“Well, I didn’t hear anything like that,” admitted Teddy. “If he got a dose he sure knew how to keep a tight upper lip. But I felt certain I heard a patter of feet on the pine needles, like somebody scooting off in a big hurry. I was just thinking I’d like to give him another shot, when you came out and interrupted me. Now it’s too late, because he’s gone.”
“But you ain’t sure of it, are you?” asked Dolph.
“Well, I’m just dead certain that I heard those sounds; but of course it might have been some sort of animal pattering away. Tell you what, we’ll light the lantern, and take a look over there where I fired.”
“Oh! do you expect to find drops of blood, or anything like that?” asked Dolph, with a little catch in his voice.
“Hardly, but we might be able to run across a trail; and Amos here is a pretty good hand at reading signs. Get some clothes on, both of you; then we’ll take our lantern, and see.”
Apparently, then, Teddy must have considerable faith in the theory he had advanced, since he was ready to put it to the test of an examination. So both Dolph and the woods boy hastened to get their missing garments, not being as warmly clad as they would like, when it came to standing around in that night air.
Presently they made their reappearance again, and better prepared to undertake the adventure which Teddy had proposed. He led them in a direct line, as though he had been taking exact note, and knew where to look.
“See here, you can see where my charge of shot cut through this lower limb of this tree, and sent a lot of green stuff to the ground. But I’m a little afraid, fellows, that we’re going to have some trouble locating anything like footprints; because, you see, the ground’s as hard as all get-out around here.”
Ten seconds later, and Teddy came to a stop.
“Now, as near as I could say,” he remarked, “this ought to be about where he was at the time I fired. See anything, Amos?”