The Captain had recourse to the telephone again, getting residence after residence, without result. At last he hung up the receiver.
"I don't know what to make of it," he said, bewildered. "I've called every place I can think of, and I can't locate them. What can have happened?"
"Let us see how the matter stands," said Macloud. "We left them here about half-after-five, and, so far as can be ascertained, no one has seen them since. Consequently, they must have gone out for a walk or a drive. A drive is most unlikely, at this time of the day--it is dark and cold. Furthermore, your horses are in the stable, so, if they went, they didn't go alone--some one drove them. The alternative--a walk--is the probable explanation; and that remits us to an accident as the cause of delay. Which, it seems to me, is the likely explanation."
"But if there were an accident, they would have been discovered, long since; the walks are not deserted," the Captain objected.
"A young woman never goes out of town, unescorted," was the decisive answer. "This is a Southern town, you know."
"I suppose you don't care to telephone the police?" asked Croyden.
"No--not yet," the Captain replied. "Davila would never forgive me, if nothing really were wrong--besides, I couldn't. The Mayor's office is closed for the night--we're not supposed to need the police after six o'clock."
"Then Croyden and I will patrol the roads, hereabout," said Macloud.
"Good! I will go out the Queen Street pike a mile or two," the Captain said. "You and Mr. Croyden can take the King Street pike, North and South. We'll meet here not later than eleven o'clock. Excuse me a moment----"
"It is either very serious or else it's nothing at all. I mean, if anything _has_ happened, it's far out of the ordinary," Croyden answered.
"Exactly my idea--though, I confess, I haven't a notion what the serious side could be. It's safe to assume that they didn't go into the country--the hour, alone, would have deterred them, even if the danger from the negro were not present, constantly, in Miss Carrington's mind. On the other hand, how could anything have happened in the town which would prevent one of them from telephoning, or sending a message, or getting some sort of word to the Captain."