How often had he been out in the early morning on the hot plains alone with his father! And how once when the grass caught fire, they had to run for dear life and take shelter in the creek until the fiery sea had swept by! And now, now, where--oh, where--was that father? It would come back, try to be as brave as he would. It would come back, and his heart would suddenly fill with pain, and cry out for that lost father. "Time's up!" sang out Warren, stuffing the last of his cake into his mouth. "Now, you fellows, come on!" Off they went with a whoop and hallo! Perhaps not quite so fast now, for cake and milk interfere somewhat with scudding. And Ralph, now with his chum and Warren, suddenly stopped, staring hard on the ground. His companions could see nothing, and looked at him in surprise. Their eyes had never been trained to read the surface of the earth. But Ralph had suddenly lighted upon a freshly made trail. A trap had gone along here--a light trap, like that which had left those other traces in Stow Wood; and this trap, like that again, had been drawn by a horse lame in its left forefoot! CHAPTER VII HORACE ELGERT GOES A LITTLE TOO FAR "What's the matter, Rexworth?" So queried Warren. Ralph was standing anxiously looking around. He was perplexed, and did not know what he ought to do. These marks might afford him a clue to the mystery of his father's disappearance; and yet the chance seemed but slight, there were more horses than one going lame in one leg. If he stopped he would be late for school, and he did not want to get into disgrace. He could not explain to his companions, for he saw that if he was ever to succeed he must keep his secrets to himself. A casual word, heedlessly dropped, that he was looking for a lame horse which drew a light trap might be enough to make the owner of horse and trap very careful that he should not be traced. "It was nothing," he said slowly. "I was thinking." "Then don't stop to think now," was the advice he received. "We have been a little too far. You scudded along so, and we tried to beat you. We cannot waste any more time. Come on." He went on with his friends. He felt that it was right to do so. Moreover, the man with the horse and trap must be in the locality still, and if he was not scared off, those tracks would be made again, perhaps even more clearly, and Ralph might then have better opportunity of following them. It was the right thing to go back to the school now. "I say," suddenly queried Warren, as they hurried on. "Has Elgert said anything more to you?" "No; I have not seen him, except just as we were coming out, when he came into the gymnasium." "Well, he is bound to do so, after what happened yesterday. I do not see how he can help it, or how you can avoid it. You will have to fight him, Rexworth."