Part 16 (2/2)
”Oh, preposterous! Stolen? And with all of us sleeping within a rod or so of them? Impossible.”
”Eagle-eye say stole,” insisted the guide.
”How do you know?”
”See um tracks, then not see um tracks.”
”Well, what do you infer from that--what does that mean?”
The Indian went through a series of pantomimic gestures to indicate that the feet of the missing ponies had been bound with cloths so that their hoofs would leave no imprint.
”Come Eagle-eye,” he commanded, striding off toward the bedding-down place.
They followed and gathered around him as he picked up the ends of the tether ropes.
”Break um? No, cut um.”
”You mean the ropes have been cut?”
”Uh-huh,” he grunted in gutteral tones.
There was silence for a moment.
”He isn't such a wooden Indian as he'd have us believe after all,”
grinned Ned.
”Can't you trail them?” asked Stacy.
The Shawnee shook his head.
”Why not?”
”No leave trail. Smart man.”
”Yes, there is no doubt of that,” agreed the Professor. ”Have you any idea who did this thing, Eagle-eye?”
The Shawnee shrugged his shoulders as indicating that he did not know.
”Probably it was the same fellow whom you found fooling about the camp the other night,” suggested Walter.
”Just what I was thinking,” added Ned.
”Yes, no doubt he is the man. But what we are going to do, I don't know. It occurs to me that I might send some one on to Mr. Munson, superintendent of the Red Star Mine, to whom I have a letter, asking him to send us on a couple of extra ponies.”
”Does he know who we are?” asked Walter Perkins.
”Yes, he knows your father. Mr. Munson is expecting us, and is to entertain us when we reach the place.”
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