In the morning she directed her steps towards the East, crossed the north Branch, mistaking it for "Open Brooke," and travelled, frequently running, in a south-east direction (her way home was due north) seven or eight miles till she came to the great Hay-meadow in Windsor.

There she spent Sabbath night, and on Monday morning directed her course to, and thence down, the South Branch in the great Meadow.
After this, she appears to have spent her time, except while she was searching for food for herself and dog, in walking and running over the meadow, and up and down the south branch, in search of her home, occasionally wandering upon the highlands, and far down towards the junction of the two main streams, never being more than seven or eight miles from home.
For several days, by attempting to follow the sun, she travelled in a circle, finding herself at night near the place where she left in the morning.

Although she often came across the tracks of large parties of men, and their recently-erected camps, and knew that multitudes of people were in search of her, she saw no living person, and heard no sound of trumpet, or other noise, except the report of a gun, as she lay by a brook, early on Thursday morning, the sixth day of her being lost.
Thinking the gun to have been fired not more than half a mile distant, she said she "screamed and run" to the place from whence she supposed the noise came, but found nothing.

Early in the day, however, she came to the camp where this gun was fired, but not until after its occupants had left to renew their search for her.

This camp was about four miles from the great meadow, where she spent the Sabbath previous.