Part 31 (1/2)
M'Graw began slowly to fill his pipe. Mr. Howbridge saw that it was useless to hurry him, so he smiled at Neale and waited. When the tobacco was alight to suit him, Ike continued his ”figgerin'.”
”When this here dog,” he said, looking at Neale in turn, ”is at home, I guess he knows everybody in the neighborhood, don't he?”
”Yes. But surely, you don't think anybody from Milton is up here at Red Deer Lodge, except just these people that Mr. Howbridge brought?”
”Hold on. I'm doin' the askin'. You just answer me, sonny,” chuckled Ike. ”Now, let's see. He does know lots o' folks--especially young folks--around where he lives when he's at home, don't he?”
”Why, Tom Jonah,” said Neale, ”knows every boy and girl that comes past the old Corner House. He's a great friend of the kids.”
”Jest so,” said M'Graw, as Mr. Howbridge started and was about to speak. But the woodsman put up a hand and said to the lawyer: ”Wait a minute. This man, Hedden, has looked over the stuff you brought up here in the line of canned goods and sech. He says what was stole was mostly sweets--canned peaches, an' pears, an' pineapple, an'
sugar-stuff, besides condensed milk. Jest what children would like.”
”The twins!” exclaimed Mr. Howbridge. ”Do you think it could be possible, after all, Ike?”
”Goodness!” gasped Neale.
”Looks mighty like children's work,” said the woodsman reflectively.
”I knowed little Ralph had a twenty-two rifle. I taught him to shoot with it. He does me proud when it comes to shootin'. Yes, sir.”
”But to get clear up here--”
”Them is purty smart children,” said the old man. ”And it looks, as I say, like their work. Who else would give themselves dead away by shootin' that fox out of the winder? No grown person would have done that if they didn't want to be caught in the house.
”Then, Ralph and Rowena would have knowed where that key hung. They'd be more'n likely to build the fire in their ma's sittin'-room. Now, when they sneaked out o' the house this mornin', they'd take just this kind of stuff that's been took from the pantry.”
”I see. I see.”
”And the dog clinches it. He's a friend to all children. He'd never have stopped them, especially as they was in the house and didn't come from outside.”
”I believe you are right,” admitted Mr. Howbridge.
”I'm great on figgerin',” said the woodsman. ”Now, let's see what sort of a nose that there dog's got.”
”You mean Tom Jonah?”
”Yes. I ain't got no dog. There ain't none nearer'n Sim Hackett's beagle at Ebettsville that's wuth anything on the trail. Them youngsters must have gone somewhere, Mr. Howbridge. And they can't be fur off. We've got to find 'em before this here storm that's breedin'
comes down on us. There must be tracks somewheres, and a trail a good dog can sniff.”
”I understand what you mean. But how shall we start the dog on their trail! We have nothing the twins have worn,” said Mr. Howbridge.
”Let's look around,” suggested Ike. ”Up-stairs in that sittin'-room, where you found the live coals--or, your man did--there's a closet where some of the twins' clo'es used to hang. Mebbe there's some there now. If that there dog has got a nose at all, an' he sniffed them children good this mornin', he'll know the smell of 'em again. Yes, sir.”
”That is a good idea,” admitted Mr. Howbridge. ”You go out and see if you can find any impressions of the children's feet in the snow, Ike.
I will hunt in the rooms upstairs for something the twins may have worn.”
”Stockin's are best--stockin's that ain't been washed,” said the woodsman. ”Or mittens, or gloves. Come on, sonny,” he added to Neale O'Neil. ”You come with me and we'll try to find some trail marks in the snow.” He glanced at the window. ”And we've got to hurry. It's snowin' right hard now, and will smother marks and everything if it keeps on this way for long.”
Just then, while there was so much interest being felt in the Birdsall twins and the possibility of their having been at Red Deer Lodge, somebody should have felt a revived interest in three other children--Sammy Pinkney and the two youngest Corner House girls.