Churchwarden Rounds kept his word, for at the first break of day his
vigorous arms sent the ting-tang ringing in a very different way to that
adopted by old Chakes for the last few minutes before service commenced
on Sunday morning and afternoon. And he did not ring in vain, for
though the search was given up in the night the objections were very
genuine. Everyone was eager to help so respected a neighbour as the
doctor, and to a man the searchers surrounded him as he walked up to the
church; even Wrench the carpenter, and Chakes the sexton putting in an
appearance in a different suit to that worn over-night and apparently
none the worse for the cold plunge into peaty water they had had.
The rector was not present, and the little expedition was about to
start, when Macey came running up to say that Mr Syme was close behind.
This decided the doctor to pause for a few minutes, and while it was
still twilight the rector with Gilmore and Distin came up, the former
apologising for being so late.
"I'm afraid that I fell asleep in my chair, Lee," he whispered. "I'm
very sorry."
"There is no need to say anything," said the doctor sadly. "It is
hardly daybreak even now."
Gilmore looked haggard, and his face on one side was marked by the
leather of the chair in which he had been asleep. Macey looked red-eyed
too, but Distin was perfectly calm and as neat as if he had been to bed
as usual to enjoy an uninterrupted night's rest.
When the start was made, it having been decided to follow the same
course as over-night, hardly a word was said, for in addition to the
depression caused by the object in view, the morning felt chilly, and
everything looked grim and strange in the mist.
The rector and doctor led the way with the churchwarden, then followed
the rector's three pupils, and after them the servants and townspeople
in silence.
Macey was the first of the rectory trio to speak, and he harked back to
the idea that Vane must be caught in the brambles just as he had been
when trying to make a short cut, but Gilmore scouted the notion at once.
"Impossible!" he said, "Vane wouldn't be so stupid. If he is lost on
the moor it is because he slipped into one of those black bog holes, got
tangled in the water-weeds and couldn't get out."
"Ugh!" exclaimed Macey with a shudder. "Oh, I say: don't talk like
that. It's too horrid. You don't think so, do you, Distie? Why it has
made you as white as wax to hear him talk like that."
Distin shivered as if he were cold, and he forced a smile as he said
hastily:--
"No: of course I don't. It's absurd."
"What is?" said Gilmore.
"Your talking like this. It isn't likely. I think it's a great piece
of nonsense, this searching the country."
"Why, what would you do?" cried Macey.
"I--I--I don't know," cried Distin, who was taken aback. "Yes, I do. I
should drive over to the station to see if he took a ticket for London,
or Sheffield, or Birmingham, or somewhere. It's just like him. He has
gone to buy screws, or something, to make a whim-wham to wind up the
sun."
"No, he hasn't," said Macey sturdily; "he wouldn't go and upset the
people at home like that; he's too fond of them."
"Pish!" ejaculated Distin contemptuously.
"Distie's sour because he is up so early, Gil," continued Macey. "Don't
you believe it. Vane's too good a chap to go off like that."
"Bah! he is always changing about. Why, you two fellows call him
Weathercock."
"Well!" cried Gilmore; "it isn't because we don't like him."
"No," said Macey, "only in good-humoured fun, because he turns about so.
I wish," he added dolefully, "he would turn round here now."
"You don't think as the young master's really drownded, do you?" said a
voice behind, and Macey turned sharply, to find that Bruff had been
listening to every word.
"No, I don't," he cried angrily; "and I'll punch anybody's head who says
he is. I believe old Distie wishes he was."
"You're a donkey," cried Distin, turning scarlet.
"Then keep away from my heels--I might kick. It makes me want to with
everybody going along as cool as can be, as if on purpose, to fish the
best chap I ever knew out of some black hole among the bushes."
"Best chap!" said Distin, contemptuously.
"Yes: best chap," retorted Macey, whose temper was soured by the cold
and sleeplessness of the past night.
Further words were stopped by the churchwarden's climbing up the sandy
bank of the deep lane, and stopping half-way to the top to stretch out
his hand to the rector whom he helped till he was amongst the furze,
when he turned to help the doctor, who was, however, active enough to
mount by himself.
The rest of the party were soon up in a group, and then there was a
pause and the churchwarden spoke.
"If neither of you gentlemen, has settled what to do," he said, "it
seems to me the best thing is to make a line of our-sens along top of
the bank here, and then go steady right along towards Lenby--say twenty
yards apart."