The Mysterious Code

first sound of his name.
    “He didn’t come when
I called, Moms,” Brian said and put the can of dog food on the table in the
kitchen.
    “It’s strange,” Mrs.
Belden said. “He probably chased a rabbit far into the heart of the game
preserve. The Wheelers’ gamekeeper, Mr. Maypenny, won’t like that at all.”
    “Mr. Maypenny is
away,” Trixie said.
    “I want my dog,”
Bobby wailed. “My dog is losted. Please find my dog.”
    “He isn’t lost,
lamb,” Trixie said. “He’ll be home soon.”
    Trixie wasn’t sure
of what she was saying. She could see that her mother was concerned, too, and
that Brian was worried. The whole family loved the playful Irish setter.
    “He is, too, losted.
I’ll go and hunt for him myself,” Bobby insisted.
    “I’m sure he’ll be
home soon,” his mother assured him. “Trixie will read to you, Bobby.”
    “Don’t want another
old story. I only like the ones Brom tells me. Where’s Brom? Is he losted, too?
He didn’t come to see me for two years!”
    Bobby was tired of
being kept in the house all the time, and he was unreasonable.
    “Look out the
window, lamb,” Trixie said. “That’s right, you may get up and go to the window.
See who’s there!”
    “It’s Jim!” Bobby
cried. “He’s riding Jupiter! Moms, may I go out and see Jupiter and Jim?”
    “No, you may not,
Bobby. Why do you continue to ask me if you may go out of doors when the doctor
said you couldn’t until the weather grows warmer?” Mrs. Belden was tired or she
would never have lost patience with any of her children, and least of all with
Bobby.
    Bobby did not
notice, however. He put his face up against the window. Jim turned Jupiter so
the big horse’s black nose was pressed against Bobby’s, with just the glass
between.
    Come in, Jim, and
talk to me,” Bobby insisted. “Bring Jupiter in to see me!”
    Jim laughed. “I
can’t do that, Bobby,” he called, “but I’ll put Jupiter out in the bam. Then
I’ll come in for a while.”
    “Give Jupiter some
oats to eat!” Bobby shouted. ”Call Reddy, too, please. I’m afraid Reddy is
really losted, Moms,” he said as he lay down again on the couch in the study.
“Jim will go find him for me.”
    “What’s this about Reddy?”
Jim asked when he came in through the kitchen.
    “I don’t know,”
Trixie answered. “He doesn’t come when we call him. It’s never happened before,
especially if he hasn’t been fed all day. Did you call him?”
    “As loud as I could
call when I came out of the barn,” Jim said. “Don’t you think someone should go
and hunt for him?”
    “I thought so, but
Moms is worried. She doesn’t want us to go far from the farm. She thinks a
blizzard is coming. Bobby is fretting so, though.” Trixie turned to her mother.
“Moms, won’t you please let us go? Brian and I know our way through all the
woods around here. We’ve been in blizzards before. Please!”
    “If you don’t let
Trixie go and find my dog, I’ll get sick again,” Bobby called from the study.
    “I’ll go with you to
look for Reddy,” Jim said. “I can leave Jupiter in the bam here till I come
back. Don’t you think it would be all right if the three of us were together,
Mrs. Belden?”
    Trixie looked
expectantly at her mother.
    “I just don’t know
what to say,” Mrs. Belden replied. “If your father were only home,” she added,
“but he is in New York on business. He won’t be back till tomorrow.”
    “Reddy’ll just die
if they wait till tomorrow,” Bobby cried. “Plll... eease let Trixie go and find
my dog.”
    “What’s the fuss
about?” Brian asked. “You’re not usually so reluctant to let us do anything.”
    “I’m nervous,” Mrs.
Belden said. “It sounds foolish, but I’m afraid something will happen.”
    “What kind of
something?” Trixie asked. “You’re imagining things.”
    “Maybe I am,” her
mother agreed. “Why don’t you let the boys go by themselves?”
    “Trixie is the one
who will find my dog,” Bobby cried. “I want Trixie to go.”
    “Very well,” Mrs.
Belden said. “But if it starts to snow hard, you’ll come back, won’t you?”
    “If we think the
storm is turning into a blizzard, we will,” Trixie answered, exultant. She
loved to be out in a storm. She loved any kind of adventure and almost any kind
of hazard. In a few minutes she was back with her coat, and with a woolen scarf
to tie over her head.
    “Jim, you take this
heavy sweater,” Mrs. Belden said.