Arriving at the spot where the girl said the small boy had last been seen, Rob asked the others to stay at a certain place while he and Sim used the electric torch in the endeavor to find the first trace of those tiny footprints.
The night had set in quite dark by now, so that only for the glow of that useful little torch they would have had to depend wholly on the lanterns Peleg and Ralph carried.
Shooting the strong white light downward, the two boys proceeded to look thoroughly about them, scanning every object that fell in their way, and utilizing their utmost stock of woodcraft in the work.
When possibly five minutes had elapsed, though it certainly seemed much longer than that to the waiting group close by, Sim gave utterance to a cry of exultation that thrilled the others.
“Found the trail, have you, fellows?” called out Ralph, excitedly.
“Come over here and see,” Rob told him.
He made them act cautiously, so that they might not blot the “signs” out by their own footprints. He pointed to the plain impression of a tiny shoe in the soft earth. There could be no doubt but that the mark had been made by Caleb; and, it was agreed, if only they could successfully follow where that trail led, they would sooner or later know where the child had gone.
“Try and see if you can follow it, Rob,” urged Tubby, impatiently, though there was also a confident ring to his voice, as well as a suspicion of pride about his manner, for he fully believed that the ability of the scouts in a case of this kind was about to be vindicated.
They watched with an eagerness words could hardly paint, while Rob, accompanied by Sim, began to slowly move along. There was a growing confidence in the way the trackers took up their task that promised well for the success of the enterprise. Ralph felt his heart beating tumultuously in his breast as he mentally pictured the ecstatic joy of restoring the lost child to his distracted mother’s arms.
They were moving steadily along. Now and then Rob would pause for a brief period of time, perhaps to make sure that he was on the right track, or it might be to show the others something that caused them increasing satisfaction.