The Parkingham house was a rambling structure which had seen better days. One end sagged, and here a porch post had fallen away, along with several steps. But the other end of the long building had evidently been put in some kind of repair, for some boards on the piazza were new, as were also several window sashes. All the curtains were drawn down.
"Somebody mast be living here," remarked Randy. "Otherwise they wouldn't have gone to the trouble and expense of making repairs."
They looked around the old house carefully, but could see nobody. Then they peered into the barn.
"No horses here," announced Gif. "And that big sleigh isn't here either."
"Then, if those Germans live here, they must be away on a trip," remarked Jack after a pause.
"I don't see anything suspicious around this place," said Andy.
The barn showed signs of use, and so did the other outbuildings, and there were numerous tracks in the snow leading from the barn to the house. At the well some water had been spilled, and this had not yet had time to freeze.
"They can't have gone away so very long ago," was Gif's comment. He turned to the others. "Well, what's the next move?"
"I don't see why you don't walk right up and knock on the door, and if them fellers are around have a talk with 'em," declared Jed Wallop. "If they are above board, they won't hesitate about answerin' questions."
"Let us wait around the barn for a while and see if anybody comes in or goes out," suggested Jack. He could not get it out of his mind how queerly the Germans had acted, and he felt certain that something was wrong and that the fellows ought to be reported to the authorities.