“Listen!” said Jack suddenly, as they stopped for a moment.  “What is that?”

Faint and far in the distance sounded what seemed like a bugle call.

“It is a bugle call,” cried Dick.  “It must be Pepper.”

“It may be possible,” admitted Donald.

Putting his bugle to his lips Rand blew a long, clear call, but it brought no response.

“Which way did the sound come from?” asked Gerald.

“From over that way,” replied Dick, indicating with his hand.

“What would he be doing away off there?” demanded Donald.

“There is it again,” said Gerald, as the sound was repeated.

“It is over this way,” declared Jack, designating another direction.

“No, it’s over this way,” asserted Dick, but still at variance with the others.

“Wait,” said Rand, “maybe we can hear it again.”

The boys stood silent for a few moments, when the call came faintly once again.

“It is over this way,” declared Rand, leading the way to the right, but, although they stopped from time to time to listen, they did not hear the sound again, nor did they find any trace of their missing comrade.  For a half hour or more they continued their search, but in vain, and they were returning to the road when they heard the call again, but so faintly that it was lost almost as soon as heard.

“He is going away,” decided Rand.  “There is certainly something queer about it.”

“In my opinion,” began Donald, “’tis no use looking any more.”

“Why not?” asked Rand.

“Because it was no mortal sound,” replied Donald.

“Nonsense!” exclaimed Rand.

“Nonsense or no,” retorted Donald stoutly, “I don’t like it.”

“What is it, then, Donald, if it isn’t mortal?” asked Rand.

“I can no rightly say,” responded Donald, “but I don’t believe you will ever find him.”

“Pooh!” returned Rand; “he may be along any minute.”

“Let us go on to Highpoint,” proposed Jack, “and see if he has been there.”

As nothing better was suggested the boys set out for Highpoint, which they soon reached, and a short hunt enabled them to find Jack Dudley, the leader of the Highpoint Patrol, from whom they learned that Pepper had not been there.

“What time did he start?” asked Dudley.

“Eight o’clock,” replied Rand.

“It’s very strange,” said Dudley.  “He may have met with some accident.  I will hunt up our patrol and will help you search for him.  If you will go back and start from the point where you searched before we will take up the scout from here and keep on until we find him, or we join forces again, unless you have something better to propose.”

“I don’t think there is any better way,” said Rand, with which the others agreed, and thanking him for his offer, the Uncas boys, now thoroughly alarmed, set out again upon the search.