t be hindered."

'Bijah was at a loss where to go, but he obeyed directions, and went
somewhere, anywhere, and it seemed as if he had been everywhere, and
inquired at every house in and about Still Harbor, along the shore, in
the woods and through the fields, but nobody had seen Benny since about
nine o'clock that morning.

At last he went again to see if Benny, perhaps, had got home.

"What!" cried Mrs. Briggs, when she saw 'Bijah come the second time, "he
hasn't come? You haven't found him? O, my boy, my boy!"

"O, now, Mis' Briggs, don't you go to worry about Benny," said 'Bijah.
"I never see a boy 't knew how to take care of himself better'n Benny.
He'll turn up all right, you'll see."

But in spite of his apparent cheerfulness, 'Bijah was a good deal
troubled himself. Where _could_ Benny be, unless at the bottom of the
Sound?

'Bijah in his search had already been to Mr. Briggs' store to inquire
for Benny, and in starting to go there again, he met Mr. Briggs coming
home. He and 'Bijah discussed the possibilities and probabilities of
Benny's case, and Mr. Briggs agreed to send word over to grandma Potter
if Benny came home, and 'Bijah agreed to come directly over and tell
his father and mother if Benny should reach his grandmother's at the
eleventh hour.

The eleventh hour arrived, however, and still no Benny. The boys sat in
the barn door and wondered in voices hushed almost to whispers, where
Benny could be.

"Where is Benny?" asked little Fanny again and again. "O, where is
Benny?" moaned his poor mother; and the question sank like lead into his
father's heart. Grandma raised her gentle eyes and asked it of Heaven
itself, and you, my children, by this time are asking it of me. I feel
bound to tell you this much: Benny was--I shudder to say it--Benny was
enduring the fate once proposed for Mr. Jefferson Davis.

The sun was getting low, the shadows were long on the grass, and Benny's
pitiful shadow as it lengthened, stretched nearer and nearer home. Ah,
would he ever get there himself again?

It was milking time. 'Bijah sat milking the cows in the barnyard, when
in bounced Sandy. He hadn't come on Benny's account, that was plain. He
was thirsty, and begged for milk, which he had frequently had from
the hand of 'Bijah. He was no story-book dog--only quite a commonplace
fellow, who hadn't the faintest idea that he ought to have arrived here
hours ago, and won fame for himself by showing the way to Benny.