He marched down the other side of the hill for quite a mile, keeping a
good look-out, however, lest some huge ice-bear should catch him
unawares.

By and by he missed his little four-footed friend, and traced him by his
footprints into a cave.

He called aloud, but received no answer. The cave seemed to be a vast
one, and he had to feel his way in the dark with his rifle, for fear of
falling down some hole.

As he could hear nothing, he thought poor Veevee must be dead, and slowly
and sadly turned back.

His foot kicked against something hard when he was near to the entrance,
and, stooping down, he picked up what seemed to be a piece of white
stone, and put it into the pocket of his jacket.

When he got back home at last, poor Pansy cried very much indeed at the
loss of her pet. But when, next morning, she found him curled up at her
feet, she thought it must have been all a dream.

How the dog got back was never known, but it is possible he had been
wandering all night in that cavern, deep down in the earth, and come out
at the lake side of the range of hills.

* * * * *

It was quite a month before Tom crossed the hills again. By this time
spring had already come back to Fairy Island. The buds were all out on