The Mysterious Code (11 page)

“As loud as I could call when I came out of the barn,” Jim said. “Don’t you think someone should go and hunt for him?”

“I thought so, but Moms is worried. She doesn’t want us to go far from the farm. She thinks a blizzard is coming. Bobby is fretting so, though.”

Trixie turned to her mother, “Moms, won’t you please let us go? Brian and I know our way through all the woods around here. We’ve been in blizzards before. Please!”

“If you don’t let Trixie go and find my dog I’ll get sick again,” Bobby called from the study.

“I’ll go with you to look for Reddy,” Jim said. “I can leave Jupiter in the barn here till I come back. Don’t you think it would be all right if the three of us were together, Mrs. Belden?”

Trixie looked expectantly at her mother.

“I just don’t know what to say,” Mrs. Belden replied. “If your father were only here,” she added, “but he is in New York on business. He won’t be back till tomorrow.”

“Reddy’ll just die if they wait till tomorrow,” Bobby cried. “Pill … eease let Trixie go and find my dog.”

“What’s all the fuss about, Moms?” Brian asked. “You’re not usually so reluctant to let us do anything.”

“I’m nervous,” Mrs. Belden said. “It sounds foolish, but I’m afraid something will happen.”

“What kind of something?” Trixie asked. “You’re imagining things.”

“Maybe I am,” her mother agreed. “Why don’t you let the boys go by themselves?”

“Trixie is the one who will find my dog,” Bobby cried. “I want Trixie to go.”

“Very well,” Mrs. Belden said. “But if it starts to snow hard you come back, will you?”

“If we think the storm is turning into a blizzard, we will,” Trixie answered, exultant. She loved to be out in a storm. She loved any kind of adventure, and almost any kind of hazard. In a few minutes she was back with her big car coat, and with a woolen scarf to tie over her head.

“Jim, you take this heavy sweater,” Mrs. Belden said. “You’re just dressed for riding. Do you have your flashlights? Remember, Trixie, this is
no
adventure. You’re going to find Reddy, and when you find him, you come right straight back home!”

“Brian and I will try to curb her curiosity,” Jim said and winked at Trixie as the three of them left.

The thing Jim liked best about Trixie was her spirit of adventure, her readiness to go anywhere any time and not hold back, afraid, as so many girls did.

Lately Jim had been noticing, too, that Trixie was a pretty girl. Just now his eyes brightened in approval at the picture she made in her great red car coat and scarlet scarf. Her eyes were as clear blue as a summer sky, and her cheeks flushed pink with excitement.

Trixie looped a leash over her arm. It was an indignity Reddy seldom suffered. He hated a leash, but he must be taught that he could not run away.

They set off briskly through the woods. From time to time they stopped to call the setter. “Reddy! Here, Reddy! Come, boy!”

There was no response.

“Maybe someone picked him up,” Jim said. “Someone in a car over on Glen Road.”

“It would take a squad of mounted police to get
Reddy into a strange car,” Trixie said. “I’m worried.”

“Now don’t go feminine on us,” Brian warned.

“Brian Belden, you’re worried yourself!” Trixie said.

“Both of you had
better
be a little worried,” Jim said, pushing his way through the path. “Do you see how the wind has changed? Where is the sun?”

“It’s getting late in the day,” Trixie said. “It must be past four o’clock. No, Jim, you’re right! Listen to that wind!”

“It’s about ten degrees colder, too,” Brian said, beating his chest to keep the blood circulating. “Where
is
that dog? Here, Reddy! Here, Reddy!”

“How do you know he even came this way?” Jim asked.

“He always
has
followed this path, or gone into the woods on this part of the preserve,” Trixie answered. “He’s here in the forest somewhere.”

“But where?” Brian asked. “I don’t like the way that wind is acting.”

“Now who’s scared?” Trixie asked.

“Maybe
you
should go back, Trixie,” Jim suggested.

“I’ll never do that,” Trixie answered. “I’ll go back when both of you go back, and not before. I don’t think I’d go back even then. Just think of listening to Bobby
cry all night long if we don’t find Reddy. No, I’m going right on.”

“You’ll have to do the explaining to Moms,” Brian said, “if we get lost. I hope
you
know where we are. I don’t. Do you, Jim?”

“I … don’t … think … so,” Jim said slowly. “Trixie, let’s make one last attempt to call Reddy. Then we must turn back. Okay?”

“Yes, Jim,” Trixie said meekly. “But I don’t want to give up.”

Brian and Jim beat back the snow-covered bushes on each side of the path and called, “Here, Reddy!”

There was no answering bark, only silence.

“Here, Reddy!” Trixie called softly, coaxingly. “Here, Reddy boy! Come, Reddy!”

A half moan, half bark answered her.

“He’s near here!” she called to the boys. “Right around here someplace. Where are you, Reddy? I’m coming!”

The whimper and bark grew a little louder. They turned in its direction. The snow was coming down in a thick heavy cloud. Even beneath the trees the fall was so dense they could see only a little way ahead of them in the fast-gathering dusk.

“Reddy?” Trixie kept calling. “Reddy?” The answering
whine was so near she almost stumbled over the big red dog lying on the ground.

“What is it, Reddy?” Trixie asked, down on her knees at his side. “Good Reddy, good dog, are you hurt?” Reddy licked her hand in welcome.

“He’s caught in a trap,” Brian said, kneeling on the dog’s other side. “It must be his leg—yes, there it is. Quiet, fella, I’ll try not to hurt you. His foot is caught—just the tip. Thank goodness it isn’t any worse.” Brian released the trap.

“Good Reddy!” Trixie said, hugging their pet. “Is his foot broken, Brian?”

