“As for that, I raked it over myself yesterday morning; but that doesn’t tell you much, I suppose, as they might have been made any time afterwards.”
In spite of his fatigue and distaste for the whole business, Leslie was beginning to grow interested.
Brace flashed his lantern on the brick path that led across the front of the house.
“Nothing there, unfortunately, but there’s something I’d like to show you over here.”
Leslie followed him to the barn. Here the footsteps were distinctly discernible on the earthen floor, but less clearly defined and, in some cases, blurred in a manner that suggested that the walker had crossed his own tracks. But they led quite obviously to the foot of the ladder up to the loft.
Brace went on ahead up the ladder.
“Here’s something you might be able to help us with,” he said as they reached the top.
He pointed to the straw in the corner.
“That’s been slept on lately, and look at this.”
He indicated a couple of dirty rags that looked as though they might have been used as bandages, except that they were bare of any stain.