But a few seconds
of frantic search proved the baby was gone. The two men glared at
each other in silent horror. Then by tacit impulse they got into
the car.
"It couldn't 'a' walked off, could it?" gurgled the driver. "They
can't walk, can they;--not at six months? Not far, anyhow?"
"It--it was took!" sputtered his brother between chattering
teeth.
Another moment of scared silence. Then the driver rallied his
awed faculties. Stepping on the self-starter, he brought the
runabout into motion, and headed down the road.
"Where are you goin'?" queried the other. "No use a-keepin' on,
this d'rection. It--"
"If it was took," answered the driver, truculently, " 'twasn't
took by no car. We'd 'a' heard a car or we'd 'a' saw it. If it
had been took by two or three folks a-walkin', we'd 'a' heard 'em
blat to each other when they seen the kid layin' there. That
means it was took by one person, all alone. He didn't pass us,
while we was workin'. Then, unless he's took to the fields, he's
a-goin' the same way we are. An' we're due to overhaul him.
There'll only just be one of him; and there's two of us.
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