The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard Read Free Book Online Page B

sound except for the restless horse that Joe had left down by the creek.
    â€œDid you remind him not to let anyone see him?” Uncle John asked.
    â€œYes, sir,” Dimar replied. “He said he would stay out of sight.”
    As Uncle Ned scoured the bushes, he found Joe’s torn shirt.
    â€œHere, boy shirt,” Uncle Ned said, holding it up for everyone to see. “Torn.”
    Dr. Woodard stepped forward and took the shirt. “Looks like he might have been in a fight,” he said.
    â€œI sure hope the boy is all right,” Uncle John said.
    â€œWe find. We follow feet marks,” Uncle Wirt assured him, bending to search the ground.
    Then the moon went back under the clouds, and it was too dark to find anything.
    â€œIt shouldn’t be too long till daylight,” Uncle John said. “We’ll just have to stay here and wait until we can see.”
    Dr. Woodard sat down on the hospital steps. “We’re in a bigger mess now than ever,” he said. “The crooks not only got away with their vandalism, but they’ve evidently kidnapped my boy.”
    â€œI am sorry, sir,” Dimar said.
    â€œI’m not blaming anyone but Joe,” Dr. Woodard replied. “He’s headstrong sometimes, and he probably got excited and let them see him.”
    â€œWe find doctor boy, and we find crooks,” Uncle Ned told him. “We find,” Uncle Wirt echoed.
    â€œYes,” said Uncle John. “And this destruction is disgusting. We’ve got to put a stop to it somehow.”
    At the first crack of dawn the search began. The old Indians were able to pick up a trail, but it seemed to circle around and then disappear into the creek. They spread out and combed every inch of the surrounding bushes without success.
    When the sun came up, the workmen came to the hospital site and looked around angrily.
    â€œDone it agin, heh? We’s expectin’ it,” Mr. Green called to Uncle John. “ ’Bout par for the course.”
    â€œThat’s not all they did this time,” Uncle John told him. “They’ve evidently kidnapped one of the boys who stood guard last night.”
    The other workmen gathered around.
    Mr. Green whistled. “You don’t say! What are you goin’ to do?”
    â€œSince you are here, I think we might as well go home, eat a bite, and break the news to the women. Then we’ll come back for an all-day search,” said Uncle John.
    The others agreed, and within minutes they had mounted their horses and were heading back to Uncle Ned’s house.
    When Mandie and Sallie heard them coming, they ran to the door. Mandie looked around quickly. “Where’s Joe?” she asked.
    Uncle John came into the room, put his arm around her shoulders, and led her over to the warmth of the fireplace. “I’m afraid we don’t know where Joe is right now,” he said. “He seems to have disappeared.”
    â€œDisappeared? Oh, Uncle John, where is he?” Mandie demanded, her eyes filling with tears. “Where is he?”
    Dr. Woodard walked over to Mandie and took her hand. “We’ll find him, Amanda,” he assured her. “You know Joe. He likes to go off and do things on his own. He—”
    â€œDr. Woodard!” Mandie interrupted, spying Joe’s shirt under the doctor’s arm. She snatched it from him and sank into a chair in shock. “Oh, please, dear God,” Mandie cried, “don’t let anything happen to Joe! Please send him back to us. Please, dear God!”
    Tears filled every eye in the room.

CHAPTER SIX
    THE SEARCH
    Dimar and the men hurriedly ate a good hot meal, but no one said much. They were all worried about Joe. Mandie couldn’t speak a word without breaking into tears, and Sallie stayed right by her side. Dimar kept blaming himself. Although Dr. Woodard tried to keep his emotions under control, it was obvious that he, too, was very