How could they dream that?
How could they realize that a child who still liked to be told bedtime stories and to be rocked to sleep, should harbor such man-size thoughts and ambitions?
How could they know that the Kid was being "a rell ole cowpuncher"?
That night the whole Happy Family, just returned from the Badlands and warned by Chip at dusk that the Kid was missing, hunted the coulees that bordered the benchland.

A few of the nesters who had horses and could ride them hunted also.

The men who worked at the Flying U hunted, and Chip hunted frantically.

Chip just about worshipped that kid, and in spite of his calmness and his optimism when he talked to the Little Doctor, you can imagine the state of mind he was in.
At sunrise they straggled in to the ranch, caught up fresh horses, swallowed a cup of coffee and what food they could choke down and started out again.

At nine o'clock a party came out from Dry Lake, learned that the Kid was not yet found, and went out under a captain to comb systematically through the hills and the coulees.
Before night all the able-bodied men in the country and some who were not--were searching.