In silence he cooked the humble dinner, which he placed on the table in
front of his equally voiceless companion. Keno and the pup went at the
meal with unpoetic vigor, but Jim could do no eating. He went to the
door from time to time to listen. Then he once more searched the
blankets in the bunks.

"Wal, anyway," said he, at last, "he took his doll."




CHAPTER IX

THE GUILTY MISS DOC

That Keno and Tintoretto should sleep was inevitable, after the way
they had eaten. Old Jim then took his lantern and went out alone.
Perhaps his tiny foundling had wandered away by himself, he thought.
Searching and searching, up hill and down, lighting his way through the
brush, the miner went on and on, to leave no spot unvisited. He was
out all night, wandering here and climbing there on the hillside,
pausing now and again to listen and to look about, almost expectantly,
where naught could be seen save the mighty procession of the stars, and
naught could be heard save the ringing of the inter-stellar silence as
the earth swung steadily onward in her course.

Hour after hour of the darkness went by and found him searching still.
With the coming of the morning he suddenly grasped at a startling
thought.