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Authors: Anne Marie Rodgers
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been traveling beside the path rather than on it much of the time, because a third print showed toes only, suggesting that the maker of the tracks had strayed onto the path from the side and then stepped back off it two paces farther on.
“See?” Jason’s voice was high with excitement. “Monster tracks.”
“I think they’re bear tracks,” Charles said. His voice quavered slightly as he looked around, clearly more than a little concerned that the bear might be nearby.
“I don’t believe these are bear tracks,” Ronald said. “Bears rarely walk on two legs for any distance. Also, bears are rarely found in this area, as far as I know.” He knelt, staying a distance away from the tracks. “And in ground this soft, wouldn’t you think you’d see the claws in a bear track?” he said to Alice.
“I don’t know enough about tracks to have an opinion,” she said honestly. “But I can tell you these are the biggest footprints of any kind I have ever seen.”
“How big would you estimate they are?” Ronald asked.
Alice eyed the prints. “Sixteen inches, perhaps?” she said hesitantly.
“I’d agree with that, give or take an inch,” Ronald said. “Boy, what I wouldn’t give for my camera right now.”
“You could go and get it and come back,” she suggested. “It’s going to be light for another few hours.”
Ronald nodded. “That’s a good idea.” He winked at Alice and then turned to the boys. “How about you two stay here and guard these footprints while Alice and I go get a camera?”
Jason shook his head vigorously, his eyes wide. “I gotta get home. Mom needs me.”
“Um, me too,” Charles said. He already was edging backward. “I mean my mom needs me, not his. I told her I’d go to the store for her before dinner and…”
Both boys turned and ran. Over his shoulder, Jason called, “See ya.”
“See you,” Ronald and Alice called.
As the sounds of the children rushing away faded, Alice began to laugh. “Those poor kids are half terrified.”
“More than half, I’d say.” Ronald took another long look at the tracks. “But, Alice, I have to tell you that I have no idea what could have made these tracks. No idea at all,” he said slowly.
“Maybe it’s someone playing a joke,” she suggested.
Ronald’s freckled forehead wrinkled. “Who would do something like that? The prints are too well-formed to be the work of kids.”
Alice shrugged. “Good point.”
The two of them stood for a moment longer, staring down at the “monster” tracks in the soft mud of the path. The longer they stood there, the odder Alice felt, as if there were eyes watching her from the heavy underbrush farther back from the pond.
A shiver chased itself up her spine. “Okay,” she said, “I’m as ready to get out of here as those boys were. And I have to get home and help Jane with dinner.”
“All right,” Ronald said. “I’ll drop you off and then I’m going home to get a camera.” As they turned to retrace their steps back to Fairy Lane, he muttered under his breath, “And maybe someone to come along with me.”
Alice chuckled. “I’m glad it’s not just me who feels a little spooked.”
“You know,” he said, “we ought to have someone make plaster casts of the prints. Then we could take them to a biologist who might be able to figure out what they are.”
“That’s a great idea. Fred Humbert probably sells plaster at the hardware store.”
“I’ve never tried to make plaster casts before,” Ronald said. “I’d better find out if he knows anyone who could help me do it.”
The two of them were almost back to the car when Alice felt a raindrop on the top of her hand. Then others struck her nose and her forehead. “Oh no. It’s starting to rain,” she said to Ronald.
“I can see that.” As the drops began to fall faster, the two of them rushed the last few yards to Ronald’s car. Ronald’s blue shirt was spattered with dark blotches by the time
“See?” Jason’s voice was high with excitement. “Monster tracks.”
“I think they’re bear tracks,” Charles said. His voice quavered slightly as he looked around, clearly more than a little concerned that the bear might be nearby.
“I don’t believe these are bear tracks,” Ronald said. “Bears rarely walk on two legs for any distance. Also, bears are rarely found in this area, as far as I know.” He knelt, staying a distance away from the tracks. “And in ground this soft, wouldn’t you think you’d see the claws in a bear track?” he said to Alice.
“I don’t know enough about tracks to have an opinion,” she said honestly. “But I can tell you these are the biggest footprints of any kind I have ever seen.”
“How big would you estimate they are?” Ronald asked.
Alice eyed the prints. “Sixteen inches, perhaps?” she said hesitantly.
“I’d agree with that, give or take an inch,” Ronald said. “Boy, what I wouldn’t give for my camera right now.”
“You could go and get it and come back,” she suggested. “It’s going to be light for another few hours.”
Ronald nodded. “That’s a good idea.” He winked at Alice and then turned to the boys. “How about you two stay here and guard these footprints while Alice and I go get a camera?”
Jason shook his head vigorously, his eyes wide. “I gotta get home. Mom needs me.”
“Um, me too,” Charles said. He already was edging backward. “I mean my mom needs me, not his. I told her I’d go to the store for her before dinner and…”
Both boys turned and ran. Over his shoulder, Jason called, “See ya.”
“See you,” Ronald and Alice called.
As the sounds of the children rushing away faded, Alice began to laugh. “Those poor kids are half terrified.”
“More than half, I’d say.” Ronald took another long look at the tracks. “But, Alice, I have to tell you that I have no idea what could have made these tracks. No idea at all,” he said slowly.
“Maybe it’s someone playing a joke,” she suggested.
Ronald’s freckled forehead wrinkled. “Who would do something like that? The prints are too well-formed to be the work of kids.”
Alice shrugged. “Good point.”
The two of them stood for a moment longer, staring down at the “monster” tracks in the soft mud of the path. The longer they stood there, the odder Alice felt, as if there were eyes watching her from the heavy underbrush farther back from the pond.
A shiver chased itself up her spine. “Okay,” she said, “I’m as ready to get out of here as those boys were. And I have to get home and help Jane with dinner.”
“All right,” Ronald said. “I’ll drop you off and then I’m going home to get a camera.” As they turned to retrace their steps back to Fairy Lane, he muttered under his breath, “And maybe someone to come along with me.”
Alice chuckled. “I’m glad it’s not just me who feels a little spooked.”
“You know,” he said, “we ought to have someone make plaster casts of the prints. Then we could take them to a biologist who might be able to figure out what they are.”
“That’s a great idea. Fred Humbert probably sells plaster at the hardware store.”
“I’ve never tried to make plaster casts before,” Ronald said. “I’d better find out if he knows anyone who could help me do it.”
The two of them were almost back to the car when Alice felt a raindrop on the top of her hand. Then others struck her nose and her forehead. “Oh no. It’s starting to rain,” she said to Ronald.
“I can see that.” As the drops began to fall faster, the two of them rushed the last few yards to Ronald’s car. Ronald’s blue shirt was spattered with dark blotches by the time
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