Part 79 (1/2)
”Mice can run up the leg of a chair,” said Bevis.
”That's only a short way; this is--let me see--why it's higher than your shoulder.”
”If it was not Pan, nor rats, what could it be?” said Bevis.
”Something's been here,” said Mark; ”Pan could smell it when he came in.”
”Something was up in the oak,” said Bevis, ”and now he's gone racing light to the other end of the island.”
”Something took the bit of bacon on the ground.”
”And gnawed the jack's head.”
”And had the piece of damper.”
”And took the potatoes.”
”Took the potatoes twice--the cooked ones and the raw ones.”
”It's very curious.”
”I don't believe Pan could have jumped up--he would have shaken the other things off the shelf, too, if he had got his great paws on.”
”It must have been something,” said Bevis; ”things could not go off by themselves.”
”There's something in the island we don't know,” said Mark, nodding his head up and down, as was his way at times when upset or full of an idea.
”Lions!” said Bevis. ”Lions could get up.”
”We should have heard them roar.”
”Tigers?”
”They would have killed Pan.”
”But you think there's one in the reeds.”
”Yes, but he did not come here.”
”Boas?”
”No.”
”Panthers?”
”No.”
”Something out of the curious wave you saw?”
”Perhaps. Well, it _is_ curious now, isn't it?” said Mark. ”Just think; first, Pan could not have had it, and then rats could not have had it, but it's gone.”