"Whatever is Buster doing?" said Fatty, hearing some excited barks coming from the little dog, some way back in the copse of trees behind them. "Buster! BUSTER! What's the matter? Found a rabbit?"
Buster yelped and then appeared, dragging something black and muddy. "Whatever has he got?" said Bets.
Every one looked to see. "It's an old shoe!" said Daisy, laughing. "Buster, what do you want with an old shoe ? "
Buster went to Bets and laid the shoe down at her feet Then he stood looking up at her, as if he was telling her something, wagging his tail hard. Bets picked up the shoe. She turned it over.
"Look!" said Bets. "The real proper shoe at last! The one that made the footprints!"
The others nearly fell off the fence in their excitement. Bets was perfectly right. It was THE SHOE!
"Buster followed the footprints and knew their smell, and when he smelt the shoes hidden over there he knew the smell again, and that's why he brought them to me" cried Bets. "We had followed the prints together, you see. Oh, and now I know why he kept on and on sniffing round Mr. Hick's shoes when I went to see him. He could smell the same smell!"
"Clever dog," said Fatty, patting Buster. "Where's the other shoe, old fellow? Find it, find it!"
Buster rushed off to a bush not far away and began to scrape violently beneath it. Soon he unearthed the other shoe and laid it at Fatty's feet. The children picked it up.
"Well!" said Fatty. "This is very queer. I suppose old Hiccup got the wind up after Bets had told him she had followed the footprints, and went out and buried the shoes in case the police should find them in his house, or spot him wearing them. And good old Buster smelt them out. Clever good, marvellous dog! Big bone for you tomorrow, Buster., a GREAT BIG BONE!"