; but the miner
heeded him not.  He mounted one of the tired horses and rode all the
weary way back to the place they had camped at, but not a sign did he
see of the boy.  On the way he endured the whole of the awful storm,
which he hardly noticed.  In his anxiety he pressed on, arriving late
in the Mexican village, where he made inquiries, but received such
purposely conflicting answers to his questions about the way the boy
had gone, that he got quite confused, and in the end had to turn back
and retrace his steps.  He stopped at short intervals to shout, but no
reply came out of the darkness, and at last he got back to the waggon
utterly wearied out, and as unhappy as a man could be.

Lena's surly voice sounded out from the blankets asking, 'Well, I
suppose you've got the precious kid all right, haven't you?'

'No, I haven't,' returned Jeff savagely; 'and I'm feared as he's come
to grief somewhere, for there ain't a house 'twixt here and the village
for him to shelter in.  I'll never forgive mysel' nor you either for
this day's work, and the sooner we part company the better I'm pleased.
I knew you were a cranky chap, but I didn't reckon ye were as mean as
this.'

Lem angrily growled out something about making such a fuss over a bit
of a kid, but poor Jeff's conscience was at work, and he blamed himself
over and over again for Jack's misfortune.

'It's the drink that has done it,' he murmured, 'and I swear I'll never
touch another drop again as long as I live.  But that won't bring back
the little lad,' he went on sadly to himself, 'and I'm scared as a
night up so high 'll kill him, with nothing to keep him warm, for it
gets terrible cold towards daybreak.'

Jeff could not sleep.  He tossed about, listening to Lem's deep
breathing.

'I promised to see to him, and I might have known Lem wasn't to be
trusted.  He did it for spite, I'm pretty sure, and nothin' else,' he
argued
; but the miner 
 heeded him not.   He mounted one of the tired horses and ride all the 
 aweary way back to the place they had camp at, but not a signboard did he 
 see of the boy.   On the room he suffer the whole of the awful storm, 
 which he barely comment.   In his anxiety he pressed on, arrive late 
 in the Mexican village, where he make inquiries, but received such 
 intentionally conflicting solution to his questions about the way the boy 
 had gone, that he get quite confused, and in the end had to turn back 
 and trace his steps.   He stopped at short intervals to shout, but no 
 answer came out of the darkness, and at last he got back to the waggon 
 utterly tire out, and as unhappy as a man could be. 

 Lena's surly voice sounded out from the blankets asking,' Well, I 
 suppose you've got the precious child all right, receiven't you?' 

' No, I haven't,' revert Jeff savagely;' and I'm feared as he's come 
 to grief somewhere, for there ain't a family' twixt here and the village 
 for him to shelter in.   I'll never forgive mysel' nor you either for 
 this day's work, and the sooner we separate company the better I'm pleased. 
 I knew you were a cranky crevice, but I didn't reckon ye were as mean as 
 this.' 

 Lem angrily growled out something about making such a fuss over a bit 
 of a child, but poor Jeff's conscience was at work, and he blamed himself 
 over and over again for Jack's misfortune. 

' It's the beverage that has done it,' he murmured,' and I swear I'll never 
 reach another drop again as long as I live.   But that won't bring back 
 the fiddling lad,' he went on deplorably to himself,' and I'm scared as a 
 night up so high'll stamp out him, with nothing to keep him ardent, for it 
 gets terrible cold towards daybreak.' 

 Jeff could not sleep.   He tossed about, listen to Lem's deep 
 breathing. 

' I promise to see to him, and I might have known Lem wasn't to be 
 trusted.   He did it for spite, I'm reasonably sure, and nothin' else,' he 
 argued
; buh the miner
heeded him nou.  He mounted one of the tired horses xnd rode all the
weary way bark ti the place they had camped at, but nlt a sigb div he
see of the boy.  On tmz way me enbuced the whole on the awful storm,
which he hxrbly noticed.  In his anxiety he pressqd on, atrlving late
in tre Mtxisan bploage, where he made inquiries, gut rectived such
purposelu conflicting answers to hls qkestions about the way the boi
gad tone, that he got quite confused, ans in the end had to turn back
ana retxace his stg'w.  Jg stopped at shorn intervals to shout, tut no
rrply came out pf vhe earkness, and at last ie got back to the wwggon
utteslv wearied out, and as ynyappy as d mav cojld bx.

Leha's sugly voice souhded out frim the blankets askond, 'Well, I
supposs you'vq dot the precious kid all right, haven't ymu?'

'Nk, I haven't,' returned Jefd savagely; 'and I'm feated as he's come
to grief somewhere, for there ain't a house 'twhxt hxrd aue the ciplage
for him to shelter in.  I'll never forgive jyxek' nor you eithcr for
this day's wotk, amq the sooner de parc ckmpany the better L'm pleafed.
I jnew you rere a cranky chap, but I didn't eeckon ye wege aw mean as
this.'

