Question

road under the darkening pines; but ahead of them all, at the swift stride for which he was famous, marched gordon low. two hours later, the grandfather, trailworn and weary, stumbled into johnstons camps. but not a person in johnstons camps had seen ned. low. what bill nichols had been too much afraid, or too much bewildered, to confess, was revealed now - ned had been lost on the outward trip. at that moment, although the grandfather did not know it, the boys father had just reached home, and, frightened by the news that met him at his door, was starting, supperless, on the winding trail. when the other men, with swinging lanterns and gleaming gun barrels, came up through the alders into the camp yard, gordon low was turning back on the road. the searching parties gathered in the moonlight, which was just beginning to sift through the pines, and looked across the dark waste of evergreen, over the swampy lowlands through which they had passed. the boy had been lost, bill nichols admitted in tearful contrition, before the team had reached johnstons camps. for at least five hours ned had been wandering in the maze of slashings and bogs. as they stared into the night, despair settled over the group, for there seemed to be very little that they could do. they turned back, calling, calling, calling; they wound in and out of old clearings and forgotten roads, plunged into swamps, and spread into a great net of swinging lanterns and shouting men. slowly the hunt wound toward the town, hopelessly doggedly persevering. an hour passed, an hour and a half. the father came up into the circle of swinging lanterns, and knew, without asking, the sad truth. the net grew wider and wider. it spread into marsh and bog hole, cedar tangle and spruce barrens all without avail. why is the search party having such a hard time finding ned? a he is exceptionally good at hiding high in trees. b he has been missing for longer than they thought. c he was with his father the whole time, not lost. d he has been at home hiding from his mother. question 4 of 5 guiding questions hide read aloud annotate

Explanation:

The text describes a search party looking for Ned who has been missing. It mentions that Ned had been wandering in the night, and the search party has had a hard - time finding him, indicating he has been missing for longer than expected.

Answer:

C. He has been missing for longer than they thought.