chool-room
to get my lessons ready for Mr. Glengelly.

It was not long before my father came to me. "Willie," he said, "I can't
understand what has kept Aleck, and I fear he may have hurt himself, and
not be able to make his way home; so I am going out at once to look for
him, and you must help me."

There was something rather dignified in being thus spoken to by my
father, and, had it not been for the secret load, of which I dared not
tell him, but which already began to weigh with additional heaviness on
my heart, I should have felt somewhat elated at finding myself of
importance.

My father continued in a quick, decided manner: "Leave your lessons, and
run off at once to the lodge. If you find Ralph anywhere about, so much
the better, he can go with you; in any case you and George could manage
to get the little boat round to the White-Rock Cove, keeping in shore as
nearly as George thinks safe, and keep a sharp look-out all the way
along for your cousin.--Stay; on second thoughts Rickson shall run down
to the Cove too, in case Ralph is not to be found; you will want another
hand."

I did not need twice telling, but was off in an instant, and, breathless
with excitement, reached the lodge a few minutes after.

My story was soon told, and George lost no time in getting out the
smallest of our boats, and with Ralph, who happened, as George said, to
be fortunately "handy" on the occasion, we started upon our search. I
could not help thinking of the morning before, and its search, but the
excitement now kept up my spirits; it was something so new to be thus
suddenly dismissed from lessons, and trusted to help in what was
evidently considered a matter of some anxiety; _why_ they should be so
anxious I did not trouble myself to reflect, having little idea but that
Aleck had wandered further than he intended, and perhaps experienced
some difficulty on his way home.

We glided along quickly and pleasantly enough, past the first inlet, and
the second, from our own Cove, scrutinizing all the banks, and rocks,
and shady nooks, so familiar through many a wild exploring of ours; to
reach the third we were obliged to stand out a considerable distance to
sea, as the promontory bounding the White-Rock Cove on this side
stretched far beyond the other rocky buttresses, making one of the most
prominent land-marks in that part of the south coast. It was underneath
its shelter that we had lunched the day before, and as we passed by