ingtons', and I can't disappoint
them."

"Not in such a case as this?" asked his aunt reproachfully. "Can't you
send a note of apology to the Worthingtons? Suppose something serious
has happened to your brother!"

"Oh, nonsense, Aunt Kate," cried Walter, who was not prepared to give up
his engagement of pleasure; "don't be afraid about Amos; he'll turn up
all right. He's on his way home, you may depend upon it; only perhaps
he has been trying to solve some wonderful problem, and has forgotten
all about such commonplace things as time and space, and has fallen
asleep under a hedge."

"I will go myself, then," said Miss Huntingdon, "and see if I can hear
anything of him from the neighbours."

"Indeed, Kate," said her brother, "you must do nothing of the sort. Set
your mind at rest. I will go myself and make inquiries; and if the boy
does not make his appearance by luncheon time, we must take further
steps to find him."

"Can _I_ be of any use, sir, in the matter?" asked Harry.

"Ah, that's just the thing!" cried Walter. "If you can spare Harry,
father, Jane can wait at luncheon; and I'll just put Harry myself on
what I think will be the right scent."

"Well, my boy, it can be so, and you can do as you say," replied his
father. "I know we can trust Harry to do his best; he can take the old
mare, and we shall do very well with Jane till he comes back."

Nothing loath, but rather gratified with the part he had to play and the
trust placed in him, the old butler set out about noon on the old mare,
accompanied by Walter, who was on his way to the Worthingtons'. Harry
would have preferred managing matters in his own fashion, which would
have been to go on a tour of inquiry from farm to farm; but, having no
choice, he surrendered himself to the guidance and directions of Walter.
So they rode on together for some miles till they came within sight of
the cottage where Amos had been seen by his brother playing with the
little children.

"There, Harry," said Walter, "you see that cottage? just you call in
there, and you will either find my brother there, if I am not mistaken,
or, at any rate, you will find somebody who will tell you where to look
for him." Then he turned and put spurs to his horse, and was soon out
of sight, leaving the old servant to jog along at his leisure to the
little dwelling pointed out to him, the roof of which he could just see
distinctly in the distance.

"Humph!" said Harry half out