The Red Trailer Mystery

He gave Trixie a sharp glance. "What made you think he would be in a red trailer? Do you suspect the man had anything to do with the recent theft that has been announced on the radio so many times?" Before Trixie could think of a word to say, Honey interrupted with, "Did the man have long, shaggy hair?"
    Mr. Ditmar laughed. "There’s some mystery about all this, but you two are certainly on the wrong track. The man, and I think he must have been a neighboring farmer, had a closely cropped head—it was practically a crew cut."
    "Then I guess we’re talking about two different people," Trixie said with relief. "We saw a shaggy-haired man driving a red trailer on our way up the river last week."
    Honey quickly changed the subject. "You must come over and see our trailer before we go back," she said to Ben. "I’d like to ask you all to lunch, but it’s not quite big enough for that."
    "I should hope not," Ben said as they left the dining hall. "It would have to be a young village on wheels to hold all of us."
    Sid and Ben went off to saddle Prince and Peanuts while the girls said good-bye and thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ditmar. Then they rode off through the woods in what they thought was the right direction.
    The minute they were alone Trixie said, "Didn’t you nearly die of excitement when Mr. Ditmar said a man had been asking about an eleven-year-old girl with pigtails?"
    Honey nodded. "And I almost died of disappointment when he said the farmer had a crew cut."
    "Well, I didn’t," Trixie said. "I think Joeanne’s father has simply had a haircut, that’s all."
    Honey, who had been leading the way, looked over her shoulder at Trixie. "I never thought about that," she admitted. "Then maybe the red-trailer family is somewhere near here."
    "That’s right," Trixie said. "They’ve probably abandoned the Robin and are living in the woods."
    "Oh, golly." Honey giggled. "You’ve got so many people hiding in the woods now, it’s a wonder we don’t stumble over them."
    Trixie grinned. "Maybe well do just that before we’re through, but right now I wish we’d stumble across a trail that looks familiar. We should have come out on the field we galloped through on our way over to the ranch long ago," Trixie said.
    "That’s true," Honey said, frowning. "I never saw that brook before, did you?"
    "Never," Trixie said. "Does it show on the map?" The horses had stopped of their own accord and were drinking thirstily. Honey produced the map from her pocket and handed it to Trixie.
    "You figure this one out," she said with a laugh. "I got us to the ranch. Now you get us back!"
    Trixie stared at the map for a whole minute before she realized that she was holding it upside down. Even when she had righted it, she was as baffled as ever. "I simply can’t follow maps," she said ruefully. "Maybe we’d better go back to the ranch and start all over again."
    "All right," Honey agreed, gathering up her reins. "But Ben will tease us for losing our way so quickly." They rode along in silence for a while, and then Trixie said, "Oh, for heavens sake, Honey, here? the brook again. Now we are good and lost. I don’t even know how to get to the ranch from here, do you?"
    "No," Honey said. "But let’s keep going, anyway. Miss Trask said all the trails come out on a main highway sooner or later. This path looks as though it was used more than the other ones. It’s bound to lead somewhere."
    "Suits me," Trixie said. "I’d just as soon not go back through the woods. The deer flies are simply terrible." The path grew wider and wider, and finally they realized they were on a back country road.
    "We’re probably trespassing," Honey said. "I can hear a dog barking just ahead of us. I hope he doesn’t rush out and bite us."
    "Why, we’re on somebody’s farm," Trixie said with a gasp of surprise. "See the cows in the pasture over there? And look, Honey. Just beyond the pasture is that old orchard we saw from the top of the hill." And then the sound of the barking dog came nearer. In a moment they saw a large collie racing through the fields toward them. Before the girls could gather their wits, Peanuts, terrified at the sight of the angry dog, bolted and set off up the road at a run. Trixie took up the slack in her reins too late. Prince was already galloping after Honey’s big chestnut gelding.

The Black Sentinel • 8

    A LOW BRANCH slapped Trixie in the face as Prince raced up the road, with the collie barking at his heels. Tears of pain