And while two households were wild with fear, while Mr. Weston and Joshua Babson were driving in every direction, stopping at the door of the farm-houses to enquire if the children were there, or had been seen, the two little ones who were the cause of all this commotion were still walking wearily down the road, Prue hoping yet to see the cars which should take her to Randy, and Hi beginning to think that he had lost his way.  The last glint of yellow had faded from the western sky, as Hi proposed that they cut through the woods to “gain time,” he said.

“Oh, I’m ’fraid to go into the woods when it’s getting dark,” wailed Prue.

“But me’n Uncle Joshua did the day we went the shortest way,” said Hi, “an’ this looks just like the place. I ain’t ’fraid so you needn’t be, an’ we’ve got ter go the quickest way because it’s gittin’ late.”

Prue gave her hand to Hi, and together they entered the woods, trudging wearily on toward the place where, between the distant trees they could see the western sky.  Their tired little feet stumbled on, tripping over fallen twigs, and gnarled roots of the great trees.  Prue was crying now and Hi, anxious to keep up, at least a semblance of the big boy and protector, made desperate efforts to swallow the lump in his throat which was growing larger every moment.  Prue had lost her lunch basket, but she held Randy’s letter tightly clasped in her hand, and the basket was forgotten in her eagerness to keep a firm hold upon the treasured missive.

“Oh, Hi, I’ve got to sit down again, I’m so tired, and I’m cold, too,” she cried.

Hi, with all his faults, was a kind-hearted little fellow, so with a deal of gallantry he pulled off his jacket, saying,

“This’ll make ye warm, Prue, I’m a big boy so I don’t mind.”

Hi heaped a mass of dry leaves together, saying,

“We might lay down on these leaves jest a few minutes ’til we’re a little warmer, an’ then when we’re rested we’ll go on again.  We must be ’most there now, Prue.”

By snuggling closely beside her, the boy endeavored to make up for the loss of his coat, and so completely tired out were the two little wayfarers, that sleep overtook them, and in their dreams Prue saw her beloved Randy, while Hi seemed floating through space upon one of the red plush car seats on the way to Boston.

After fruitless calls at the farm-houses Mr. Weston, now thoroughly alarmed called upon his neighbors for assistance, and searching parties with lanterns and torches commenced to scour field and wood.

In and out between the great trees they wandered, their torches and lanterns looking like giant fire-flies; and in every direction they searched for the two little travelers; now at the margin of the woodland, then in again to the heart of the forest.  One man recounted to his companion how several years before two children had been lost, and although desperate search was made, they were not found until the pond was dragged.  Another farmer, determined not to be outdone, told, with bated breath, of a bear which had been seen coming down the mountain, and that when two hunters had given chase, he had disappeared in the woods.