“Chances are that’s what’s the matter with him,” Andy agreed; whereupon both boys settled down to anticipating a cry of joy from those in the advance as they suddenly came upon the object of their search, lying asleep amidst the dead leaves just as the famous “Babes in the Woods” had done in the story.
So vastly superior was their method of search over that resorted to by the frenzied father, and the equally unreliable neighboring farmers, that Ralph was ready to give the scouts all the credit they so fully deserved. He only awaited the final stroke before confessing as to the great change in his belief.
Then Sim was heard to give vent to a cry. Somehow, it pierced the heart of Tubby just as a dart might have done, because he failed to detect the note of conscious triumph that he had so firmly anticipated. Instead, the cry seemed of surprise and consternation.
“Oh! what is it, boys?” Tubby called out, with his voice all unstrung. “I hope now you haven’t found him as we did that poor demented man, you know?”
“We haven’t found him at all, yet,” answered Sim, after drawing a long breath, like one who was trying to steel his faint heart against a shock; “but come here, all of you, and see what we have struck.”
At that the others hastened to advance, and were speedily alongside Rob and Sim and Ralph, for the last-named had gained their side almost immediately after the first alarm had sounded.
“Great governor! what’s this?” cried Andy.
“Why, it’s a gaping hole in the ground, I do believe!” gasped Tubby. “Oh! do you think the poor darling has fallen in there, Rob?” and his usually florid face seemed almost pallid with the horror that seized upon him as he turned a beseeching look upon the scout leader.
Rob once more threw the light from the torch upon the ground close to the edge of that yawning aperture.
“It looks that way, I must own,” he told them. “See, here are plain prints of his little shoes close to the brink. Yes, and you can see where some slender bush was dragged, roots and all, from here—the chances are he unconsciously clutched them when he felt himself slipping, and pulled it in with him. Poor little chap, what a terrible shock he must have had.”