ormation whatever. They sent him over the hotel to
question all the people, but this search was as vain as the others
had been. There was no one in the hotel, from the big landlord down
to the scullion, who could tell anything at all about David.

By the time all these examinations and searches had been made it
was after ten o'clock. Breakfast had been served at seven, and
seven was the hoar at which David should have been among them. He
had been gone, therefore, more than three hours.

Even the boys now began to feel uneasy. Uncle Moses and all the
boys began to rack their brains to find some way of accounting for
David's absence.

"Did any of you ever hear of his walking in his sleep?" asked,
Uncle Moses, in an agitated voice.

"No," said Bob, "never. I know he never did such a thing."

"He couldn't have taken a walk anywheres," said Uncle Moses, "or
he'd been back long ago."

"O, yes; he wouldn't have started on a three hours' walk," said
Clive.

"Perhaps he's tried a donkey ride, and been ran away with, like
me," said Bob.

"O, no," said Frank, "he isn't fond of riding; he'd never get on
the back of any animal, unless he had to."

"Did he say anything about--about--?"

Uncle Moses hesitated at the question which he was about to ask.

"About what, Uncle Moses?" asked Clive.

"About--bathing?" asked Uncle Moses, in a faltering voice.

"No," said Clive.

Uncle Moses drew a long breath.

"It would be dreadful dangerous," said he.

"But, Uncle Moses," said Clive, "David would never think of such
a thing. He might go in if all of us fellows went in too, just for
company; but he doesn't care enough about it to go in alone. The
fact is, he doesn't care much for any kind of sports. He's too fond
of books."

Uncle Moses sighed heavily.

"I wonder," said Bob, "if any of those Sorrento fellows have been
about here, and seen him."

At this suggestion every one of them started, and stared at one
another.

"Sorrento fellers?" repeated Uncle Moses.

"Do you think there's any chance?"

"O, I don't know," said Bob. "I only thought it might be
possible. You see Dave made no end of a row there about that
tassel that he took, and you know how we had to run for it.
Well, you know Sorrento isn't very far from here, and I just
thought that some of the Sorrento people might have seen us
come here yesterday. If they did, they might have tried to
pay up poor old Dave for what he did out there."

"It may be so