'Oh, papa,' cried Bell, do not leave us at home! We can hunt as well
as any one; we know every foot of the canyon. Let me go with Geoff,
and we'll follow the brook trail.'

'Very well. Now, mamma, Pancho and I will go down to the main road,
and you wait patiently here. Make all the noise you can, children;
and the one who finds him must come back to the camp and blow the
horn. Hop Yet, we go now; if Dicky comes back, you blow the horn
yourself, will you?'

'All light, boss. You eat um dinner now; then go bime-by; mutton
heap cold; you--'

'Dinner!' shouted Jack. 'Confound your impudence! If you say dinner
again, I'll cut the queue off your stupid head.'

'Good!' murmured Polly, giving a savage punch to her blue Tam o'
Shanter cap.

'Jack, Jack!' remonstrated Aunt Truth.

'I know, dear auntie; but the callous old heathen makes me so mad I
can't contain myself. Come, Margery, let's be off. Get your shawl;
and hurrah for the one who comes back to blow the horn first! I'll
wager you ten to one I'll have Dick in auntie's lap inside the
hour!'--at which Aunt Truth's eyes brightened, and she began to take
heart again. But as he tore past the brush kitchen and out into the
woods, dragging Madge after him at a breathless pace, he shut his
lips together rather grimly, saying, 'I'd give five hundred dollars