Those who had followed were now missing.  They had seen that the scouts meant business, and did not care to wander so far from town.  Hence, Paul presently found that he and his patrol had the woods almost to themselves.

Several times though he had seen other lanterns wandering around, and guessed that these were carried by some of the Slavin crowd, also diligently combing the woods in the hope of being the lucky ones to find the missing boy.

The chief of police and his party had gone off in an altogether different direction.

“How long can we keep this up, Paul?” asked Jack, when they had been moving on for two hours, with no end in sight.

“Don’t know, but we ought to be able to put our best foot forward just as long as that little fellow does, don’t you think?” replied the other, reproachfully.

“Why, of course, and don’t think I’m showing the white feather so early in the game.  I’ve made up my mind never to go back until he’s found.  Why, we can camp right in the woods if it comes to it.  And that would be a bully experience for every Fox in the bunch.  Think of having to make beds out of branches!  Ain’t I glad some of us brought our camp hatchets along.”

“And Jack, it would leave us in a good position to take up the hunt again in the morning; for you see we’d be right on the ground where the little chap passed along.  Suppose you call out again.  He might hear, and answer.”

Jack obeyed, and repeated the name of Willie in a loud voice again and again.  But only the echoes of the great woods answered.  If the boy were within reach of that cheery hail he must be wrapped in the sleep of exhaustion, and unable to reply.

Finally Jack ceased to call, for he was growing very husky.

The search still went on with unabated zeal, each boy trying to vie with his mates in the endeavor to make some new discovery.  Paul examined every faint print of that little foot, desirous of fixing the time it was made.  Wallace joined him in this, and it was clearly shown that hours must have elapsed since the child passed that way.

“Still, he may be within fifty yards of where we are.  Let’s keep at it as long as we can, and only camp when some are too tired to go on,” declared Paul, greatly disappointed to think that they had thus far been baffled by hard luck.

It was astonishing to see how far the little fellow had wandered; but fear always lends wings to the feet; and all the while Willie doubtless really believed he must be heading toward home.

And Paul noted another fact that somehow gave him new interest in the enterprise.  By degrees the trail had swung around to the left, as is nearly always the case when grown persons are lost; and the principle seemed to hold good in the case of even a child.

In itself this was not strange; but Paul knew that if they kept on for another hour the chances were they would come upon the old mill pond, nestling in the valley.  The fact caused him to remember his friend Mr. Pender; to once more mentally see that red motor with the khaki-colored top; and to picture the two strangers who had asked him so many questions.