Chapter 11: The Losing and Finding of Ailie

It was not until they had completed the day’s task and the wood was all ready to be loaded into the cart, that Mr. Macrae missed Ailie.

Not seeing her about, he called out:

‘Ailie, Ailie, my bairnie, where are you? Come ye here noo!’

Then, getting no response, he began to call louder and louder, and to go this way and that among the trees, looking anxiously for the golden-haired lassie, while Hector ran out on the prairie calling with all his might:

‘Ailie! Ailie! come here.’ Still no answer, and as the sun had set and it was already beginning to grow dusk, the anxiety of father and brother became intense.

Little Ailie was lost—lost on the prairie—and in a short time night would be upon them. Oh, what was to be done?

After the first hurried rushing hither and thither without avail, Mr. Macrae, realizing that it would be necessary to carry on the search on a larger scale, called Hector to him and said:

‘We must have help. I’ll go and get our friends. Ye bide here. Maybe Ailie will come back of herself.’

So saying, Mr. Macrae set off on foot across the prairie at a swift pace, far faster than could have been made by the heavily-loaded cart.

Thus left alone, Hector, in spite of himself, began to feel nervous. Snow, the first of the year, began falling softly and silently.

For some time Hector sat waiting, then the happy thought came to him to set the dogs on Ailie’s trail. He took from his pocket a ribbon the child had dropped the day before, and showing it to the clever creatures, told them to ‘find Ailie.’ They seemed to understand at once what was expected of them, and set out on the vanishing, whitening trail, Hector keeping up with them as best he might.