"That's too bad," spoke Mr. Crosby, seriously. "He may run into something, and get hurt, or he may get lost and it will be a week before we can trace him. Or maybe some one may steal him. I heard there was a band of gypsies over near Fentonville, and they're great hands to steal horses. Better take after him, boys." "We will, dad," said Jed. "Will you go over there and look after my nag? He's tied, but he may take a notion to go off." "Oh, I guess Ned is safe," remarked Mr. Crosby. "But I would hate to have anything happen to Pete. We need both horses very much at this season, when there's so much cultivating to do, and if he gets stolen, or injured so he can't work, it will be quite a loss to me." "We'll get him, dad," spoke Will. "I'll go over and do some cultivating until you get back," went on the boys' father. "Land sakes! But I wish it would rain!" and, with the worried look still on his face, the farmer climbed the fence and walked through the rows of corn. Meanwhile the two brothers started on an easy run down the highway. They knew they might have a long chase after the runaway, and they wanted to save their energies. "Suppose he runs into a carriage, or something, and gets all cut and bruised and lame, so he can't work," spoke Will. "What's the use of supposing any such thing as that?" asked Jed. "Probably he'll run until he gets tired, and we'll find him along the road, waiting for us." "I'm afraid something will happen," went on Will, rather gloomily. "Maybe, as dad said, the gypsies will steal him." "Nonsense!" retorted Jed, taking a more hopeful view. "What's the use of worrying until you have to?" "But if we lose that horse it will be a serious blow to dad. He's only got these two, and there's no money left to hire or buy another." "How do you know?" "I heard him and mother talking about it the other night. She asked him why he didn't hire Joe Wright's horse, to help with the cultivating, and he said he couldn't afford it." "Well, of course it would be serious if we only had one horse left to do the farm work with," admitted Jed. "But Pete isn't lost yet." "It will be my fault if he is," said his brother. "I suppose I shouldn't have unharnessed him from the cultivator. He couldn't have run very far, dragging that." "I guess not. But we'll find him, all right." "I can't see any more of him." "No, he's gone around the bend in the road. We'll make some inquiries when we get there." The two lads went on at a dog-trot. In spite of the calm way in which he took it, Jed was not a little worried over the running away of the horse. A number of things might happen to the animal, and even the loss of its services meant a serious handicap at the farm in those hard times. Both boys felt that they simply must recover the animal, before it had run too far.