As we already know, it was empty. The discovery was something of a shock to the farmer and for the moment he stood stock-still, gazing at the bed and feeling under the covers to make certain that his nephew was not really there. "Gone!" he muttered at last. "He must be downstairs. More'n likely he went down to git somethin' to eat. Wait till I catch him! I'll tan him well!" Hoping to catch Nat unawares, he tiptoed his way down the stairs and entered the living room. Then he passed to the kitchen and the shed, and came back to peer into the parlor. Not a trace of the lad was to be found anywhere. "I certainly heard him," he reasoned. "I certainly did." "Mr. Balberry!" The call came from the housekeeper. "Are you up?" "Yes, I am." "Oh, all right." "But it ain't all right! Nat's up too." "Is he down there with you?" "No, I don't know at all where he is. I'm a-lookin' fer him." By this time Mrs. Felton's curiosity was aroused and she lost no time in slipping on her wrapper. When she came down she brought with her a lamp. "Where do you suppose he went?" she asked. "How do I know?" snarled Abner Balberry. The housekeeper happened to glance into the pantry. She was about to utter an exclamation, but checked herself. "What did you say, Mrs. Felton?" "I--I didn't say anything." "He ain't in there, is he?" "No." "Has he been at the victuals?" "Not--not very much," stammered the housekeeper. "Humph! I guess he ate as much as he wanted. Jest wait till I catch him--I'll tan him harder than he was ever tanned before!" "Maybe he went to bed again." "No, I jest looked into his room." Abner Balberry unlocked the kitchen door and stepped out into the dooryard. As he did this he caught sight of somebody running swiftly down the road. "Hi! Stop!" he yelled. "Stop, Nat, do you hear?" To this there was no answer, and the fleeing individual merely ran the faster. "Was it Nat?" asked the housekeeper. "To be sure it was. Oh, wait till I lay my hands on him!" And the farmer shook his fist at the figure that was fast disappearing in the gloom. "What's that light in the barn?" demanded Mrs. Felton, an instant later. "Light? Where?" "Up in the haymow." Abner Balberry gave a glance toward the structure. "The barn's afire!" he screamed. "Thet good-fer-nuthin' boy has set the place on fire!" "Oh! oh!" screamed the housekeeper, and began to tremble from head to feet, for to her mind a fire was the most dreadful thing that could happen. "I've got to git thet fire out," said the farmer, and ran toward the barn with all speed. "Be careful, or you'll be burnt up!" screamed Mrs. Felton. "Go on an' git the water pails!" said the farmer. "Fill everything with water. An' bring a rag carpet, an' I'll soak thet too!" He already had an old patch of carpet used at the doorstep in his hand, and this he soused in the watering trough as he passed. Then he ran into the open barn and mounted to the loft.