The Sasquatch Mystery

and Honey. None of us knows how to deal with a beast.”
    “Forget about the beast. Just think about Cap!” Hallie cried.
    Hallie’s wrenching sobs made a deep impression on Trixie. “Hallie’s right,” she said gently.
    “We’ve been letting the sasquatch make pudding of our thinking. Let’s just change viewpoints and see what we’re dealing with.”
    “We’re dealing with Cap,” Hallie groaned. “Maybe he’s hurt. Maybe he’s hungry. Maybe he’s....” Her voice ran down.
    “Cap’s alive,” Knut insisted. “Even the police think it’s too early to worry. Of course, they didn’t see the beast, but they’re sure Cap can take care of himself. And how is it going to help Cap if we give up in despair? Come on, now. No more tears, please?”
    Brother and sister looked at each other. Then Hallie pulled away and dug into a jeans pocket. “Darn it, not even a tissue when I need it.”
    “Here, take mine,” Honey offered, handing her a neatly folded, clean tissue.
    Hallie blew her nose vigorously and swiped her eyes with the backs of both hands. Then she faced the Bob-Whites. “I’m sorry,” she said, trying a small smile.
    “Don’t be,” Brian advised. “You needed that, and in a way, so did we, Hallie. You cried for all of us. Now, let’s get to work. I think a Bob-White meeting might be in order.”
    “Right here?” Di protested.
    “There aren’t any more snakes,” said Trixie. “How do you know?” Di asked.
    “Well, I know!” Hallie said. “If there’s a snake left within a mile, he’s totally without sense!”
    “Come on, Di, sit by me,” Mart invited. “I promise to protect you from any and all reptilian animals that creep and crawl and grovel.” Mart traced squirming motions in the air.
    Di sat down beside him, but not before she had thoroughly cleared seat space with a boot toe.
    When all were seated, Jim said, “Okay, let’s consider the case of the locket found in the rats’ nest.”
    “Pun, pun,” Mart called. “We already know that the locket has a case.”
    “Knock it off, Mart,” said Brian.
    “Sorry,” Mart said quickly. “What I really meant to say was, how do we know the locket wasn’t stolen earlier and then somehow found its way into the pack rats’ condominium?”
    Knut stuck one long, bony finger into the air. “I can answer that,” he said. “It’s supposed to be a secret, but under the circumstances, Tank won’t mind my letting it out. When we were getting ready to leave Tank’s cabin Tuesday, he showed me the locket. He told me he wanted to give it to Hallie.”
    “Me?” Hallie gasped. “His mother’s locket?”
    “Tank’s eyes are growing weak. He can’t see his parents’ faces clearly. He wants me to have their picture enlarged to fit a new bone frame he’s carved. Then he was going to let Hallie have the locket. But I was listening so closely to his instructions Tuesday that I forgot to pick up the nugget bag, and he forgot to give it to me. I knew I should have gone back for it, when I remembered up there on the trail.”
    Hallie patted Knut’s hand.
    “Maybe nobody stole the locket,” Trixie suggested. “Maybe Cap went up to Tank’s yesterday and Tank gave it to him.”
    “It’s possible,” Knut agreed. “In fact, I’m sure that’s where Cap was Wednesday. We have to consider that the trip to Tank’s is three hours up and two hours down the mountain— approximately the length of time we used up with our berry-picking trip. Cap was seen in camp before Miss Trask and Di started up the road to meet us.”
    “What kind of mood was Cap in when you saw him?” Trixie asked Di.
    “He smiled and waved,” Di said.
    “He didn’t look like he was expecting trouble?” asked Knut.
    “No, he said he’d be right back,” Di said. “What were you doing, Di?” Brian asked.
    “I was checking the meat to see if it was done baking,” Di said.
    “If he smelled the food and said he’d be right back, Cap was no doubt hungry,” Mart said. “That hike certainly puts me in a ravenous state. My point is that Cap might have been less than alert if he was washing his hands to get ready for a campfire banquet. The last thing on his mind would have been the possibility of an attack by a sasquatch.”
    “That’s the last thing on anybody’s mind,” Trixie said.
    “Forget the sasquatch!” Hallie said. “Say that Cap did go to Tank’s, and Tank gave him the nugget bag and told him to hide it from me. Cap might have