Mr. Filley then started back on the trail, keeping close watch on each side of the way, for he expected he would soon come across Master Willie fast asleep.  He called his name every few rods, but got no answer nor could he discover him, and so returned home again, still calling and searching, but no boy was discovered.  Then he built a large fire and put lighted candles in all the windows, then took his lantern and wont out in the woods calling and looking for the boy.  Sometimes he thought he heard him, but on going where the sound came from nothing could be found.  So he looked and called all night, along the trail and all about the woods, with no success.  Mr. Mount’s home was situated not far from the shore of Fitch’s Lake, and the trail went along the margin, and in some places the ground was quite a boggy marsh, and the trail had been fixed up to make it passably good walking.

Next day the neighbors were notified, and asked to assist, and although they were in the midst of wheat harvest, a great many laid down the cradle and rake and went out to help search.  On the third day the whole county became excited and quite an army of searchers turned out, coming from the whole country miles around.

Mr. Filley was much excited and quite worn out an beside himself with fatigue and loss of sleep.  He could not eat.  Yielding to entreaty he would sit at the table, and suddenly rise up, saying he heard Willie calling, and go out to search for the supposed voice, but it was all fruitless, and the whole people were sorry indeed for the poor father and mother.

The people then formed a plan for a thorough search.  They were to form in a line so near each other that they could touch hands and were to march thus turning out for nothing except in passable lakes, and thus we marched, fairly sweeping the county in search of a sign.  I was with this party and we marched south and kept close watch for a bit of clothing, a foot print or even bones, or anything which would indicate that he had been destroyed by some wild animal.  Thus we marched all day with no success, and the next went north in the same careful manner, but with no better result.  Most of the people now abandoned the search, but some of the neighbors kept it up for a long time.

Some expressed themselves quite strongly that Miss Mount knew where the boy was, saying that she might have had some trouble with him and in seeking to correct him had accidentally killed him and then hidden the body away—­perhaps in the deep mire of the swamp or in the muddy waters on the margin of the lake.  Search was made with this idea foremost, but nothing was discovered.  Rain now set in, and the grain, from neglect grew in the head as it stood, and many a settler ate poor bread all winter in consequence of his neighborly kindness in the midst of harvest.  The bread would not rise, and to make it into pancakes was the best way it could be used.