But they looked in vain.
“Can you see anything, Saxe?”
“No,” replied the boy in a despondent tone: “can you, sir!”
“Nothing. We must follow the stream down. I dare say we shall find some shallows lower down. Come along quickly.”
He began to descend.
“We must find him, Saxe, and then make the best of our way back for help. Poor fellow! I’d freely give all I possess to see him safe and sound.”
“Then hurrah! Come up here, sir. Look! look!”
“What! you don’t mean? Saxe, boy—speak!” cried Dale excitedly, trying to mount beside him.
“Hi! don’t! You’ll have me overboard!” shouted the boy, as the great block of stone rocked to such an extent that he nearly came down headlong. “Now, steady! Give me your hand.”
The rock was kept in position now by the pressure on one side, but as Dale sprang up to Saxe’s side, it began to rise again, and they had hard work to preserve their balance, as they stood straining their eyes to where they could see a man mounted upon some animal riding slowly across the green level lying in a loop of the stream.