“Oh!” said Nan. “You mean because of the missing money?”
Dave looked startled. “You know about that?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes,” Bert replied. “Dad told us the. story, and we’ve been trying to find the money for you. We’re sure you didn’t take it!”
The young man gave a quick laugh. “Thanks for your vote of confidence,” he said, “but I’m afraid my uncle doesn’t share your feeling.”
Nan broke in. “But I’m sure he does I He looks so sad, and I know he’d like to be friends with you again!”
“Well, I can’t forget the way he treated me or the things he said,” Dave went on bitterly. “I’ll never speak to him again until I find that money and prove that I didn’t take it!”
“Well, if that money is to be found,” Harry said loyally, “my cousins can help you do it. They’ve solved lots of mysteries.”
Dave seemed interested, so Nan and Bert explained about the searching they had already done. When they mentioned the discovery of the trap doors and the secret tunnel, Dave looked amazed.
“You must be good detectives,” he remarked. “I had lived at Snow Lodge for several years before I discovered the tunnel. But I’m forgetting the rest of our lunch.” He jumped up and brought plates of baked beans, bread and butter, and a pitcher of milk.
When the food had been eaten, Nan and Dorothy helped Dave wash the dishes, then they all set off through the woods. After putting the twins and their cousins on the right trail to Snow Lodge, Dave said good-by.
The children thanked him again for his kindness and promised to keep searching for the money. “We’ll let you know when we find it,” Bert called back over his shoulder.
“You mean if we find it, Bert,” Harry reminded him.
“We must find it!” Nan exclaimed. “Everything hinges on it. We want to clear Dave’s name, don’t we?”
“Of course,” the others chorused.
For some time they followed the winding trail through deep woods until they spotted the shoreline. Now they knew the route to the lodge.
Walking briskly, the four discussed their adventure in the woods. They had just rounded a wooded bend in the shoreline when they overtook a man and a little girl.
The man was middle-aged and dressed in a heavy lumberjacket, dungarees, and boots. The child, who appeared to be about five years old, had on a bright-red snowsuit and cap. She was sobbing.
“Oh, what’s the matter?” Nan cried in sympathy. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
The man turned. “Hello there,” he replied with a rueful grin. “My name’s Hoke, and this is my youngest daughter Pam. Her collie pup has wandered off again. This time he seems to be really lost, and I’ve been trying to help her find the little fellow.”
Bert introduced himself and the others and explained that they were staying at Snow Lodge.
“So you’re the folks!” Mr. Hoke exclaimed. “I’m caretaker of that place. Hope you found everything in order and the rooms nice and warm.” He went on, “My farm’s about a mile on down the shore toward Lakeport, and I look after the lodge when nobody’s staying there.”
Pam glanced shyly at the children from eyes brimming with tears. “H—hello,” she said finally.
“Tell us what your puppy looks like, Pam,” Nan said kindly. “We’ll keep an eye out for him while we’re hiking. Perhaps we’ll see him.”
The little girl stared wistfully at Nan. “Oh, do you think you might?” she asked. “He’s kind of yellowish-brown—and fat—and he has a white spot on his chest and a long white mark on his nose. His name is Chipper, and he has pretty brown eyes. I love him—” Pam looked as if she were about to burst into tears again.
“Don’t you worry, honey,” Nan said soothingly. “I’m sure Chipper will be found.”
Waving good-by to Mr. Hoke and his little girl, the four continued to the lodge. What a welcome they received 1
“Did you find the Black Monster?” Freddie asked eagerly.
“No, but we met Dave Burdock!” Nan announced.
“You did!” the others cried in astonishment.
The four children took turns telling of their meeting with Dave and their visit to his cabin.
“I feel so sorry for him, Mother!” Nan exclaimed. “He’s terribly bitter and says he’ll never speak to his uncle until he can prove he didn’t take the money.”
“Well, perhaps you children will be able to find it for him,” Mrs. Bobbsey said soothingly. “I’m glad you had some lunch. We were worried about you when you didn’t come back.”
“I’m sorry,” said Nan, and the others echoed this.
