fire we'd
be rather cool when we slept, and the cold would keep us awake all
night."

"But we have the blanket with us, and that would protect us at any time,
no matter how cold it might be."

"Yis," assented Tim, with a great sigh. "If I only had me pipe under way
I'd faal somewhat more comfortable, barring the worriment I faals at the
absence of the youngster. May God watch over him through the darkniss!"

"Amen!" was this reverent response of Howard.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE SEARCH.

All through the night Tim O'Rooney and Howard Lawrence sat in close
consultation. Hunger and sleep were alike unthought of. Elwood Brandon
was lost, and that was all of which they could think or speak. How they
longed for the morning, and how impatient they were to be on the hunt!
It seemed to Howard as if he could go leaping and flying down the chasms
and gorges among the hills, and never tire until he had hunted out and
brought back his cousin. Where could he be? If nestling in the branches
of a tree, or hid away among the rocks, was he asleep? Or if awake, of
what was he thinking? Did he believe that Howard was searching for him?
Or did he imagine him also lost? It would not be reasonable to suppose
that he had any suspicion of his finding Tim O'Rooney.

If in the hands of California Indians----But it would be vain to trace
out all the thoughts and speculations that ran through the head of the
boy. Some of them were of the wildest and most grotesque character, and
would assume a ludicrous phase to one whose mind was not in such a whirl
of excitement and distress.

In the gloom of the wood the darkness was so intense that neither Tim
nor Howard could distinguish each other, though only a few feet apart.
The Newfoundland lay close to his master, seemingly sound asleep, but
more heedful than the two of the approach of danger.

Occasionally through the night the call of some wild animal was
heard--sometimes distant and sometimes so near that they started to
their feet and were about to enter their canoe and shove out into the
stream; but when it came no more they were reassured. Then something
like the report of a gun came faintly up the river to their ears.

These sounds only served to render the night more gloomy and lonely, and
to make the daylight the more welcome.

"Now let's be off," said Howard, as soon as it was light enough to
distinguish each other's faces.

"We must find some means of remembering this place,