MYSTERIOUS MARKS
Before reaching the log, Tom's interest had been chiefly in his queer
little companion. The tracks puzzled him somewhat, but since they had
already served their purpose and were in process of obliteration he paid
little attention to them. In his more ambitious rambles during late fall
and winter, he had run across too many tracks of deer and bear and
wildcat to become excited by these signs of some humbler creature of the
woods.
But on reaching that scene of Skinny's memorable meeting with Hervey
Willetts, Tom's keenest interest was aroused by something which he saw
there, and which both of the others characteristically had failed to
notice. Skinny, enthralled by his vision of the coveted badge, had been
in no state for minute exploration, and as for Hervey, these things
were quite out of his line. Besides, his sudden impulse of generosity
toward Skinny would have been quite sufficient (as we know it was) to
cause him to forget all else.
But Tom was as observant and methodical, as Hervey was erratic, and as
he paused to rest upon the log, he noticed how it lay directly across
the path of the tracks. Thus the track line was broken for a couple of
feet or so by this obstacle.
Supposing that the creature which had passed here had clambered over the
log, Tom's scouting instinct was aroused to examine the rough bark
carefully for any little tuft of hair which the animal might have left.
And not finding any, he was puzzled. For by its tracks the creature must
have been very small, certainly too small to have stepped, and not at
all likely to have jumped over the log. If then it had clambered over
the log it seemed remarkable that it had left no trace, not even a
single hair, upon that rough surface.
Tom knew that this was unusual. He knew that old Uncle Jeb would laugh
at him if he went back and said that some small creature had crawled
over that nutmeg grater and left no sign of its crossing. He knew that
no animal could graze a tree in its flight but old Uncle Jeb would find
there some tell-tale souvenir of its passing.
Tom's interest was keenly aroused now. He was baffled and a little
chagrined. But no supplementary inspection revealed so much as a single
hair.
Thus confounded, he examined the tracks more carefully. He followed them
up to where they emerged from the lower reaches of the mountain. Then he
followed them back, aided where they were dim by the deeper prints of
Hervey's shoes. Skinny sat upon the log waiting for him.
On the side of the log nearest the mountain the tracks turned and went
sideways along the log for perhaps a yard to a point where the log was
low and somewhat broken. Here, evidently, was where the animal had
crossed. It must have been a very small animal, Tom thought, to have
sought an easy place for crossing.
Having thus determined the exact place of crossing, Tom concentrated his
attention on this spot, examining the bark systematically, inch by inch.
But no vestige of a clew rewarded his microscopic scrutiny. He was
baffled and his curiosity and determination rose in proportion to the
difficulties. His big mouth was set tight, a menacing frown clouded his
countenance, so that instinctively little Skinny refrained from speaking
to him.
Tracing the apparent line of the animal's crossing over the log, Tom
scrutinized the prints on the other side, that is, the side nearest
camp. Here the prints were very clear by reason of the crust of mud
caused by the dampness usually found near logs and fallen trees. Marks
on this showed like marks on hard butter.
Suddenly Tom's attention was riveted by something directly under the
apparent line of crossing, something which he had never seen the like of
in all his woodland adventures since he had become a scout. What he saw
looked singularly out of place there. Yet there it was printed in the
hard crust of mud, and as clear as writing on a slate. No human
footprint was near it. If a human being had made those marks that human
being must have reached from the log to do it. And the printing was
almost too nice for that.
Utterly dismayed, Tom looked again for human footprints but the nearest
were those of Hervey on the other side of the log, some ten or a dozen
feet beyond.
"Did either of you fellows do that?" Tom asked, pointing.
"Does--does it mean I can't have the badge?" Skinny asked, apprehensive
of Tom's mood.
"Did either of you fellows do that?"
"N-no," Skinny answered timidly.
"Have you brought any one else up here?"
"Honest--I ain't."
"Well then," said Tom, with a kind of grim finality, "either some one
else who didn't have any feet has been here or else that animal knows
how to write. Look there."
Skinny obediently looked again. There below the log and close to the
tracks were printed as clear as day the letters H. T. They were about
two inches in size.
"Take your choice," said Tom with a kind of baffled conclusiveness which
greatly impressed his little companion. _"Either those letters were
printed there by some one who didn't have any feet, or else the animal
knew how to write. Either one or the other. It's got me guessing."_