The afternoon was spent partly in playing the games they had received for Christmas and partly in further wall tapping near the fireplaces. But nothing showed up.
“Not even a tiny clue,” said Dorothy sadly.
When six o’clock dinner was ready, Mr. Bobbsey carried in a huge roast beef on a platter. Nan noticed that her father was not smiling. Instead, he seemed preoccupied.
“Something’s worrying Dad,” Nan whispered to her twin. “I wonder what it is.”
When Mr. Bobbsey pushed aside, uneaten, a piece of apple pie, everyone realized that something was amiss.
“What’s wrong, Dick?” Mrs. Bobbsey finally asked. “You look so worried.”
The twins’ father did not answer at once. But at last he said, “I guess I’ll have to tell you, because you’ll find it out anyway. Snap is missing. I haven’t seen him around since breakfast time!”
CHAPTER XV
A DOG HERO
STUNNED by Mr. Bobbsey’s announcement that Snap was missing, Mrs. Bobbsey and the children looked at one another blankly.
“Snap missing?” Bert finally managed to repeat. “I don’t understand that. He never runs away, and he’s too intelligent a dog to get lost.”
“It does seem strange,” Nan added thoughtfully. “Unless—” She stopped for a moment and looked at Bert. “Do you suppose he went to hunt for us?”
“I’ll bet that’s it!” her twin exclaimed. “It would be just like Snap. Let’s go into the woods and call him. If he hears our voices he’ll know we’re home and will come running.” Bert jumped up from his chair. “May we, Mother?”
Mrs. Bobbsey nodded. In a few minutes the four older children and Mr Bobbsey were ready to go on a search. The little group set off into the dark winter night, with Bert and his father carrying flashlights. They covered the area for nearly half a mile around, calling Snap’s name repeatedly, but no welcoming bark answered them.
“You’re getting too cold, children,” Mr. Bobbsey said finally. “We’ll have to give up for tonight.” So, miserable and tired, they struggled back to the lodge.
“Maybe,” said Harry cheerfully, “Snap followed our trail to Dave’s cabin and is there now I If he is, Dave will know from his identification tag that Snap belongs to you and will be sure to bring him back tomorrow.”
“Oh, I hope you’re right,” Nan said.
Still somewhat anxious, though, the tired children went to bed and promptly fell asleep.
Next morning, however, Snap was still missing. Now the Bobbseys were very worried. What could have happened to their pet?
“Snap might still be at Dave’s cabin,” Dorothy ventured. “Maybe for some reason Dave couldn’t bring him back right away.”
“Then let’s hike over and see,” Freddie urged.
This plan was agreed to, and immediately after breakfast the twins and their cousins started off. After a brisk tramp, they reached the guide’s cabin and knocked on the door. There was no answer, and they were wondering what to do next when Nan cried:
“Here he comes now!”
Dave Burdock emerged from behind the cabin bearing a load of firewood. “Good morning, children. What can I do for you today?”
Bert introduced Freddie and Flossie, then explained that they had hoped to find their dog Snap at the cabin.
Dave shook his head. “S
orry,” he said. “I haven’t seen any dog around here lately. But come in and get warm. Then we can look around this area.”
While the children warmed their hands and feet before the blazing fire, Dave stowed away the firewood. Then he announced, “All right. Let’s go!”
Together, the twins, their cousins, and their new friend scouted the woods surrounding the Burdock cabin, but they found no signs of paw prints in the snow. Nor did Snap appear when they called.
Flossie and Freddie were almost in tears. But Freddie asserted bravely, “I know we’ll find Snap. We’ll just keep looking until we do!”
“I’m sorry I can’t help you search any more today,” Dave explained, “but I have to meet some hunters in town. I’ll certainly keep on the lookout for Snap on my way.”
Thanking Dave for his help, the children started out again. They trudged back to the shore, then turned in the direction the older children had taken the day before.
“We mustn’t forget to look for Pam’s lost puppy, too,” Nan reminded them as they walked along. Just then she looked up and saw Mr. Hoke and Pam coming toward her.
