Ally was lostthe little blue-eyed dear! That is to say, she was nowhere to be found. And of course there was commotion in the Valley. Michael, the gar-dener, was going one way; and John, the house-man, another; and Pincher, one of the loggers, was making for the hills with Uncle Billy in one direction, and Old Uncle and Will and Charlie had gone up in another; and Aunt Rose and Aunt Susan were hunting through the house; and Janet and Essie were running this way and thatand it was noon, and still they hadn't found her.Will was sure Ally would be found in the strawberry-patch on the farther edge of the intervale across the river, and as the boat was on the other side he had of-fered to swim over and fetch it.Charlie had been equally sure that she was looking for bear-cubs again in the hollow half-way up Blue Top.Aunt Susan was convinced that she had fallen asleep somewhere under a bush, when she could not be found in the house.