nge places?"

"Why, no!" Dale's voice was puzzled; instinctively he moved toward the
other boy. "I've been keeping right along the way I started," he went on,
as they came face to face. "Court was on this side then."

"Sure! He was on my left. I haven't seen him for half an hour or more,
but I kept hearing him every now and then. You don't suppose he could
have strayed over behind you and to the other side?"

"I don't see how. I'd have heard him, wouldn't I?"

For a moment or so the two boys stood looking at one another in a puzzled
fashion. "It's funny," Sanson said at length. "He wouldn't have gone
back, either. If he found something, he'd have whistled. Let's call and
see if he's over the other way."

Tompkins nodded, and together they walked briskly back a few steps. But
it was Ranny Phelps who answered their hail, and in a few moments they
saw him coming toward them through the brush.

"What's up?" he asked quickly. "You haven't found--"

"No; it's Court," interrupted Tompkins. "He started out between Frank
and me, but he must have got mixed up somehow, for we can't find him.
We thought he might be over your way."

"I haven't seen him," said Ranny, briefly. He hesitated an instant and
then, pursing up his lips, whistled shrilly. "Best way's to get them all
together and straighten things out," he went on. "If he's off his beat,
the chances are that part of the ground isn't being looked over at all.
This way, fellows."

Bob Gibson was the first to hurry up. Then came Trexler, Bennie Rhead,
and lastly Vedder, panting with his haste. But Parker was not among them,
nor did Ranny's repeated whistling bring sight or sound of the missing
boy. None of the others had seen him since leaving the old foundation,
and as they stood there, puzzled and a bit anxious, Tompkins suddenly
remembered that for some little time before the meeting with Sanson
he had failed to hear the rustlings on his right that had kept him
aware of Court's presence. At the time it had seemed unimportant, but
now he made haste to mention it.

"Bennie, you chase back to the smelter and see if he's there by any
chance," ordered Ranny, crisply, when Dale had finished. "The rest of
us get in a close line and beat back along Court's territory. I can't
imagine anything happening to him that Tompkins or Sanson wouldn't hear
or know about--unless, of course, it's a joke."

His jaw squared in a way that boded ill for the volatile Courtlandt if
this sh