“Hello there!” Nan called, and introduced Freddie and Flossie. “Any luck in finding your puppy?”
Pam shook her head, and tears started to well up in her blue eyes.
“Not a trace,” her father said wearily. “We’re about to give up.”
“We’re looking for a lost dog, too,” said Flossie. “He’s our Snap.”
“That’s too bad. How long has your dog been missing?” Mr. Hoke asked.
Bert explained that they were not sure, but no one had seen him since breakfast time the previous day. He began to whistle sharply as he often did to call Snap.
Suddenly everyone’s face lighted up as a muffled, joyfully barking rang through the woods.
“That’s Snap!” Freddie cried excitedly, and began to run toward the sound. “Here, boy, here!” he called, as the others followed.
They traced the barking to a grove of pines some distance from the path. Bert, fearing that the dog might have met with an accident, overtook Freddie. Then he stopped abruptly.
“Here he is!” Bert cried and pointed to a deep pit in the center of the grove.
At the bottom of the hole stood Snap!
The dog’s tail wagged violently the minute he spied Bert.
“He’s standing over something,” Nan said curiously. “Why, look, it’s a puppy!”
“Chipper!” screamed Pam Hoke and almost fell into the hole in her excitement
“Well, let’s get them out,” Bert urged. “Mr. Hoke, Harry and I will climb down and pass the dogs up to you. Okay?”
The farmer agreed, and within a few moments Snap and Chipper were being hugged and petted by their young owners. Pam and Flossie were laughing and crying at the same time. After the first excitement was over, the older children tried to reconstruct the incident
“I’ll bet little Chipper fell into the hole on his travels and couldn’t get out,” Nan suggested.
“And Snap was on his way to find us,” Bert continued, “but he heard the puppy crying and went to rescue him.”
“But found he couldn’t carry Chipper and climb out of the hole, too,” Harry put in.
“So he stayed with the puppy to keep him safe and warm !” Dorothy exclaimed in wonder. “What a brave dog!”
Pam had heard all of this. With tears of happiness in her eyes, she threw her little arms around Snap’s neck and hugged him gratefully.
“You’re a real hero, Snap!” she cried. “I’ll never forget that you saved my Chipper!”
Smiling, Mr. Hoke added his praise as he patted Snap. “It certainly was a fine thing to do,” he said. “Snap had no way of knowing if he would ever be rescued.”
Freddie shook his head. “Oh, he knew we’d be after him,” he declared with assurance, “but he probably would’ve stayed anyway.”
“Well, children,” Mr. Hoke said, shaking hands with them all, “Pam and I are certainly grateful to you for being such good searchers.” Then shaking Snap’s paw soberly, he added, “And thank you, Snap.”
The Bobbseys’ pet ambled over to Chipper, licked the puppy a few times, then returned to look at the Bobbseys searchingly as if to say, “I’m starved. Let’s go home!”
Laughing happily, the children said good-by to Pam and Mr. Hoke, and set off through the woods for Snow Lodge. A few minutes later they met Dave Burdock, who said he had decided not to go to town until later. He had phoned to the hunters from a house at the edge of the woods.
“I see you found Snap,” he said with a smile.
Eagerly Flossie and Freddie told him the story of Snap’s heroism, and Dave agreed that the dog had shown wonderful courage.
“But listen, children,” he added, “you’d better hurry on back to the lodge right away. I heard a weather bureau broadcast at the house where I phoned. It predicted that a big storm soon would be moving into this area. According to the reports, it may be the worst in many years—a real old-fashioned blizzard.”
“Why don’t you come with us?” Nan asked. “It will be safer at Snow Lodge than in your cabin.”
Dave’s face clouded and he said softly, “No, butthank you.” Turning to leave, he added with a grin, “I’ll be all right, but you won’t if you don’t hurry. Now scoot!”
Laughing, the children said good-by and set off. But by this time Freddie and Flossie were very tired after the long search for Snap. With their pet between them, they lagged farther and farther behind. Bert and Nan noticed the small twins’ exhaustion, and Bert quickly offered to carry Flossie pick-a-back.
