Ralph presently drew a little closer to the leaders. He knew that they consulted from time to time, and he wished to be near enough to catch what was said, for by degrees Ralph was finding himself becoming more and more interested in all that pertained to the education of a scout. He knew no better way in which to pick up sterling points than by listening.
Later on, after they had been progressing in this fashion for upwards of a whole hour, he heard Rob saying something that interested him very much.
“See how he wobbles from side to side as he goes on, will you, Sim? That shows he must have been getting pretty tired about the time he reached here.”
“That’s a fact, Rob,” added the other scout, anxiously. “It wouldn’t surprise me a whit if we ran across the poor little chap somewhere about here fast asleep. I don’t believe there’s any wild animal around that would hurt him, do you?”
“Hardly, unless that savage old cat we saw up at Ralph’s pens had wandered over this way, which isn’t likely. I’m throwing the light on either side now, you notice, as we go along. Little Caleb may have come part way back again before dropping.”
“How would it do for the rest of us to spread out with the lanterns, and keep on the watch, Rob?” asked Ralph just then.
“Such a move would do no harm, anyhow,” the other replied, knowing very well how anxious all of them must be to feel that they were having a share in the work.
After that they continued on for some time. Rob was more than ever convinced the lost child had reached a point bordering on exhaustion, and that on no account could such a weak little chap keep on his feet much longer.
Several times they had seen moving lights, showing that some of the searching party must be close by; indeed, they heard their shouts at stated intervals, though not replying to them.
“It seems queer to me,” Tubby was saying to Andy and Mr. Jeffords and Peleg, all of whom were near him at the time, “how none of these men with lanterns have run across the boy if, as we believe, he’s close by here. I should think he’d have heard their calls and tried to answer them; that is, unless he’s sleeping like a dog, being tired to death.”