The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1923-03-30
CHAPTER XXI
A New Partnership.

ut rains all the time in this coun-
try" said Billy, discontentedly, Except
when you want 1t to-"
He addressed the remark to the dry
and unresponsive soil. Billy's attitude
at the moment was unusual. He was
close to the footpath along which he
had wheeled the Sphinx, after the en-
counter with the motorcycle thieves on
the night Of the burglary.
That event was now many days old,
yet no rain had fallen In the meantime
and here and there the track of the
SphinX's tires was family visible in
the dried mud-to anyone who had un-
usually good eyes.
eff they've got a Scotland Yard
sharp down here now," reflected Billy,
"and he goes over the ground, it's just
possible he might see what that fool
Inspector at Stanhoe never tumbled to.
That there were two motorcycles, and
not one, at the place where Jack the
Climber got ditched. If they were to
track up the Sphinx now 1t would be
mighty awkward. They'd soon con-
meet her with Aimee and me. But !
guess it's an outside chance"
The slight impression Of tire mark,
a little to the right Of the path, caught
his eye. 1t had passed over q soft
mole hill, and was clearly defined.
Billy paused, and inspected 1t with
new interest. The fashion of his
countenance changed; he went down
on hands and knees, and looked very
closely indeed.
Snakes !" exclaimed Billy. He rose
and quartered the ground carefully for
considerable distance In either d.
rection. The ground was too hard to
show any continuous track. But mole
hills were plentiful, and some way far
Their on he found another one, also
showing the print Of tire.
"It's the same. And not the SphinX's
tire, by mile" said Billy, knitting his
brow. This one was steelstudded."
With growing perplexity he made
close examination Of the soil, and pres
emily discovered other traces. There
were few footprints and, faint though
they were, they bore some very marked
characteristics.
Billy stood up straight and gave
liquid whistle. The burrows In his
brow deepened. He carried his inves-
legations still farther afield, but to-
ward the healthy common the soil was
light, wind-blown sand that shifted
with every fresh breeze. There were
no tracks left. The seeker was at a
loss.
Billy stopped and reflected rapidly.
1T came this way, whatever 1t was"
he said. But why on earth did It
and how7 Let's start from the begin
ming"
He struck across country and, break |
ing through hedge, came out into the !
blind lane where Jack the Climbers |
had crashed on the fateful |
night; the spot where he had recov-
cred the emeralds, and made acQuaint- !
ance with Calamity Hates resource
fulness.
The muddy lane still showed slight |
traces, very much mixed up and tram
pied, Of the place where the thieves
had fallen; the ruts were now
dried and hard. Billy also recognized
what were evidently the hoof marks of
the Stanhoe police.
"A herd of steers wouldn't have
made more mess" said Billy. "And
Panke found nothing after all, or he'd
have Well, can't blow much, either.
I've been here twice since, but never
got wise to 1t till now"
He turned back down the lane to-
ward the highway, his eyes noting the
smallest details Of the ground.