“I say, ’tain’t so easy, is it?”
I made no reply, but stood thinking, and trying to find a solution to the difficulty.
“Seems to me,” said Esau, “that about the best way of finding this little gentleman is to go and sit down by his fire till he comes, for he goes off so quietly, and he may be anywhere now.”
“Let’s look round again,” I said, “and if we cannot find him we had better go and tell Mr Raydon.”
It was humiliating, but the only thing to do; and after asking at every cottage in the enclosure without effect, I turned to go back to Mr Raydon’s quarters, just as we saw the man Grey going in that direction.
“Why, he might know,” I said, hurrying my pace so that we entered almost at the same time, but too late to question him.
“Well,” said Mr Raydon, “have you found him?”
“No,” I replied; and then turning quickly to Grey, who had not yet spoken—“Have you seen anything of Quong?”
“Yes; he is at the west valley, I met him going there.”
“The west valley?” said Mr Raydon, starting and looking excitedly at the speaker. “What was he doing there?”