b-nails. I'm lookin' for the marks of boots
with two rows, an' with a nail missin' from the inside row of the left
boot. You'd best not walk about more'n you c'n help."

"Rube," said Kiddie, now coming up. "We landed from the canoe last
evenin' at a quarter to seven. At what time would Abe Harum be down
here?"

"'Bout four o'clock, I guess," Rube answered. "That's his usual time
for lockin' up the stables an' givin' Sheila her feed. Abe told us he
left the hound in her kennel. But, of course, she c'd get out if she
wanted. She'd soon be out if she heard a stranger prowlin' around."

"As no doubt she did," agreed Kiddie.

"Heard him gettin' outer the canoe," Rube conjectured.

"You believe he came along in the canoe, then?" Kiddie interrogated.

"Well," returned Rube, "what about the tobacco pipe an' the footprint?
You haven't spotted any more footprints like that one, have you,
Kiddie?"

"Only one," Kiddie answered, "close beside the dog."

"H'm!" nodded Rube; "went up to her ter make sure she was dead, eh?"

"And, havin' got the watchdog outer his path," interposed the sheriff,
"he went round t' th' side of your cabin, an' broke in by the winder."

"The easiest way," explained Kiddie; "you see the front door was
locked, and I had the key. But it's sure he came out by the front
door, leavin' it ajar."

"Seems t' have made a big scoop," said the sheriff. "Must have known
where you kept all that money an' jewellery. What was it all worth,
Kiddie?"

"I don't know yet," returned Kiddie. "I haven't had time to see just
what he's taken an' what he has left. It's the dog that I'm troubled
about most."

"Well, the first thing to do is ter get on the scoundrel's track,"
advised Isa Blagg. "An' he's liable to have left some traces round
about that broken winder. Let's get there right now an' have a search."

Their nearest way to the cabin was past the front of the stables. Rube
Carter limped forward in advance of his two companions, searching the
ground as he went. Suddenly he came to a halt.

"Hallo!" he cried. "Come an' look here, Kiddie. What d'you make of
this?"

He was staring down at the marks of a horse's shoes, mingled with the
impressions of a man's hob-nailed boots.

"Looks like the tracks of your big horse Regent, don't it?" he
questioned. "An' the bootmarks are the same's the one near the canoe."

Kiddie did not wait to make conjectures. He strode quickly towards the
stables