sweet to him, and he
would have continued to sing the praise of his pet, had not one of the
boys proposed that an effort be made to find uncle Robert's house. Then
each one had a different plan to propose, none of them thinking that
.at that hour-four o'clock in the afternoon ~ it might be an act of
charity first to give Dan and Crippy something to eat.

It surely seemed as if this discussion as to how the search should be
begun would continue until it would be too late to do anything, and
while each one was stoutly maintaining that his plan was the best, an
old-fashioned sleigh, drawn by a clumsy-looking horse, stopped directly
opposite where the boys were holding their conference.

"Why, father!" cried Dan, as he saw the occupant of the sleigh, and at
the same time
he hugged Crippy close to him as if he believed his father had come for
the goose.

"Well, Dan, you did find your uncle Robert, after all, didn't you?"
asked Mr. Hardy as he
alighted, covered old Dobbin carefully with the robe, and then went to
where Dan was sitting, already deserted by his new-made friends, who
feared Mr. Hardy was about to inflict some signal punishment.

"No, sir, I didn't find him," faltered Dan, wondering what his father
would do to him
and Crippy.

"Why, haven't you been in yet?"