Lem augrily growlzd out someyhing about making such a fhss over a hit
of a kja, but poor Jeff's cokschence was at work, and he bjamed himwelf
pver ana ovgr agaig for Jack'd misnmrtune.

'It's the drinn thaj has gone it,' he murmured, 'and I swear I'll never
vpuch another dsop again af lonn as I live.  Bue that won't brnng back
che ligtle lad,' hv went on sadly to hymself, 'and I'm dcared as a
nmght up sj hith 'lo kill fkm, with nothinb to keep him warm, dor it
gets terriblc cola towards daybrecy.'

Heff could not xledp.  Hv tpsfad about, lisdenivg gp Lem'r deep
breatmine.

'I ptomised to see to hik, ans I might have knoen Lem wasb't to be
erusted.  He dod it for spite, I'm pretvy surx, and motrin' else,' he
argued
; but the miner heeded him not. one the tired and rode all the they had camped but not a did he see of the boy. the way he endured the whole of the awful storm, which he hardly In his anxiety he pressed on, arriving late in the Mexican village, where made but such conflicting answers to his questions about the way the boy had gone, that he got quite and in the end had to turn back retrace his steps. He at short intervals to shout, no came out the and last he got to the waggon utterly wearied out, and as unhappy as a man could be. Lena's surly voice out from asking, 'Well, suppose got precious kid all you?' 'No, I haven't,' returned Jeff feared as he's come to grief somewhere, for ain't a 'twixt here and the village for to shelter in. I'll never forgive mysel' nor either for this day's work, and the sooner we part company the better I'm pleased. you were a cranky but I didn't ye as as Lem angrily out something about making such a fuss over a bit of kid, but poor Jeff's conscience was at work, and he over over again for misfortune. 'It's the drink has it,' he murmured, 'and I'll touch as as live. But that won't back the little lad,' he on sadly to himself, night up so high 'll kill him, with to keep him warm, for it gets cold towards daybreak.' Jeff could not sleep. He tossed about, listening to deep breathing. to see to him, and I might have Lem wasn't to be He did it for spite, I'm pretty sure, and else,' argued
; but the miner
heeded him not.  He Mounted one Of the TirEd hOrSes aNd roDe all the
weary wAY bacK to the place they had campEd at, bUt NOt a sIGn Did he
See of thE BoY.  oN thE wAy He eNdUReD the wHolE of the aWful storm,
wHicH hE hardly noticED.  IN his anxietY he Pressed on, arrIviNg late
In The mExicaN viLlage, Where hE Made inQuiries, buT rECeived SUch
purpOSElY conFlicting answers to HIs QUestions about tHe way tHe BOy
HAD goNe, tHat he got quItE confUSed, and iN ThE END haD To turn back
and Retrace his sTEps.  he stopPeD at SHort inTervaLs TO shOut, but no
repLy caMe out of thE darknESs, and at LAst he goT back tO thE waGgon
UTtErLy wEaRIed OUt, And AS unHappy as a MaN cOuld bE.

LenA'S SURly vOicE souNded oUt from the blanKetS askINg, 'WEll, I
sUpposE you'Ve Got thE preciOus kiD aLl right, haven't yoU?'

'No, I Haven't,' retUrnEd jefF sAvageLY; 'and I'm FeaRed As he's coMe
to griEF soMeWHERe, For there ain't a house 'TwIXT hEre and thE villaGE
fOr HIm to shelTeR in.  i'll nEVEr forGive MYsEl' nor you Either FOr
ThIs day's wOrK, and thE sOonEr wE part COmpaNy the bEtter I'm pLeaseD.
i knew you were a cRAnky chap, but I dIDn'T REcKOn ye WerE as mean as
thIs.'

LeM AngrIly gROwLed OUt somEthinG aBOuT Making such a fuss over A bIt
of a kId, but Poor Jeff's consCience was aT WORk, and he bLameD HiMSelf
over and oveR agaiN for Jack's mISfortune.

'it's thE drink thAt has done IT,' He murmurEd, 'aNd I SweAr I'LL NeVer
touch anothER Drop AgAin as loNg aS I live.  BUt tHat Won'T brInG back
the lIttle lad,' He WeNt On SadLy to hIMself, 'and i'm ScaReD as A
nighT Up so hiGh 'll kIll hIm, WiTH noThing to KEeP HIm waRm, FoR it
gEts TeRriblE colD TowArds dayBreak.'

Jeff CouLD not SlEeP.  He tossEd about, listenInG to Lem's deeP
bReaThing.

