Prince Edward was growing frustrated after hours of searching. The deputy captain had returned to report that no maid was recorded missing. In fact, it was the captain's carelessness, he had not properly recorded everyone who had stayed at the temporary camp and thus could not verify if a female maid was missing.
"Keep searching. Do not leave any clue unchecked," he instructed.
The soldiers continued their search. There were no footprints or anything else they could use as a lead. But the prince was anxious, how could they return without any news?
After a while, they noticed some footprints. They were still clear, meaning the person must have entered the bush that day. Moreover, given the depth of the prints, it seemed the person was either carrying something or was weighed down.
Even though the soldiers knew it might simply be a hunter or a herb-gatherer, they had to treat it as a lead.