“No, but it must hurt pretty bad. There, there, Reddy boy!” Brian lifted the big dog into his arms.

“Who’d be so cruel as to set a trap around here?” Trixie asked. “I hope you’ll ask your father to have Mr. Maypenny look into it right away, Jim.”

“It’s an old fox trap, all rusted,” Jim announced. “There’s a bounty on fox pelts now. Someone must have found this old trap someplace and set it to try to make some money. Poor Reddy!”

“It could have been worse,” Brian said. “I know you don’t think so, boy,” he said, as Reddy snuggled his damp nose against Brian’s neck.

“I’d say Reddy’s in better shape than we are right
now,” Jim said. “I haven’t the slightest idea where we are. I just know there’s the granddaddy of a blizzard raging right now and we’re a long way from nowhere.”

“I guess we should have listened to Moms,” Brian said.

“And left Reddy out here to die?” Trixie asked scornfully.

“Of course not,” Jim said placatingly, “but we
are
in a bad spot. I don’t even know where the main path is now, do you?”

Trixie looked about her and shook her head.

“It’s getting darker and darker, too,” she said.

“We’ll try going in this direction,” Jim said and flashed his light. “Put your head down, Trixie, and you won’t get the full force of the wind.”

“Let’s stay close together, all of us,” Brian said. “We can’t afford to get separated. Coming, Trixie?”

Reddy cried plaintively in Brian’s arms.

“I’m coming, and we
will
find a way out!” Trixie answered, her voice vigorous and sure.

“That’s the girl!” Jim answered. Then he stumbled and fell in the snow.

“Jim’s hurt!” Trixie cried to Brian. They had been walking along the path single file, with Trixie between the two boys.

“What happened?” Brian asked as he pushed Trixie aside to bend over Jim.

“He stumbled over something and fell,” Trixie said. “Watch out!”

She was too late. Brian went down headfirst over Jim’s body.

“Brian!” Trixie called frantically. “Jim!”

On the ground they were both making queer choking noises. The swift swirling snow obscured everything around them, even the trees close by.

Terror-stricken, Trixie circled the fallen boys. “Jim!” she called. “Oh, he’s been killed!”

“I’m not dead,” Jim said, gurgling, “but if you can’t get this elephant to roll himself off me, I may be.”

“Then why are you making such queer noises, as though you can’t get your breath? Brian, too,” Trixie added, her voice tense with anxiety.

“Can’t you tell laughing when you hear it?” Brian asked, getting up and brushing the snow from himself, only to have it replaced by more. “I like the way you called out to Jim, too, Trixie. Fine sister you are, you weren’t concerned when I fell.”

“I was, too,” Trixie said, exasperated, “but you picked a queer time to be funny and play tricks.” She was furious at both of them. “We may not even be alive an hour from now unless we can get under cover someplace. Just think, it’s black dark, and Moms must be terribly worried because we aren’t home. I can’t stand much more of this storm.”

“You may be right about it’s not being any time to play jokes,” Jim said, “but it isn’t any time to cry, either. What do you suppose made us both stumble? I can’t see an inch ahead of myself.” He picked up his flashlight where it had fallen.

Reddy, who had jumped from Brian’s arms when he stumbled, rubbed his wet body against Brian’s legs, whimpered, and held up his sore paw.

“I know it hurts, fella,” Brian said. “I can’t do anything about it right now, though. Trixie, we’re really up against it. There
must
be a shelter of some kind around here.”

“There is!” Jim cried excitedly. His flashlight
hunted around on the ground near him. “It was a log walk that I fell over. Unless I miss my guess it leads to some kind of refuge. That’s it, see? Right ahead!” The boys forced the door of a log house that stood on the edge of a small clearing. The fury of the storm drove girl, boys, and dog inside, then slammed the door with mighty force.

“Just in time!” Trixie panted, exhausted.

Jim’s flashlight danced around the room. There was no furniture … yes … along the wall were three old benches piled high with heavy feed sacks.

“Mr. Maypenny must use this for a place to store provisions for the animals and birds,” Jim said. “Sure thing, it’s an old schoolhouse. Mr. Maypenny used to go to school here himself. Jeepers, it’s cold!”

Brian’s flashlight had been seeking out corners, too. “There’s a stove!” he cried. “Looks like a wood burner!”

“No wood for it, though,” Jim said. “None that I can see. Do you see any, Trixie?”

“Not yet,” Trixie said, her own flashlight seeking
anything
they could use. “There’s a lantern!” She picked it up. “And a folder of matches right by it!” she said, as she snapped the light and lit the lantern. She swung its yellow light around into corners hunting stored wood. There were only two or three logs near the stove.

“There
must
be a woodpile nearby,” Jim said. “I’ll go out to see if I can find it.”

He opened the door, but the wind roaring through the opening threw him back into the room.

“You can’t go out there,” Trixie said. “You’d never find your way back. You’d freeze to death!”

“Where do you think you’d rather freeze,” Brian asked, “inside or outside? There isn’t much difference. I’ll go.”

“Nobody will go out in this storm,” Trixie said determinedly. “We’ll burn the benches.”

“Just three of them?” Jim asked. “How long would they last? And what would we use to chop them up? No, we’ll have to find the woodpile.”

Trixie pulled off her mittens, blew on her fingers to warm them, thinking all the while. Suddenly an idea came to her. “I heard old Brom telling Bobby a story the other day about a storm,” she said. “Let me think—what did he say they did? Oh, yes, he told about getting wood from outside. Let me see … one man would stand just outside the house, and the other man tied the end of a rope around his waist. If the first man got lost before he could find the wood, he would pull on the rope to let the other one know, and
he’d
pull him back to safety.”