But as hour after hour went by, the family grew more and more anxious. At eleven o'clock, Frank saddled Calico and tried to find him. He returned some time later in despair. "You might as well try to look for a needle in a haystack. Poor lad, I have faith he will ride the worst of it off and Caliph is a pretty steady little beast now. He'll bring him home." A few moments after his return, a messenger came from Captain Clarke, saying that he had been wakened by Caliph neighing at the gate and had gone out to find Sherm dazed and apparently completely exhausted. He had got him to bed where he was sleeping heavily. Captain Clarke was afraid they must be worried. He would care for him till morning, but he would be glad to have some inkling of what had happened so that he might know what to say to the boy when he waked. Dr. Morton got out his medicine case and went back with the man. CHAPTER XX THE CAPTAIN FINDS HIS OWN Chicken Little climbed the hill of sleep painfully that night, and slept late the following morning in consequence. While she was eating breakfast, Frank came in with two tear-stained, dusty letters, which he had found in the bottom of the buggy. "Is this the way you treat your correspondence, Sis?" "The idea--it's Ernest's and Katy's letters and I never read them. Sherm's trouble drove them clear out of my mind." "Evidently, one is torn part way open, and the other hasn't been touched." "Hurry up and tell us what Ernest has to say. I was wondering why he hadn't written." Mrs. Morton paused expectantly. "He says a lot of things," replied Jane, skimming rapidly through the letter. "He says they are going to start on their summer cruise next week and the boys are tickled to death to go, though they're probably just going to cruise around to Navy yards and see dry docks and improving things. He says that it's rumored that Superintendent Balch is going away and Old Rodgers is coming back as superintendent. And this year's class graduated three Japs--the Japanese government sent them over. He gives the names, but I can't pronounce them. One is I-n-o-u-y-e." "Skip the Japs and give us the rest." Frank was waiting to hear the news. "That's about all that would interest you." "My dear, anything concerning Ernest interests me," protested her mother. "But it isn't about Ernest; it's about Carol Brown." "Well, what is it?" "Oh, nothing much--he just took a fancy to my picture and asked Ernest a lot of questions." Chicken Little folded the letter and hastily slipped it back into the envelope, devoutly hoping her mother wouldn't demand to see it. She tore open Katy's. Before she had read two lines she gave a little cry of delight. "Oh, Mother, do you think I could? Oh, wouldn't it be just too wonderful? Oh Mother, you must say Yes!" "Jane, what are you talking about? Calm yourself and tell me." Mrs. Morton looked up over her spectacles severely.