“That would be Manthy, Ezekiel’s wife. She’s sharp-tongued, Manthy is, and not too friendly. Works hard slavin’ and cookin’ fer them two no-good boys of hers.”
Penny and Louise asked no more questions, but again saying goodbye to Trapper Joe, went on down the dusty road.
Once they were beyond earshot, Penny observed: “What a joke on us, Lou! There we were, complaining to Mrs. Hawkins about her own husband! No wonder she was short with us.”
“We had good reason to complain.”
“Yes we did,” Penny soberly agreed. “Of course, we can’t be dead certain the bearded man was Ezekiel Hawkins. But Manthy did act unpleasant about it.”
“If it weren’t for Bones, I’d never set foot near this place again! Oh, I hope he finds his way home.”
The girls had reached Penny’s car, parked just off the sideroad. A clock on the dashboard warned them it was after five o’clock.
“Jeepers!” Penny exclaimed, snapping on the ignition. “I’ll have to step on it to get dressed in time for the banquet! And I still have the tables to decorate!”
A fast drive over the bumpy sideroad brought the girls to the main paved highway. Much later, as they neared Riverview, Penny absently switched on the shortwave radio.
A number of routine police calls came through. Then the girls were startled to hear the dispatcher at headquarters say: