He had recovered from the shock that at first almost took away his senses and he was able to think and act with his usual coolness.

But with this, the belief that Hugh and Tom had something to do with the disappearance of Dollie grew until at times he was without any doubt at all.

Occasionally, however, he wavered in his belief.
Thus it was that two theories offered themselves.

The first was that Dollie had set out to find him and had wandered up the mountain path to some point above the bridge and then had strayed from it and become lost.

Worn out, she had laid down and was at that moment asleep.
The corollary of this theory was that she had perished with cold, or would thus perish before daylight.