“Oh, Robert!” wailed Peggy bursting into tears. “My horse is stolen! My pretty, pretty pony that father gave me!”
“Star stolen?” cried the youth aghast. Tom told his story again.
“And the door was fastened last night, you say? How about the door into the yard, Tom?”
“I lock hit wid a padlock,” declared Tom. “Dey wuz both fasten’d, Marster Dale. ‘Clare ter goodness dey wuz! I did it my own sef. I fastens de inside doah on de inside, an’ de outside one on de outside. De front one wuz locked dis mo’nin’, but de back one wuz wide open.”
“Then some one must have been hiding inside,” declared Robert. “I will take a look through the barn.”
With Sally’s arm about her, Peggy and her friend followed the youth to the stables. The lad mounted the ladder that led to the mow, and presently called down excitedly:
“There hath been some one here of a truth. Here is a place where he hath lain concealed in the straw, and the remnants of food that hath been eaten. ’Tis all as plain as day!”
“But Star?” questioned Peggy with quivering lips as Robert descended the ladder and stood once more beside them.
“We’ll do everything we can to find her, Peggy,” answered the boy as cheerfully as he could. “Now let us tell the others. They will be wondering what the matter is.”
“Oh, Peggy, what will you do for a horse to go with us?” cried Betty Williams as the party of young people heard the news.