STARTLING FOOTPRINTS.
On the very edge of the bridge over Shark Creek, the mother of Nellie
Ribsam picked up the lunch basket which her daughter had taken to school
that morning. It lay on its side, with the snowy napkin partly out, and
within it was a piece of brown bread which the parent had spread with
golden butter, and which was partly eaten.
No wonder the afflicted woman uttered a half-suppressed scream when she
picked up what seemed a memento of her dead child.
While the lanterns were held in a circle around the basket, which the
father took from his wife, Mr. Ribsam lifted the piece of bread in his
hand. There were the prints made by the strong white teeth of little
Nellie, and there was not a dry eye when all gazed upon the food, which
the father softly returned to the basket and reverently covered with the
napkin.
No one ventured to speak, but the thoughts of all were the same.
Stepping to the railing at the side of the bridge Mr. Layton held his
lantern over, Nick and Mr. Kilgore immediately doing the same. The rays
extended right and left and far enough downward to reach the stream,
which could be seen, dark and quiet, flowing beneath and away through
the woods to the big pond, a quarter of a mile below.
In the oppressive stillness the soft rustling of the water was heard as
it eddied about a small root which grew out from the shore, and a tiny
fish, which may have been attracted by the yellow rays, leaped a few
inches above the surface and fell back with a splash which startled
those who were peering over the railing of the structure.
The trees grew close to the water's edge, and as the trunks were dimly
revealed they looked as if they were keeping watch over the deep creek
that flowed between.
The five were now searching for that which they did not wish to find;
they dreaded, with an unspeakable dread, the sight of the white face
turned upward, with the abundant hair floating about the dimpled
shoulders.
Thank heaven, that sight was spared them; nothing of the kind was seen,
and a sigh escaped from each.
"We are all tortured by the thought that Nellie has fallen into the
creek and been drowned," said the teacher; "but I cannot see any grounds
for such fear."
The yearning looks of the parents and brother caused the teacher to
explain more fully.
"No child, unless a very stupid one, would stumble from this bridge, and
there could have been no circumstances which in my judgment would have
brought such a mishap to Nellie."
This sounded reasonable enough, but:
"De basket,--vot of dot?" asked the father.
"She has dropped that from some cause; but that of itself is a favorable
sign, for had she fallen accidentally into the water she would have
taken it with her."
This sounded as if true, but it did not remove the fears of any one.
Even he who uttered the words could not bring himself fully to believe
in their truth, for none knew better than he that the evil one himself
seems to conspire with guns and pistols that appear to be unloaded, and
with water which is thought to be harmless.
All wanted to place faith in the declaration, and no protest was
uttered. As nothing was to be seen or learned where they stood, they
crossed the bridge and descended the wooded slope until they reached the
edge of the stream, which wound its way through the woods to the big
pond.
Every heart was throbbing painfully and no one spoke: there was no need
of it, for no comfort could be gained therefrom.
Mr. Layton and Kilgore moved carefully up the creek, while Nick and his
parents walked toward the pond, which lay to the left.
The two wished to be apart from the others that they might consult
without danger of being overheard by those whose hearts were suffering
so much anguish.
"It's very strange," said Mr. Kilgore, "that the basket should be found
on the bridge: what do you make of it, Mr. Layton?"
The teacher shook his head.
"It is strange, indeed; had there been no water in the creek you could
have set it down as certain that the child had not fallen from it, but,
as she could not have done so without drowning, I am inclined to
think--"
The instructor hesitated, as if afraid to pronounce the dreadful words.
"You think she is drowned?" said his friend, supplying the answer with
his own question.
Mr. Layton nodded his head by way of reply, and, holding the lanterns in
front, they began groping their way along the margin of the creek.
By raising the lights above their heads the rays reached the opposite
bank, lighting up the water between. This was unusually clear, and they
could see the bottom some distance from shore.
Both felt that if the body was floating anywhere they could not fail to
see it, though the probabilities were that it was already far below
them, and would be first discovered by the parents and brother.
"Halloa!" suddenly exclaimed Mr. Layton, lowering his lantern close to
the ground, "I don't like _that_."
By way of explanation, he pointed to the damp soil where no vegetation
grew: it was directly in front and close to the water, being that
portion which was frequently swept by the creek when above its present
level.
Parallel to the stream, for a distance of several rods or so, were a
number of imprints in the yielding earth, which the first glance showed
were made by some large animal.
"It must have been a dog," ventured the teacher, who had little
practical knowledge of the animals of the wood.
Mr. Kilgore shook his head.
"It was a bear; there can be no mistake about it. Mr. Marston was right;
it was the track of a similar animal which he saw last March."
"You are not mistaken, Mr. Kilgore?"
The farmer answered impatiently:
"I have hunted bears too often to be mistaken; I can tell their trail
among a hundred others, and the one which went along here a little while
ago was one of the largest of his kind."