CHAPTER XIX
SAMMY TAKES THE BIT IN HIS TEETH
M'Graw began slowly to fill his pipe. Mr. Howbridge saw that it wasuseless to hurry him, so he smiled at Neale and waited. When thetobacco 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 atRed Deer Lodge, except just these people that Mr. Howbridge brought?"
"Hold on. I'm doin' the askin'. You just answer me, sonny," chuckledIke. "Now, let's see. He does know lots o' folks--especially youngfolks--around where he lives when he's at home, don't he?"
"Why, Tom Jonah," said Neale, "knows every boy and girl that comespast the old Corner House. He's a great friend of the kids."
"Jest so," said M'Graw, as Mr. Howbridge started and was about tospeak. But the woodsman put up a hand and said to the lawyer: "Wait aminute. This man, Hedden, has looked over the stuff you brought uphere in the line of canned goods and sech. He says what was stole wasmostly 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 bepossible, 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 shootwith 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 Isay, like their work. Who else would give themselves dead away byshootin' that fox out of the winder? No grown person would have donethat if they didn't want to be caught in the house.
"Then, Ralph and Rowena would have knowed where that key hung. They'dbe 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 thiskind 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 neverhave stopped them, especially as they was in the house and didn't comefrom outside."
"I believe you are right," admitted Mr. Howbridge.
"I'm great on figgerin'," said the woodsman. "Now, let's see what sortof 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'sbeagle at Ebettsville that's wuth anything on the trail. Themyoungsters must have gone somewhere, Mr. Howbridge. And they can't befur 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 gooddog can sniff."
"I understand what you mean. But how shall we start the dog on theirtrail! 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 closetwhere some of the twins' clo'es used to hang. Mebbe there's some therenow. If that there dog has got a nose at all, an' he sniffed themchildren 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 ifyou 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 haveworn."
"Stockin's are best--stockin's that ain't been washed," said thewoodsman. "Or mittens, or gloves. Come on, sonny," he added to NealeO'Neil. "You come with me and we'll try to find some trail marks inthe snow." He glanced at the window. "And we've got to hurry. It'ssnowin' right hard now, and will smother marks and everything if itkeeps on this way for long."
Just then, while there was so much interest being felt in the Birdsalltwins and the possibility of their having been at Red Deer Lodge,somebody should have felt a revived interest in three otherchildren--Sammy Pinkney and the two youngest Corner House girls.
They had gone out after lunch, presumably to continue the building ofthe snow man in front of the Lodge. The older girls and Luke wereengaged in their own matters, and thought not at all of the littlefolks. But Sammy, Tess and Dot had quite tired of playing in the snow.
"They're awful mean not to have taken us slidin' with them," declaredSammy, sitting on the front step and making no effort to continue thework of snow man building.
"I love to slide," repeated Dot, sadly.
"And now it's going to snow," said Tess, biting her lip. "If it snowsa lot we can't slide tomorrow."
"Awful mean," reiterated Sammy. "Say! Aggie said there was a smallsled back there where they found the big one. Let's go and see it."
Any idea seemed good to the disappointed little girls. Even justlooking at the sled they could use, if nothing happened, wasinteresting. They followed Sammy.
But Sammy had more in his mind than just the idea of looking at thesled. Only, from past experience, he knew that to get Tess and DotKenway to leave the path of rectitude took some sharp "figuring." Sohe, like Ike M'Graw, was exercising his faculties.
They came to the shed.
"Oh, what a nice sled!" cried Dot, as Sammy drew out a shiny sled, bigenough for three or four little folks, and with a steering arrangementin front.
"It's a better sled than the one I have at home," admitted Sammy.
"I guess we could slide all right on that," said Tess slowly.
"Guess we could!" agreed the boy.
"I'd like a ride on it," said Dot wistfully.
"Get on, kid. Me and Tess will drag you," said Sammy.
Dot overlooked the objectionable way in which Sammy had addressed herand hurried to seat herself on the sled. Sammy and Tess took hold ofthe rope. It was not very hard to pull such a light body as that ofthe fairylike Dot through the soft snow.
Sammy wisely turned away from the Lodge and followed the tracks of thebobsled. In two minutes they were out of sight of the Lodge, and evenof the sheds. At that time Neale and the old woodsman had not come outfor the purpose of searching the vicinity of the Lodge for thefootprints of the Birdsall twins.
Sammy and the two smallest Corner House girls moved up the woods pathwhich the other sledding party had found and followed. If Ruth and theothers had gone this way, surely they could safely follow the sameroute. Although the snow was increasing, even the cautious Tess Kenwaysaw no danger menacing the trio.
But at first she had no idea just what Sammy had determined upon. Infact, Sammy Pinkney had taken the bit in his teeth, and he wasdetermined to do exactly what they had been forbidden to do. If theolder ones could slide downhill, why could he and the little girls nothave the same pleasure?
He and Tess drew Dot for a long way, much to that little girl'sdelight. Then the uphill grade tired Tess so much that she had tostop.
"Shift with Dot," Sammy said. "Come on, Dot. You and I will drag Tessa piece."
The little girl was willing, and she and her sister changed places.Dot could not do much to aid Sammy, but he buckled down to the workand pulled manfully.
