"
The argument certainly seemed to be with Tom, but Bert, although he had
no answer to it, still felt unconvinced.
"The scratches are too deep to have been made by any animal slipping," he
persisted. "The beast, whatever it was, had a tremendous purchase to dig
so deep. And he couldn't have got such a purchase except by standing on
his hind legs."
"Marvelous," mocked Tom. "A regular Sherlock Holmes! Perhaps he stood on
a ladder or a chair. I've heard that grizzlies carry such things about
with them when strolling in the woods. Come along, old man," he bantered,
"or these squirrels will think you're a nut and carry you off. There's
nothing this side of a nightmare that'll fit your theory, and you'd
better give it up and come along with us sensible people."
"But what did do it, then?" asked Bert obstinately.
"Search me," answered Tom flippantly. "I don't have to know. I'm not
cursed with curiosity so much as some people I could mention. What I do
know is that we're losing time and that I'm fairly aching to bait my hook
and fling it into the water.
Pages:
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79