“Come on, Freddie,” Harry said with a grin. “I’ll give you a ride on my shoulders.”
Flossie squealed with delight as her steed trotted off, and Freddie pretended to steer Harry along the path. Anxiously, Nan watched the approach of the storm. The skies grew darker and darker, and soon large flakes of snow fell lightly on the hurrying children.
Within a few minutes the wind had become a strong arm that pushed violently against the little group, making every step an effort.
Nan grabbed Snap’s collar and urged him forward, as the snow thickened and swirled about them, almost obscuring the path.
At last they glimpsed the lights of the lodge about a hundred yards ahead of them. “We’d better run for it!” Bert yelled over the shrieking wind. “Hold on, kids!”
Calling on every ounce of their strength, the children raced toward Snow Lodge. But at that moment a sudden gust of howling wind struck and buffeted them about like flimsy paper dolls.
“Hang on tighter!” Bert cried to Flossie.
But the little girl wailed, “I can’t, Bert! I’m slipping! Help!”
Flossie screamed as her fingers slid from her brother’s shoulders and the terrible wind whipped her over backward.
CHAPTER XVI
THE BLACK MONSTER
THE INSTANT Flossie was torn from Bert’s shoulders by the wind, Nan bounded forward to aid the little girl. Bracing herself against the wind, she caught Flossie’s snowsuit, halting her backward tumble. A second later, Bert caught up his small sister in his arms and staggered toward the lodge.
Harry, with Freddie still on his shoulders, reached the house first and threw open the door. Nan and Dorothy rushed in behind him.
“Hurry!” the children cried over the howling wind, watching fearfully as Bert struggled up the steps to the door.
Quickly the older girls lifted Flossie from Bert’s grasp and set her down. Snap, who had waited to see that everyone was safely inside, sprang through the opening at the last moment.
Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey, who had hastened to meet the children, pushed on the door together and finally managed to close it. Snow-covered and exhausted, the children were glad to remove their snowsuits and lie on the floor before a roaring fire in the living-room hearth.
Mrs. Bobbsey served a late lunch there, and soon all the children were napping. Later, they told Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey
about Snap’s act of heroism and mentioned the fact that Dave Burdock had warned them about the blizzard and had perhaps saved them from becoming lost in the storm.
“We asked him to come back with us to Snow Lodge,” Nan added. “But he wouldn’t.”
Mr. Bobbsey nodded sadly. “It’s too bad that Dave is so resentful. He and Mr. Carford could be living here right now, if only he’d forgive and forget.”
Bert stirred restlessly in his chair. “If we could find the money, the whole thing would be straightened out.”
He started a new hunt, joined by the other children. But at bedtime they stopped. Not a clue had turned up.
By morning the storm had abated entirely, and the sun was out again.
“How about going over to Dave’s cabin and seeing if he’s all right?” Bert proposed as they finished breakfast. “Maybe we can talk him into forgiving his uncle.”
“Oh, yes!” Dorothy agreed. “And I have an idea!”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s go out by way of the tunnel. We can take flashlights and examine it as we go along. Perhaps we can find out what it was used for!”
In a few minutes, bundled up against the cold and armed with lights, they stepped through the secret door in the kitchen fireplace. They took up their usual order with Bert in the lead, then Dorothy, Flossie, Nan, Freddie, and Harry bringing up the rear.
As they walked slowly through the tunnel, flashing their lights over the walls and ceiling, they realized for the first time that the passageway was about three feet wide and high enough to permit a tall man to walk upright. The walls and ceiling were of brick, but the floor was dirt.
“This tunnel certainly looks as if it had been made for a special purpose,” Bert observed. “I wonder how old it is.”
“It’s still scary,” Flossie put in, her voice trembling a little.
Just then Bert bent forward so suddenly that Dorothy almost fell over him. When he stood up, Bert held a small object in his hand.
“What did you find?” Nan asked, pressing forward to see.
“A black button! And I don’t think it’s been here very long!” Bert turned it over in his fingers. The button was still shiny and dry.
The Bobbsey Twins and the Mystery at Snow Page 9