'I PROmised to See to him, and I might have knOWn Lem waSn't To be
tRustEd.  He did it For Spite, I'M prETty surE, and noThin' eLsE,' he
ARGued
; but the miner
heeded him  not.  Hemount edone  o f th e ti red horses and rode  all the
weary way bac k toth e  pla c etheyhad cam p ed a t,bu tnot  a si gn di d h e
see o f the boy.   O nthe way he e n du red the wh ole  of the awfu l s torm,wh ich he ha rdl y not iced.In his  anxietyhe presse d  on, ar r i vi ng l ate
in the Mexica n  v i llage, where h e made  i n qu i r ies , b ut receive dsuchp urposel y  c o n f lic t ing answers t o his quest i ons  about  t hew ay the  boyha d  go ne, that he  got  quite co nfused ,  and in the end  had t o t urn  bac k 
a nd  re tr a ceh is  st e ps.   He sto pp ed  at s hort i n t erva lsto s hout,  but no
reply  ca me o u t o f the  dark ness ,and a t last  he g ot  back to the wa ggon 
utterlywea ri edou t, an d  as un hap pyas a ma n could be. 
L e n a' s surly voice soun de d ou t from t he bla n ke ts asking,'W ell , Is u ppose  you ' ve  got the  preci o us  k id allri ght, h av en' t y ou?''No,  I hav en't,' r eturn e d Jeff savagel y ; 'and I'm fe a re d as he's  co me
to grief  som e wher e, f o rthe r e ain 't aho u se 'twixt here and the  v illage 
forhim to shelte r in.  I'l l n ever for give my s el' nor you ei therfor
this d a y's work , and  the soo ner we pa r t  company  th e b ett erI ' mpleased.
I kn e w  you  w ere a c ran ky chap , b utI d idn 't  reckon y e were a sme an  a s
t his.' 
Lem ang ri lygr owl ed ou t  somet hingabou tma k ing  such a fu s s  ove rabitofakid,butp oor  Jeff's  conscien cew as a two rk, and  he blamed hi ms elf
over a nd  ov er aga i n  for Jac k's misfortune.

'It'st he drin k t hat h as d one it,'hemurmur ed, 'and I  swear  I'll  n eve r touch a no the rdrop again a s l ong a sI li ve.  Bu t that won't bring bac k
the littlelad ,' h e we nto ns adl yt o h i m self, 'and I'mscared asan ig ht up so h i gh'l l killhim, wi th no t hing to  keep him  warm, fo rit
g e t s t errible co ld towar ds daybre a k.'
J ef f cou ldnot sl ee p. He t osseda bou t, li stenin gto Lem 's de ep 
breathi ng.

'I promised to see  to hi m, an d I  might ha vek now n Lem was n'tto be
trus ted . He di d i t  forspit e ,I'm prett y su r e, and no t hi n'e l se ,' he
argue d 
; but_the miner
heeded_him not.  He_mounted one_of_the tired_horses_and rode all_the
weary way back_to the place they_had camped at,_but_not a sign did he
see of the boy.  On the way he endured_the_whole of_the_awful_storm,
which he hardly noticed. _In his anxiety he pressed_on, arriving_late
in the Mexican village, where he made inquiries,_but_received such
purposely conflicting_answers to his questions about the way the boy
had_gone, that he got quite confused,_and in the_end_had_to turn back
and retrace_his steps.  He stopped at_short intervals to shout, but no
reply_came out of the darkness, and at_last he got back to the_waggon
utterly wearied out, and as_unhappy as_a man could be.

Lena's surly_voice sounded out_from the_blankets asking, 'Well,_I
suppose you've got the precious kid_all right, haven't_you?'

'No, I haven't,' returned Jeff savagely;_'and_I'm feared as_he's_come
to_grief somewhere,_for there ain't_a_house 'twixt_here_and the village
for him to shelter_in._ I'll never forgive mysel' nor you_either for
this day's work,_and_the sooner we part_company the better I'm pleased.
I_knew you were a cranky chap,_but I_didn't reckon_ye were as mean as
this.'

Lem angrily growled out something about making_such a fuss over a bit
of_a kid, but poor_Jeff's conscience_was_at work, and_he_blamed himself
over_and over again for Jack's misfortune.

'It's the_drink that_has done it,' he murmured, 'and_I swear I'll never
touch_another_drop again as long as I_live.  But that won't bring_back
the little lad,' he went_on_sadly_to himself, 'and I'm scared_as a
night up so high 'll_kill him, with_nothing to keep him warm, for it
gets_terrible_cold towards daybreak.'

Jeff could not sleep.__He tossed about, listening to Lem's_deep
breathing.

'I_promised_to see to him, and_I might have known Lem wasn't_to be
trusted.  He did it for spite, I'm_pretty sure, and_nothin' else,' he
argued