CHAPTER XXIV 

THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING BOY 

"Tom isn't here!" 

It was Dick who uttered the words, as of a sudden he wheeled around on the dark trail and tried to penetrate the blackness of night behind them. 

"Isn't here?" demanded Jack Wumble, while Sam set up a cry of dismay. 

"No. Tom! Tom!" 

Sam joined in the cry, and so did the old miner, but as we already know, it was useless. 

"This is the wust yet!" growled Jack Wumble. "I told ye all to keep close to me." 

"Perhaps he fell asleep-- I know he was dead tired," answered Dick, hitting the plain truth. 

"We'll have to go back for him," said Sam, and turned without delay, for going ahead without Tom was all out of the question. 

"Yes, we'll go back," rejoined the old miner. "But go slow, or you may make matters wuss. I kin follow a clear trail, even of three hosses, but I can't follow a trail mixed up backward an' forward." 

They rode back slowly until at least half a mile had been covered. Then they shouted, but only a dismal echo came back. Dick fancied once that he heard Tom calling, but was not sure. 

Daylight found them still searching around, Dick and Sam with more sober faces than they had worn in many a day. They knew only too well the danger of becoming lost in those wild mountains. 

"Perhaps he has fallen in with Baxter's party," suggested Dick, as they came to a halt at the edge of a cliff overlooking a rushing river far below. It was past the breakfast hour, yet none of them felt like eating.  QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Who was trying to find Tom?
2. Who was on the lookout for Tom?
3. Who was attempting to locate Tom?
Q2:
1. What was Dick's reason for trying to find Tom?
2. Why was Dick attempting to locate Tom?
3. For what reason was Dick searching for Tom?
Q3:
1. What was the group's location?
2. Where was the group of boys?
3. Where could the boys be found?
Q4:
1. Had Tom fallen asleep?
2. Was Tom not awake?
3. Was Tom resting his eyes?
Q5:
1. What makes you think Tom was asleep?
2. What gives you the impression that Tom was sleeping?
3. Why do you think Tom wasn't awake?
Q6:
1. What gave Dick the impression that Tom was asleep?
2. Why did Dick believe that Tom might be asleep?
3. What made Dick think that Tom might be sleeping?
Q7:
1. What did the group have to eat?
2. What was the boys' meal?
3. What did the gorup munch on?
Q8:
1. Why didn't anyone want to eat?
2. What made no one interested in having some food?
3. Why wasn't anyone interested in eating?
Q9:
1. Was another mining crew present?
2. Were there additional mining crews?
3. Could additional mining crews be found?
Q10:
1. Did the group's voices make an echo?
2. Could an echo be detected?
3. Did the group's location allow for the creation of an echo?
