ked wait before he'd hurry."

"Wal," said Uncle Moses, "there's somethin in that too. David's
dreadful fond of old stones, and old bones, and tumble-down edifices,
and old sticks an weeds. Why, he's all the time collectin; an if
he keeps on, his baggage'll become nothin else but that."

Pleased with this thought, which brought up before his mind what
to him was an inexplicable peculiarity of David, Uncle Moses drew
a breath of relief.

"Wal," said he, "we'll have to wait patiently, till David's done
with that there old ruin; an meantime I think I'll take a turn an
see if I can see anythin of him."

Upon this Uncle Moses went out of the room, and down to the street.
Reaching the street, he walked up and down the entire length of
the town, looking eagerly in every direction, peering into the
doors of houses, staring into space, scanning groves and vineyards,
and every half minute taking out his watch and looking at it. At
the end of about half an hour, he returned more troubled than ever,
and met Frank, Clive, and Bob in front of the hotel.

"I can't find him anywhere," said he.

Thus far the boys had thought nothing of David's disappearance;
but the deep anxiety of Uncle Moses now excited their alarm; and
though, if left to themselves, they would have seen nothing to fear
in the fact of David's being an hour or so behind time, yet, after
all, they began to see that, in one like David, such conduct was
most extraordinary; and in this foreign country, of whose ways they
were so ignorant, there might possibly be danger in such absence.
They at once began to comfort Uncle Moses; and then all of them
volunteered to go in different directions and see if they could
find him. Uncle Moses again set out, walking up the road in the
direction of Sorrento; Frank went down the road; Clive took a
by-road that led towards the hills; while Bob, who was rather weak
yet, and not capable of much exertion, said that he would watch
from the window of the hotel, and be at home, in case of David's
return, to explain matters.

In this way they began their search, and Bob waited patiently in
the hotel. After about an hour Uncle Moses came back. On finding
that David had not returned, he looked unspeakably distressed;
and when, after a short time farther, both Frank and Clive returned
without any tidings of the fugitive, he began to look quite
heartbroken.

Then they talked to the driver about it; but the' driver could give
them no inf