Racing a Storm

STOLEN! An idea clicked in Nancy's mind. Could the person who had taken the pelts from Wells's ranch be one of the Forest Fur Company gang? Quickly she introduced Ned and herself.

" Did you lose many minks? " Nancy asked.

" About two thousand dollars' worth, " the man replied. " Half my take for the year."

" You own the mink ranch? " Ned inquired.

" Yes. I'm Charlie Wells."

" When were the pelts stolen? "

" I'm not sure. Just a few minutes ago I noticed the door of the storage house was half open."

" Did you see any new tracks in the snow? " Nancy asked.

" No, but we had a hard blow here early this morning. The snow could have filled up the tracks."

" Perhaps the furs were taken last night, " Nancy commented. " A thief wouldn't dare prowl around in the daylight. May we see where you kept the pelts, Mr. Wells? "

" Certainly." He led them to a small building attached to the back of his house. As they approached the door, Ned remarked, " I notice only one set of footprints here, and they must be yours, Mr.Wells." Nancy stooped down. With her glove she lightly brushed away some of the powder snow. Another man's prints were visible in the crust underneath the recently blown powder.

" I wish we could follow these tracks, " Nancy said.

" You're not going to try brushing away all this snow! " Ned exclaimed.

Nancy smiled. " If I thought it would lead us to the thief, I'd try it."

" I'm afraid my pelts are in another state by this time, " Mr. Wells said mournfully.

" Maybe we can help you get them back, " Nancy suggested. " Have you ever heard of the Forest Fur Company? Or Mr. and Mrs. R. I. Channing? Or Dunstan Lake? "

At each question Mr. Wells shook his head.

" Have you notified the police about the theft? " Nancy asked.

" No."

" I'll do it for you, " she offered. The rancher led them into his small house, which was furnished with rustic pieces. A large deer head hung over the living-room fireplace. Nancy telephoned the State Police. She reported the theft at the Wells Ranch and then told about the stock swindle and the arrest of Boyd.

" I believe a man named Channing may know something about this theft, " she said. The trooper was grateful for the information and said, " We'll follow up your lead right away! "

When Nancy returned from the telephone, she found Mr. Wells pointing to the deer head and telling Ned how he had shot the animal in a nearby woods. Ned was impressed. " I'd like to shoot one and hang the head in our fraternity house! "

The ranch owner winked at Nancy. " It's all yours, son, if Miss Drew nabs the fur thief."

" I'll do my best, " the young detective promised. " Mr. Wells, this is my first chance to see a mink ranch. May Ned and I look around a bit? "

" I'll go with you, " the rancher replied. As they stepped outside, he glanced at the low, dark clouds rolling in from the north. " More snow on the way, " he predicted.

" Then we mustn't stay long, " Ned said. Mr. Wells led them to one of several small, shedlike buildings set back some distance from the house. The shed was about six feet wide and had separate pens on either side of a central aisle. Some fifty glossy little animals occupied the pens.

" They're beautiful, " Nancy remarked. " But they must require a lot of care."

Mr. Wells shook his head. " All they need is the right kind of food and a clean, cool place where there isn't too much sunlight."

" Sounds like a good business, " Ned said.

" It is, for an outdoor man, " the rancher replied. " If you want to establish a mink farm, you should start with the finest, healthiest animals you can buy. Then get settled in a cold climate - makes the fur grow thick. In this country you find most of the mink ranches in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and northern New York."

" What do minks eat? " Nancy asked.

" A mink likes lean meat and fish best, " Mr. Wells said enthusiastically. " But he'll eat table scraps, vegetables-even field mice. Wild minks are fierce little fighters and very cunning."

" Very interesting, " said Ned. " Now we'd better leave. We want to get home ahead of the storm."

As they left the building, Nancy suddenly spied a small, dark object half hidden under the snow. " The thief may have dropped this! " she thought excitedly. The rancher, walking ahead of the couple, did not see Nancy run over to the spot, stoop down, and reach for the object. Suddenly Ned cried, " Don't touch that! "

He gave Nancy a shove which sent her reeling away from the object. " Ned, what–"

" It's a trap, Nancy! "

Mr. Wells turned and hurried back to them. " That's a fox trap! " he warned. " I keep them all around the grounds to catch foxes who try to raid the mink pens."

" Thanks, Ned, " Nancy said. " I'm glad you recognized it." The young people said good-by to Mr. Wells and started off.

" Hurry! " Ned urged. " I don't like the looks of that sky."

" Let's go along behind the mink sheds, " Nancy suggested. " The thieves may have left clues."

" Okay." Back of the sheds a thick row of evergreens marked the Wells property line.

Nancy and Ned followed it, scanning the ground hopefully. Once Ned happened to look up. Near him, hanging from a shoulder-high branch, was a strand of white yarn.

" Here's something! " he exclaimed. Nancy plodded over. " Well, Mr. Detective, what's your theory? " " Anyone trying to keep out of sight against the snow would wear white, " Ned said. " Maybe our man snagged his shoulder or sleeve on these trees as he approached the mink pens."

" How right you are, " said Nancy. " Let's see if we can find more of that yarn." The two followed the line of evergreens into dense woods. From time to time, wisps of white wool on tree branches marked a clear trail. But soon the woods gave way to open ground, dotted with knee-high clumps of berry bushes. A brisk wind hit Nancy and Ned with full force as they emerged into the open. The cold stung their faces.

" We'd better make for camp in a hurry, " Nancy said. " We'll retrace our steps." They turned, then stopped. The wind had blown snow over their tracks.

" Seems to me we came from over that way, " Nancy said, trying to sound cheerful. Ned nodded. " Let's go! And make it fast! " Neither spoke as they tramped along. The day light grew dimmer.

For two hours they trudged ahead through the snow. Finally Nancy called, " Ned! We should have reached camp long ago."

" I know that, " the youth said grimly. " I don't want to worry you, Nancy, but I'm afraid we're lost! "