“You haven’t any idea whose deer it might be, have you?” asked Dick.
“Not the least in the world, my boy. Either it got away from a circus or a traveling show, or else it must have made its way here from a long distance. There is no deer country around here.”
“So it’s a sort of mystery, isn’t it?” asked Teddy.
“You’re right there, my boy. It sure is a mystery.”
“Well, we’re going to solve it!” Teddy declared as he and his chums started toward their homes.
“I wish you luck,” called Mr. Mason. “I say!” he called as he turned back. “I just happened to think maybe that deer got loose out of a railroad car. He might be one of a large shipment of deer from one place to another and he got out. Ask the railroad freight or express agent.”
“We will,” promised Joe.
The three boys walked slowly across the big meadow back toward the road that led to Oakdale. They were talking of what had happened and Joe and Dick were wondering what had become of their planes. Dick and Teddy were also rather anxious about their sisters.
But since Mr. Mason had laughed at the idea that the deer might have carried the girls off on his back, the boys no longer gave it any serious thought.
“I guess the girls just got scared at seeing the deer and ran away,” suggested Joe.