Chapter 17

The next morning they all woke up and had breakfast and coffee.

"Did you guys sleep well last night?" asked Walker.

"Yes we did, it was nice, I think we even heard a coyote last night howling," said Haskel.

"You did," said Karen.

"Yeah it sounded a little too close," said Haskel.

"I better go check on the chicken pen," said Eagle Bear getting up and walking outside.

As he went out towards the chicken pen he saw a hole, they dug there way through, Eagle Bear found feathers but no chicken. He saw one chicken with feathers missing from his tail.

"Yeah, Coyote you trickster, you won this time, but next time you won't win," said Eagle Bear.

Eagle Bear walked back to the house.

"Well," said Karen.

"Yeah, the coyote got one chicken and plucked the other chicken," said Eagle Bear.

"Oh my," said Karen.

"Yeah, we're going to have to take shifts," said Walker.

"Or I have a suggestion Mr. Walker, why don't you get a Great Pyrenees dog, they guard the chicken coup," said Haskel.

"Oh, those dogs cost a lot of money," said Walker.

"My uncle has two boy Great Pyrenees dogs. He only really needs one to guard the cows," said Haskel.

"Could you ask if he would be willing to give or sell us one?" asked Walker.

"Sure, I am sure he would let you have the dog," said Haskel.

"Okay, you can ask when summer is over and you go home," said Walker.

"Sure," said Haskel.

Karen started doing the dishes and everybody took there plates and cups over to the sink to be washed.

"Hey maybe we can follow the coyote's tracks, maybe it will lead us to his hideout spots," said Peter.

"That is too dangerous, they are tricksters, like "ectomy" the spider," said Eagle Bear.

"Eagle Bear is right, Coyotes are dangerous, especially if they are in a pack or they are hungry," said Walker.

"Okay, that was a bad plan then," said Peter.

"Why don't go exploring some more, there's a lot more to see on the ranch," said Walker.

"Yeah let's go, guys, I can show you the old log cabin that's here on the edge of this property, it's cool, it has all the original stuff inside, you will like it, Martha," said Peter.

"Okay," said Martha.

So they left the house and started walking towards the back of the house into the woods, it was not that far from the house. If you turned around you could see the house through the trees.

"This is so cool, I feel like running," smiled Haskel.

Martha and Peter looked at each other and started laughing.

"What is so funny," said Haskel.

"We both were thinking the same thing, Peter, when you said you felt like running we thought of the 1499's episode where they're running through the forest and the last of the Mohicans theme song was playing and they were running through the woods," laughed Martha and Peter.

"Oh you guys," laughed Haskel.

So they continued there little journey to the log cabin house.

When they arrived they saw that the door was open, usually, Walker keeps it closed and locks it with a padlock, Walker has a key and Peter has a key because he knew Peter liked it.

"That's strange, my dad keeps it locked me and Walker are the only ones that have keys and Eagle Bear," said Peter.

"Do you think someone broke the padlock?" asked Martha.

"One way to find out," said Haskel.

"Haskel whoever broke it could still be in there," said Martha.

"It's okay, Martha," said Peter slowly walking with Haskel.

Peter did not feel any danger or sensed any danger. Usually, his Indian instincts would kick in and he could tell. But they did not kick in. So Peter and Haskel stepped quietly on the front porch and slowly walked in and looked in the kitchen/living room and behind the door. There were two-bedroom doors closed.

"You check that one, and I'll check this one," said Peter.

"Alright," whispered Haskel.

So they both opened the doors very slowly and peeked in, the old metal beds were still there, the bed was still made with an old quilt and it has not been disturbed, then he looks in the small bathroom and nothing. So he walked across the room to another door and opened it, it leads to the other room.

"Well," said Peter opening the door.

"Someone has been sleeping here, look the indentions on top of the old quilt," said Haskel.

"Did you check the bathroom," said Peter.

"No I didn't," said Haskel.

"I'll check it," said Peter walking slowly to the door and slowly opened it, nobody was in there.

"That is strange," said Peter.

"Hey guys," said Martha.

The boys ran outside to check.

"What," worried Haskel.

"Look down silly," said Martha.

The boys looked down there were tracks.

"Those look like Indian tracks," said Peter.

"Should we follow them?" asked Haskel.

"I don't know, maybe we should tell Walker and come back and show him first," said Peter.

"Are you scared?" asked Haskel.

"No, but its safer with more people, and besides it could get dangerous for Martha," said Peter.

"Okay, let's lock the door back up and let's go tell Walker what we found," said Haskel.

So Peter went and closed the door and locked and they headed back towards the house.

"Hey Peter, you like my sister don't you?" whispered Haskel.

"Shhhh, I think I do," said Peter.

"Awww, you guys would make a great couple, we are all almost graduated from high school, pretty soon we'll be out in the real world with jobs," said Haskel.

"Yeah I don't know," said Peter.

"Come on guys catch up," said Martha.

So they both started running.

"What were you guys talking about," said Martha.

"Nothing guy stuff," said Haskel.

"Oh," said Martha.

So they got to the house and saw Walker and Karen sitting on the chairs out front, and Eagle Bear was sitting on the step.

"Dad, the door was wide open at the cabin house, someone broke the pad-lock," said Peter.

"What," said Walker.

"Yeah and we found tracks, two of them leaving behind the cabin," said Haskel.

"Show me," said Walker.

Walker and Eagle Bear followed them to the cabin.

"See tracks and they go behind the cabin and keep going, Peter locked the cabin back," said Haskel.

"Those are Indian footprints," said Eagle Bear.

"I wonder who," said Martha.

"Some kids probably," said Walker.

"Interesting," said Martha.

"Well come on guys, let's go back into the house," said Walker.

So they walked back to the house and Karen had supper ready on the table, they sat down and started eating. It got dark and everybody was getting ready for bed. Summer was almost over and back to school they went. So they all went upstairs and went to sleep.