Arriving at the scene, he took his place in the searching party of about twenty men.  They were to search the woods, first of all, each man to be responsible for a space about two or three rods wide and extending to the road a half-mile distant.  Lantern in hand, he scrutinized each stone and stump, hoping and fearing that it might prove to be the little one.  In the darkness he stumbled over logs and vines, became entangled in briers and brambles, and often was deluged with water from trees as he came in contact with overhanging boughs.  But his blood was up, for he was seeking a lost baby.  When he fell full-length in the swale, he got to his feet the best he could and went on.  Book and room were forgotten in the glow of a larger purpose.  So for two hours he splashed and struggled, but had never a thought of abandoning the quest until the child should be found.

At twelve o’clock they had reached the road and were about to begin the search in another section of the wood when the church-bell rang.  This was the signal that they should return to the starting-point to hear any tidings that might have come in the meantime.  Scarcely had they heard that a message had come from police headquarters in the city, and that information could be had there concerning a lost child when the schoolmaster called out:  “Come on, Craig!” And away went these two toward the barn to arouse old “Blackie” out of her slumber and hitch her to a buggy.  Little did that old nag ever dream, even in her palmiest days, that she could show such speed as she developed in that four-mile drive.  The schoolmaster was too much wrought up to sit supinely by and see another do the driving; so he did it himself.  And he drove as to the manner born.

The information they obtained at the police station was meagre enough, but it furnished them a clew.  A little girl had been found wandering about, and could be located on a certain street at such a number.  The name of the family was not known.  With this slender clew they began their search for the street and house.  The map of streets which they had hastily sketched seemed hopelessly inadequate to guide them in and out of by-streets and around zigzag corners.  They had adventures a plenty in pounding upon doors of wrong houses and thus arousing the fury of sleepy men and sleepless dogs.  One of the latter tore away a quarter-section of the schoolmaster’s rubber coat, and became so interested in this that the owner escaped with no further damage.  After an hour filled with such experiences they finally came to the right house.  Joy flooded their hearts as the man inside called out:  “Yes, wait a minute.”  Once inside, questions and answers flew back and forth like a shuttle.  Yes, a little girl—­about five years old—­light hair—­braided and hanging down her back—­check apron.  “She’s the one—­and we want to take her home.”  Then the lady appeared, and said it was too bad to take the little