He was back almost immediately and Mr. Sleeper brought out two flash lights handing one to Jacques.
“We’ll go down the lake while you go up,” Bob proposed. “But we don’t want to overlook anything. Look for a trail and if you find it give a yell and we’ll do the same.”
“Probably her father couldn’t follow an elephant track, but Jacques ought to be able to recognize a trail if he finds one,” Bob said as soon as they were out of hearing of the others.
“It’s like hunting for a needle in a hay stack in this darkness, but take it from me, we’re going to find that girl,” Jack declared.
“You said it, son,” Bob replied grimly.
Putting into use every bit of the training they had received from long years spent in the woods they made their way, as rapidly as they deemed prudent, through the black forest.
“Perhaps they took her in a canoe,” Jack suggested.
“Maybe, but if they did it would be useless to try to follow them on the lake in the night. Water leaves no trail, you know. No. I’ve a hunch that they didn’t have a boat and that they went this way.”
“Well, I hope your hunch is right,” Jack declared as he stubbed his toe on a root and fell headlong.
For an hour they pushed on. They were not going in a straight line, but were zig-zagging in the hope that they would cross the trail of the man or men who had stolen the girl, but, as time passed and they found not the slightest clue, a feeling of discouragement took possession of them.