Steel, who had been studying the small cabin that stood on the wind swept crest of a hardwood knoll, now remarked, “There’s no smoke coming from the chimney. Must be deserted—hello!” he interrupted himself, “what’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“That on the door. Looks like something white’s been nailed there. Perhaps we’d better take a look. Wait, I’ll run up.” But Miller, from behind, said disapprovingly, “We ain’t got time to waste foolin’ around. Keep goin’.”
“But something might be wrong,” Steel reasoned. “I think we ought to take a look.”
Miller emitted a snort. “Well, if you’re set on it, go on. But make it fast. I didn’t agree to take you on a sight-seein’ trip.”
“It won’t take a minute,” Steel assured him, and he swung up the slope on his snowshoes. A moment later he called down to the waiting man, “Say, come up here!”
“What for?”
“Read this!”
Miller joined him presently and Steel pointed to the piece of birchbark that was nailed to the door. The writing on it made any words on the younger man’s part unnecessary. It read: