Cheerless and grim appeared the flattish clouds of mist which hung between him and the distance. Vegetation dripped with moisture and reflected the cold gray of the sky above.
Bob’s first work was to make a careful search of the surroundings, to see if he could discover any indications of the rider having passed that way. In this he was not successful. So he at last vaulted on his horse’s back and started off.
A rosy glow was now appearing in the eastern sky; and presently streaks of light began stealing over the ridge of hills, picking out here and there a resting place. As the sun crept above the horizon and showed its gorgeous rim over the even gray of a distant elevation Bob Somers rode down into the still-shadowed valley, examining every foot of the way with the keenest scrutiny.
“I’ll use up all morning in the search,” he decided. “I certainly hope the fellows won’t be worried. Don’t believe any of ’em, though, would want me to turn back now.”
Traveling up the slope of another hill he reached the summit just as the full glow of sunlight shot over the landscape. Somber shadows were immediately transformed into tints of delicate blue, barren surfaces of rock on hillsides caught and held the gleams of gold, while the woods became patches of mellow green.
There was a delightful sense of freshness in the fragrant air. Bob Somers felt buoyed up. He reflected that any one who could experience gloomy feelings on such a morning must be hopelessly out of tune with nature.
Descending again, he reached a creek which rippled musically over a boulder-strewn bed between two high ridges. On the opposite side traveling was impossible, owing to precipitous slopes.
“By Jove, I’m getting into a regular wilderness!” exclaimed Bob.
A few minutes later, on turning a bend, he saw before him a point where the stream was almost choked with the débris brought down by floods. Around decaying boughs and branches the water swirled and bubbled, as if seeking to tear them from their fastenings. A murmur, never slackening for an instant, filled the narrow gorge with a pleasing sound.
Bob Somers rode along a narrow space with the stream some four or five feet below, while above towered a wall of dull slate-colored rock. He saw with satisfaction, however, that a short distance beyond a gentle descent led down to the water’s edge. There numerous pools had formed, and a marshy stretch partly overgrown with weeds and tall grass followed the receding base of the hill.