Tom Jonah was turned loose, and he almost at once dashed around the house to the spot where the body of the fox lay. The children gathered around the fuzzy animal in great excitement.
"Oh, it looks like Mrs. Allen's spitz dog--only this is reddish and Sambo, the spitz, is white," Tess said. "The poor--little--thing!"
"This is no 'expectorates' dog," chuckled Neale, grabbing the creature by the tail. "'Expectorates' is a much better word than 'spits,' Tess. Now, I am going to take this fellow and hang him up in the back kitchen where he will thaw out. No, Tom Jonah! you are not going to worry him."
"What lovely long fur!" murmured Agnes. "Do you suppose you can really cure the skin for me, Neale?" she demanded.
"What's the matter with the skin?" demanded Sammy, in wonder. "Is it sick?"
"Good gracious!" exclaimed Agnes. "These children have to be explained to every minute. I hope that fox skin has no disease, Sammy."
Luke and Ruth and Cecile had gone for a tramp through the wood. The little folks set to work building a snow man which was to be of wondrous proportions when completed. Naturally Neale and Agnes kept together.
Agnes had been wandering along the edge of the wood in front of the house while Neale carried the fox indoors. Tom Jonah came back with Neale and began snuffing about the spot where the fox had laid.
"See here, Neale O'Neil," cried Agnes, "I can't find anybody's footprints over here. Where do you suppose that man shot the fox from?"
"But here's just the cunningest hoofprints! See them!" cried Agnes.
The boy joined her. Two rows of marks made by split-hoofed animals ran along the edge of the wood.
"Crackey!" ejaculated the boy. "Those are deer."
"Must be. Red deer, I bet. And right close to the Lodge! How tame these creatures are."
"Well, deer won't hurt us," said Agnes, decidedly. "Let's see where they went to."
Neale was nothing loath. One direction was as good as another. He wanted much to talk to somebody about the discovery he had made in the loft of the Lodge; but he did not wish to frighten Agnes, so he did not broach the subject.
The two rows of hoof marks went on, side by side, along the edge of the clearing. They followed them to the very end of the opening which had been cleared about Red Deer Lodge--the northern end.