and had he lost his way? Was he searching for his cousin? Or had he been found by Indians? The last inquiry had been rising in Howard's mind for a half-hour, but he had resolutely forced it down again, until he could keep it away no longer. He could find no other reason to account for the silence, and failure to answer his call. The whistle which he had given must have spread miles in every direction--so far that Elwood could not have got beyond its range had the course of both been precisely opposite. No; it must---- But, hark! A faint, tremulous whistle comes to his ea
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>  



Top keywords:
whistle
 

Elwood

 

Howard

 

cousin

 

friend

 
advanced
 
searching
 

precisely

 
minutes
 

distance


listened

 

wandered

 
meeting
 

hopeless

 
equally
 

retreat

 
fifteen
 
twenty
 

passed

 

answering


leaned

 

reflection

 

forward

 

approach

 

looked

 

distress

 

decide

 

suffering

 

jesting

 

assurance


direction

 
spread
 

answer

 

tremulous

 

opposite

 
failure
 

silence

 
Indians
 

inquiry

 
tempted

scenery
 

rising

 
longer
 
reason
 

account

 

resolutely

 
forced
 

ruggedness

 
increased
 

observed