"A rubber-soled shoe with funny markings," said Daisy, bringing it out "Do you think it is like the footprint?"
"It looks as if it might be," said Larry, getting excited. "Let's go straight to the others and compare it with the drawing. Come on! I can hardly wait!"
A Surprising Talk with Lily.
Larry and Daisy rushed up to the others. They stared at the shoe in her hand in excitement.
"Daisy! Oh, Daisy! Have you found the rubber-soled shoes that belong to the man who burnt the cottage?" asked Fatty.
"I think so," said Daisy importantly. "You see, Larry
and I went to see Mr. Smellie, as we had planned to do -and whilst he was talking to Larry I slipped away and looked in his hall cupboard where shoes and things are kept. And among the shoes I found one pair that had rubber soles - and I'm almost certain the markings are the same as in those footprints we saw."
The children crowded round to look. "It certainly looks very like the right shoe," said Pip.
"It is" said Fatty. "I ought to know, because I drew the prints!"
"Well, I don't think it is," said Bets unexpectedly. "The squares on the criss-cross pattern aren't quite so big. I'm sare they're not."