"They wasn't two gals, Maw," said Bob from the darkness.

"What d'you mean?"

"One was a boy. Yes, she was--a boy! We kids found it out, and that's why them two lit out over night."

"Good gracious, Bob! What are you sayin'?"

"That's right," said the voice from the dark corner, stubbornly. "They was brother and sister. They owned up. Run away from somewhere, I guess. And then they run away from here."

Agnes pinched Neale's arm. "What did I tell you?" she whispered.

"Ouch! I don't know. You've told me so many things, Aggie," he complained.

"Don't you remember what Mr. Howbridge told us about the Birdsall twins and the picture he sent out to the police? He showed us that, too."

"Jumping Jupiter!" gasped the amazed Neale. "Why--why, _she_,"

pointing to the fisher-woman, "didn't say anything about the twins."

"Listen!" exclaimed Agnes again; and as Mrs. MacCall had taken the three younger children out of the shack, Agnes began to interrogate the woman as to the appearance of the strange girls who had remained for a week at the village on the ice.

Yes, they were both slim, and dark, and looked boyish enough--both of them. They seemed well behaved. She didn't believe Bob--

"I tell you I know," put in Bob from his corner. "One was a boy. He called the other by a girl name all right. Rowly--or Rowny--or sumpin'--"

"Rowena!" cried Agnes.

"Mebbe," admitted Bob.

"For the land of liberty's sake!" exclaimed his mother suddenly, "I'd like to know how you are so sure 'bout one bein' a boy?"

"Well, I'll tell you," grumbled Bob. "'Cause he licked me! Yes, he did. Licked me good and proper. No girl could ha' done that, you bet!"

said the disgruntled Bob.

"Now, Bob! I am ashamed of you!" said his mother.

"You needn't be. He could fight, that fellow!"

"But did you think they were both girls till you got into this fight?"

Neale asked, now becoming interested.

"Bet you. We thought we could get some of their lines. They had more'n enough. We went over there to Manny c.o.x's shack, and she that was a girl was alone. So we took the lines."

"Now, Bob!" murmured his mother.

"Guess a constable here wouldn't be a bad thing after all," chuckled Neale.

"Go on," ordered Agnes.

"Why, that girl just cried and scolded. But the other one came back before me and Hank and Buddie got away."

"The one you think was a boy?" asked Agnes.

"One I know was a boy--since he fought me. He didn't do no cryin'. He squared right off, skirts an' all, and jest lambasted me. And when Hank tried to put in an oar, he lambasted him. Buddie run, or he'd 've been licked, too, I guess."

"Well!" exclaimed Bob's mother. "I never did! And you never said a word about it!"

"What was the use?" asked her son. "We was licked. And the next morning that boy-girl and his sister was gone. We didn't see 'em no more."

"That is right," said the woman thoughtfully. "They got away jest like that. I never did know what become of 'em or what they went for."

Agnes dragged Neale out of the shack. She was excited.

"Let's find Mr. Howbridge!" she cried. "He ought to know about this. I just feel sure those twins have been here in this fisher-town."

CHAPTER X

INTO THE WILDERNESS

But the lawyer and guardian of the runaway Birdsall twins was not so easily convinced that Agnes had found the trail of the lost Ralph and Rowena. It seemed preposterous that the twins should have joined these rough fisherfolk and lived with them in the ice-village.

The party from Milton waited at the village for an hour while the lawyer cross-questioned the inhabitants. It was not that any of these people wished to hobble Mr. Howbridge's curiosity regarding the "stragglers," as they called the strangers who sometimes joined the community; but n.o.body had considered it his or her business to question or examine in any way the two unknown girls (if they were girls) who had occupied Manny c.o.x's shack for a week.

After all, the boy, Bob, and his mates, gave the most convincing testimony regarding the strangers. He was positive that one of the stragglers had been a boy--a very st.u.r.dy and pugilistic one for a twelve-year-old lad.

"And that might fit young Ralph Birdsall's reputation, as I got it from Rodgers, the butler," said Mr. Howbridge. "Ralph has to be stirred by Rowena to fight; but, once stirred, Rodgers says he can fight like a wildcat."

"Why, what a horrid boy!" murmured Tess, who heard this. "I guess I'm glad those twins didn't come with us after all."

"But, Mr. Howbridge," asked Ruth, "does it seem possible that they could get away up here alone?"

"That is difficult to say. n.o.body knows how much money they had when they left Arlington. They might have come as far as this. If they had wished to, I mean."

It was getting quite dark, now, and the children were tired and hungry. The party could spend no more time at the fishing village.

They set out across the ice for c.o.xford.

Neale took Dot pick-a-pack and Luke shouldered Tess, although the latter felt much embarra.s.sed by this proceeding. Ruth had to urge her to remain upon the collegian's shoulder.

"Really, I'm quite too big to play this way," she objected.

But she was tired--she had to admit that. Sammy made no complaint; but his short legs were weary enough before they reached the sh.o.r.e.

Oil lamps on posts lit the few streets of c.o.xford. Most of the slab houses looked as though the wind, with a good puff, could blow them down. The forest came down to the edge of the village. If there should be a forest fire on this side of the mountain range, the slab-town would surely be destroyed.

Hedden, Mr. Howbridge's man, had prepared things here for the party, as well as at Culberton. On the main street of the little town was what pa.s.sed for a hotel. At this time of year it was but little patronized.