“It wouldn’t have done her any harm if she had,” said Hinpoha. “Sahwah’s more at home in the water than she is on land. It wouldn’t have been unlike her to jump in and swim around and duck her head under every time I came near, but then she would have heard us calling for her and come out.”
They parted every bush and shrub, and looked closely at the branches of every tree, half fearing to find her hanging by the hair somewhere.
“Do you suppose she went up the Balm of Gilead tree and into the attic window?” asked Migwan. They searched through the attic, and a laborious search it was, on account of the quantities of furniture and chests to be moved. They pulled out every drawer and burst open every trunk and chest, thinking she might have crawled into one and then the lid had closed with a spring lock. It was fully noon before they were satisfied that she was not up there.
“Could she be in the cellar?” asked Hinpoha. Down they went, carrying lights to look into all the dark corners. But the search was vain. The girls became extremely frightened. Something told them that Sahwah’s disappearance was not voluntary. They looked at each other with growing fear. What had the message on the door said?
“If you folks know what’s good for you you’ll get out of that house.”
Was that a warning of what had happened now? Was it a friendly or a sinister warning? Migwan was almost beside herself to think that anything had happened to Sahwah while she was staying with her. The day dragged along like a nightmare. In the afternoon Calvin had an inspiration. “Why didn’t I think of it before?” he almost shouted. “Here’s Pointer; he’s a hunting dog and can follow a trail. We’ll set him to find Sahwah’s trail.”
“That’s right,” said Migwan, in relief, “we’ll surely find her now.”
They gave Pointer a shoe of Sahwah’s and in a moment he had started off with his nose to the ground. But if they had expected him to lead them to her hiding-place they were disappointed, for all he did was follow the trail around the garden between the house and the river. Once he went down cellar, straining hard at the chain which held him, and they were sure he would find something they had overlooked in their search, but the trail ended in front of the fruit cellar.
“Sahwah came down here early this morning to bring up those melons, don’t you remember?” said Migwan. “That’s all Pointer has found out.” They kept Pointer at it for some time, but he never offered to leave the garden.
“Are you sure he’s on the trail?” asked Hinpoha, doubtfully.