"Take my advice and leave him to find his way home. I warrant the night air will cool his head," said the Captain.
"Never," replied the Earl; "he was my guest, my friend; I am responsible for his safety, and not a soul shall retire to rest this night till Captain L'Estrange is found, or at least till we have done our best to find him. Wilton, order a dozen men to get torches and lanterns ready. Andrew, bring me my cloak and hat; come, gentlemen, I know none of you will refuse to search for this unhappy young man."
"I for one," said the Duke, "will go, and shame on him who stays at home."
"Spoken like a man," replied the Earl.
Everything was bustle; the whole party, wrapping themselves in cloaks and plaids, sallied forth, some with sticks, and some with staves; lanterns and torches were borne by not twelve, but nearly thirty stout retainers of the Earl, who volunteered right gladly; there was a sort of excitement mingled with it, and a fear, and let it not be denied, a hope, in some, that a dreadful catastrophe had occurred.
"I had rather seen L'Estrange at the devil, than hauling us out of doors at this hour," said the Captain, buttoning his military coat; "by Jove, this does pass a jest, Musgrave. I wonder if he has drowned himself?"
"I fear the worst," replied Scroop. "I never saw a man look so altered as he did at breakfast; if ever evil designs scarred a man's face they did his."
The party proceeded first through the gardens, then up the wood to the spot where Steadman saw him. The night was black as pitch; not a star broke through the heavy clouds; the sough of the south-west wind sighed through the woods, and ere they had proceeded far the rain commenced pattering fast. The thick trees at first kept it out, but by-and-by torch after torch was extinguished, and they kept up the search by means of lanterns only. Many of the men, and loudest of all the Captain, swore at this unlucky chance, and several of the seekers fell off, and stole away to the Towers. Amongst the first deserters were Lord Arranmore, Mr. Lennox, Mr. Ravensworth;: Scroop and Musgrave followed, and the party was curtailed by several of the men, who also slipped away, preferring their homestead and beds to the dripping woods. The Earl, the Duke, Captain de Vere, Johnny, and the naval commander Wilson, resolutely defied the elements; with Wilton, Jim Steadman, and a score of hardier foresters, they searched every nook, explored every hollow, hallooed the lost man's name, and dragged every lynn of the burn.
"I mind me of a search adoun this vera burn," said Wilton, "it was five-and-twenty years gone by or mayhap more, when on a night like this I searched this identical brae. I mind your lordship's father, how he searched, how he shouted your brother's name. The bairn was never found though, but it seems like yestreen. I was a younger man then."
Little heeding Wilton's story the Earl went on searching as though he too sought for his son. After a fruitless exploration of the ravine they came to the Holly Walk, and there the sharp eye of Wilton discovered a horse-hoof, which he pointed out to the Earl; it was almost effaced by the rain which now fell in torrents.