Thede shook his head doubtfully.

"I don't think so," he replied.

"Did you see the man's face?"

"Only in the shadows. His chin was on his breast at first, and
then, when he looked up, he turned his head the other way."

"Well," Will said, "we have at least located the ugly little beast."

"Did it look complete and whole?" asked Tommy. "That's one
question you didn't answer when you told me about having seen it."

"Just as good as new," replied Thede. "If it had been opened at
all, the trick was turned by a man who understood the combination."

"And now about George?" Will asked.

"Some one carried him away," Thede declared.

"That's the way I figure it out," Tommy cut in.

"He didn't walk away," Tommy added, "because there were no tracks
his size. There were plenty of other tracks, but none which could
have been made by George's shoes."

"Aw, how do you know anything about that?" demanded Sandy. "We saw
a large moccasin track there, and how do we know that some man