When he had to stop, puffing, they were then so far up the hill thathis suggestion that they keep on to the top and slide back, met witheven Tess' approval.
"We've come so far, we might's well finish it," she said.
"Well, I hope it isn't much farther," said Dot, "for it's awful hardwalking in this snow. And it's snowing harder, too."
"Don't be a 'fraid-cat, Dottie," snorted Sammy. "I never saw such agirl!"
"Am not a 'fraid-cat!" declared the smallest Corner House girl, promptto deny such an impeachment. "Snow don't hurt. But you can't see whereyou are going when it snows so thick,"
"Shucks!" said Sammy. "We can't get lost on this road, can we, Tess?"
"No-o," agreed Tess. "I guess we can't. We can't get off the path,that's sure. And we can see the marks the big sled made all the way."
These tracks, however, were rap
idly being effaced. The children werenot cold, for as the snow increased it seemed to become warmer, andthe hard walking helped to keep them warm.
They had to put Dot back on the sled and draw her the final two orthree hundred yards to the top of the hill. There, fast as the snowwas gathering, they could see where the other coasters had turned thebobsled around and prepared to launch themselves from the top of thehill.
"I guess they slid almost all the way home," said Tess, with someanxiety. "I hope we can do as well, Sammy."
"Sure," agreed Sammy. "Ain't no need to worry about that. Now I'mgoin' to lie right down, and Dot can straddle me. Then you push offand hang on at the back end of the sled, Tess. Don't you kids falloff."
"I wish you wouldn't call me a kid, Sammy Pinkney," complained Dot."And don't wiggle Bo if I've got to sit on you."
"Well, I got to get fixed," Sammy rejoined. "Hang on now. All ready,Tess?"
"Yes. My! how the wind blows this snow into your face."
"Put your head down when we get started. I've got to keep lookin'ahead. Bet this is a dandy slide--and such a long one!"
"Here we go!" cried Tess, pushing with vigor.
The sled started. It seemed to slide over the soft snow very nicely.She scrambled on, and, sitting sideways, clung with both hands to therails. Dot was hanging to Sammy's shoulders.
"Choo! Choo! Choo! Here we go!" yelled Sammy, wriggling witheagerness.
"_Do_ keep still, Sammy!" begged Dot.
But the sled did not gain speed. The gathering snow impeded the crafteven on the down grade.
"Kick! Kick behind, Tess!" yelled Sammy. "Kick _hard_."
"I--I am kicking," panted his friend. "Why don't the old thing gobetter?"
"This snow is loadin' right up in front of it," sputtered Sammy. "It'stoo de-e-ep! Aw--shucks!"
The sled almost stopped. Then it went over a thank-you-ma'am and slida little faster. The slide was nowhere near as nice as they hadexpected. Why! they were not going downhill much faster than they hadcome up.
The snow was sifting down now very thickly, and in a very short timethe trio was likely to have to drag the empty sled through deepdrifts. Even Sammy was secretly sorry they had come such a long wayfrom the Lodge. Although it was barely mid-afternoon, it seemed to begrowing dark.
They struggled to make the sled slide, however; neither Sammy nor Tesswas a child who easily gave up when circumstances became obstinate.Tess continued to dig her heels into the snow, and when the sledalmost stopped, Sammy plunged his arms elbow deep into the snow to aidin its movement.
But suddenly they went over a hummock. It seemed a steep descent onthe other side. In spite of the gathering snow the sled got underbetter headway.
"Hurrah, Tess!" yelled Sammy. "We're all right now."
"I--I hope so!" gasped the older girl.
"Oh! Oh!" shrieked Dot. "We're going!"
They really were going--or, so it seemed. Faster and faster ran thesled, for the hill had suddenly become steep. It was snowing toothickly for any of them to notice that this part of the track wasentirely new to them.
They shot around a turn and took another dip toward the valley. Sammydid not mind the snow beating into his face now. He yelled withpleasure. The little girls hung on, delighted. The sled sped downward.
All marks of the bobsled's runners were long since lost under the newsnow. The hill grew steeper. Sammy's yells were half stifled by thewind and snow.
It did seem as though that slide was a very long one! In climbing thehill the trio had had no idea they had walked so far. And how steep itwas!
Over a level piece the sled would travel at a moderate rate, and thenshoot down a sudden decline that almost took their breath. Surely theymust have traveled almost to the Lodge from which they had started.
Finally the path became level. Great trees rose all about them. Theycould see but a short distance in any direction because of the fallingsnow.
The sled stopped. The girls hopped off and Sammy struggled to his feetand shook the snow out of his eyes.
"Je-ru-sa-_lem_!" he choked. "What a slide! Did you ever, Tess?"
"No, I never did," admitted Tess quite seriously.
"Oh!" cried Dot. "Let's go home. I'm co-co-o-old. Why--why--" shegasped suddenly, looking about on all sides.
"Well, don't cry about it," snorted Sammy. "Of course we'll go home.We must be almost there now--we slid so far."
"Oh, yes. We _must_ be near Red Deer Lodge," agreed Tess.
It did not look like any place they had ever seen before. The treeswere much taller than any they had noticed about the Lodge. Yet therewas the open path ahead of them. They set Dot upon the sled again, andTess helped Sammy drag it and her sister straight ahead. Somewhere inthat direction they were all three sure Red Deer Lodge was situated.