Mark promised to follow these instructions, and as the two boys separated, little did either of them imagine the terrible circumstances under which their next meeting was to take place.

Mark had ridden slowly along for some time, carefully scanning the lane of light ahead of him, without shining a single pair of eyes, and was beginning to feel oppressed by the death-like stillness and solitude surrounding him.  Suddenly his light disappeared, his horse reared into the air, almost unseating him, and then dashed madly forward through the darkness.

The fire-pan, carelessly made, had given way, its blazing contents had fallen on the horse’s back, and, wild with pain, he was running away.  All this darted through Mark’s mind in an instant; but before he had time to think what he should do, the horse, with a snort of terror, stopped as suddenly as he had started—­so suddenly as to throw himself back on his haunches, and to send Mark flying through the air over his head.

Thus relieved of his rider, the horse wheeled and bounded away.  At the same instant Mark’s rifle, which he had held in his hand, fell to the ground, and was discharged with a report that rang loudly through the still night air.

The sound was distinctly heard by Frank, who was less than a mile away; and thinking it a signal from his companion, he rode rapidly in the direction from which it had come.  He had not gone far before he heard the rapid galloping of a horse, apparently going in the direction of Wakulla.  Although he fired his own rifle repeatedly, he got no response, and he finally concluded that Mark was playing a practical joke, and had ridden home after firing his gun without waiting for him.  Thus thinking, he turned his own horse’s head towards home, and an hour later reached the house.

He found Mark’s horse standing at the stable door in a lather of foam, and still saddled and bridled.  Then it flashed across him that something had happened to Mark, and, filled with a sickening dread, he hurried into the house and aroused Mr. Elmer.

“Hasn’t Mark come home?” he inquired, in a husky voice.

“No, not yet.  Isn’t he with you?” asked Mr. Elmer, in surprise.

“No; and if he isn’t here something dreadful has happened to him, I’m afraid”; and then Frank hurriedly told Mr. Elmer what he knew of the events of the hunt.

“We must go in search of him at once,” said Mr. Elmer, in a trembling voice, “and you must guide us as nearly as possible to the point from which you heard the shot.”

Hastily arousing Mr. March and Jan, and telling them to saddle the mules, Mr. Elmer went to his wife, who was inquiring anxiously what had happened, and told her that Mark was lost, and that they were going to find him.  The poor mother begged to be allowed to go too; but assuring her that this was impossible, and telling Ruth to comfort her mother as well as she could, Mr. Elmer hurried away, mounted Mark’s horse, and the party rode off.