“What for?” Teddy wanted to know. “The deer isn’t there now.”
“No. But maybe he left a trail,” said Joe. “If we’re going to find this animal we’ve got to follow his trail. Come on.”
Mrs. Traddle’s garden was at the rear and to one side of her house and store. The boys found several men of Oakdale looking at the ruin caused by the deer.
“Looks like a herd of elephants was in there,” commented Sam Kean, the grocer.
“Guess that deer spoiled more than he ate,” said Luke Lanter, the butcher. “Looks like he lay down and rolled in the corn.”
“Maybe he was sort of celebrating,” said Mr. Kean. “He probably never had such a free feast before.”
When most of the curious ones had departed, Teddy and his chums asked permission of Mrs. Traddle to look in the garden.
“Look as much as you like,” she said with a sniff. “There isn’t much left to see. Dear me.”
“We want to see if he left a trail,” explained Teddy.
“Left a tail? Land sakes, why would a deer want to go and leave his tail behind?” asked the old lady.