On they went through the stable, Eagle Feather pausing long enough to pat his horse and make sure that it was his own animal and grunting "Huh!" in pleasure.
"Softly now," whispered Tom. "We are coming to where we can look into one of the two rooms of Mr. Bixby's hut. It is there he sits at night and where he gave me the needles."
In silence the party made its way to where all could look through the window. Bunny's father held him up and Mrs. Brown took Sue in her arms.
What they saw caused them all great surprise. For there, on a table in front of Bixby, the hermit, was Bunny's toy engine, and Sue's Teddy bear. But the bear was partly torn apart, and from it ran wires that joined with other wires from Bunny's electric locomotive and batteries. At the other ends of the wires, were round, shiny balls, like those on the ends of curtain rods.
On the other side of the table sat an Indian, and at the sight of him Eagle Feather whispered:
"Him name Muskrat. Much good in canoe and water."
They saw the hermit put the two shiny knobs on the Indian's hands. Then Mr. Bixby turned a switch and the Indian let out a wild yell and sprang through the open door, crying:
"Thorns and thistles! He has stung me with bad medicine! Wow!"
"I think I begin to see the trick," said Mr. Brown.
"That's what he did to me," explained Tom, "but I didn't see a Teddy bear or a toy locomotive."