Dr. Stone whistled soundlessly. How much would a good horse cost today? Five hundred dollars? If a man who couldn’t pay his bills spent five hundred dollars for a birthday present——
“Joe, do you think you could get into that ravine on Allan’s land without being seen?”
“I—I think so.”
“Somebody was there this morning hiding under the planking of the bridge.”
Joe stared. “How did you know?”
“Lady warned me. Then, whoever was under there, had a pipe. The hot grains of tobacco blew into my face.”
The boy’s heart missed a beat. “You think the gypsies—”
The blind man shrugged. “I’d like to know what story the ravine could tell. Give it a look, Joe, and keep out of sight.”
Lady, out of her harness, drowsed in a patch of sun, but Dr. Stone sat with a perplexed pucker between his sightless eyes. By and by familiar footsteps came hurriedly along the dirt road, and he arose and went to the porch door.
“Somebody’s been messing under the bridge,” Joe reported. “A lot of rock’s been knocked out and a lot of dirt dug away. Does it mean anything, Uncle David?”