Frank whistled and shouted several times in vain, and then set out to hunt up his favorite.

He visited the Rancheros' quarters, and found Felix and Pierre sitting in the door of one of the cabins, smoking their cigarettes.

The former had not seen the dog; but, willing to serve Frank to any extent in his power, offered to go in search of the animal.
Pierre, however, said that would be useless, for he had seen Marmion in hot pursuit of a rabbit.

No doubt he had driven the game into its burrow, and was engaged in digging it out.

When he caught the rabbit, he would come home of his own free will.
Although Frank was suspicious of every thing Pierre said or did, he could see no reason for disbelieving this story.