It seemed certain that, with so many hunters, success ought to have been almost certain. But Joel knew that twenty times that number might search in that vast wilderness without running across the one they sought. At best it was a gamble, with the odds against them.
Morning came and found the boys fairly dropping with fatigue and torn with grief and disappointment. Jack was almost out of his mind with reflecting on his sister’s plight.
“We’ll drive back to Kill Kare and telegraph for bloodhounds,” he said. “Joel says that there are a couple he knows of at the county seat. If they’re sent on the early train to the nearest town they ought to get here by noon. We’ll put them to work at once, and see what they can do.”
They left Joel in charge of the search, and drove back gloomily to Camp Kill Kare.
There was plenty of “care” there that morning. Neither Aunt Betty nor the girls had been able to sleep. The thought of Cora out in the wilderness all through that long night had driven them fairly frantic.
And their hearts sank still further when the boys came back to report their failure.
“We ought to telegraph to your mother at once,” declared Aunt Betty, wringing her hands.
“It would almost kill mother to get a telegram like that,” said Jack moodily. “It wouldn’t do any good, and in the meantime Cora may be found. We’ll wait, anyway, until after we’ve tried the bloodhounds.”
They ate briefly and scantily of breakfast, for none of them had any heart for food. Then they went outside to make ready for their trip to the rendezvous.
The boys were piling into the car when Belle gave a sudden exclamation and pointed upward.