Mr. Porter took hold of the doctor’s sleeve and drew him away. They walked some distance down stream until their ordinary voices could be heard, and then Mr. Porter said:
“Let’s not begin by raking the river. If he’s drowned, we can’t do anything for him; but if he’s injured, he needs our aid.”
“Well, where would you suggest that we hunt first?” inquired the doctor.
“In the timber and thickets near the falls. He may have gone in there and got hurt.”
“All right. We’ll search every place you suggest before we rake the river.”
Mr. Frankland and Pepper were now observed coming up along the shore, and the doctor and Mr. Porter waited for them.
After the four were reunited, Mr. Frankland said:
“We’ve covered the ground pretty well down there. Everything’s open and fairly level. We measured the water with our rake, too, and it isn’t over a boy’s head any place, although it is swift as a millrace.”
“If he’s drowned, his body’s probably in this deeper part near the falls,” said Dr. Byrd. “We’re going up in the timber and hunt there first, and then come back here if we don’t find him.”
“It might be just possible that he waded over to the other side and was hunting along the steep base of old Flathead and fell in there,” suggested Mr. Frankland.