The Mystery at Number Six | Page 4

cauterized--or something. I'll drive, and you can help me out if I get in trouble. Lucky it's not your right arm!"
As they drove away, in one last glance back at the old farm-house, they saw the strange girl peeping out at them from the doorway.
CHAPTER II
VILLAGE GOSSIP
BERNICE drove back to town and straight to the doctor's office. Sydney meanwhile had so far recovered that he declared there was really no need of a doctor's attention for him. And the physician himself verified this after he had examined the wound.
"Simply grazed your arm with his head!" he laughed. "Not a particle of venom in those hog-nosed rascals; in fact, they haven't any fangs. But they certainly do look formidable, the big ones! Gave you a scare, I reckon! But whoever fixed you up did it quite scientifically. If it had been a rattler, you would have run a fair chance of getting over it with that tourniquet."
"Know anything about those folks out at old Number Six?" inquired Sydney casually. "That's where we were fishing this afternoon."
"Don't know much about this region; only came here lately from Jacksonville to help with the mine men," averred Dr. Bennett. "Never been out to Number Six or even heard of it. One of those worked-out mines, isn't it?"
"It hasn't been worked for fifteen years or so," replied Sydney.
"Well, I don't get around much to such out-of-the-way places, even to fish. The active mines keep me so busy I can hardly sleep. This blasting plays the mischief all the time. Men get so careless with the dynamite: only yesterday a dozen of 'em didn't get out of range fast enough up to Number Ten and they got caught in the blast and every last one of 'em knocked galley west! I had a pretty time of it with 'em! Managed to keep 'em all out of kingdom come, but they needed some patching up! I haven't time to mosey around fishing--and that sort of thing!"
"No help there!" remarked Sydney when they got outside. "Thought surely he'd know a thing or two about Number Six, being a doctor and going around so much. But we'll get at it somehow. There must be some one in this town that knows it. They're wise about everything else there is to know of the life history of the inhabitants for miles around!"
"Suppose we try Caswell's general store," suggested Bernice. "Mr. Caswell knows the whole neighborhood too, and every one goes there for supplies. He ought to be able to tell us something. Let's go in and get some packages of chocolate. I can't think of anything else to ask for, and I'm crazy to find out who that queer girl can be. She sort of fascinated me! There was something very curious about her looks and manner."
They drew the Ford up in front of the big general store or commissary and entered hopefully. Bernice purchased half a dozen packages of chocolate, and while they were being wrapped Sydney engaged the stout, inert, and good-natured Mr. Caswell in conversation.
"Been up to old Number Six fishing lately?" he inquired nonchalantly. "I had pretty good luck there to-day. Never saw a hole so chockfull of fish!"
"No, I ain't been up there in a dog's age. Too fur to go, an' my little tin Lizzie's out o' commission lately anyhow. Caught a good mess over at Number Three yesterday."
"Do you know who's living in the old farm-house out at Six?" went on Sydney. "Seems to be inhabited now, though I never saw any one in it before."
"Well, you don't tell! Sure 'nough I hadn't heard tell there was any one there either. That place belongs to old Doc Halsey over to Bartow. He's that mean he never would do any repairs on it, and so he ain't had any one to live in it these five years past. Told me a year ago he was going to pull the old thing down and sell the lumber. Well, well! So he's got a tenant, has he? Can't be a very perticaler one to live there!"
"At least we've found out one thing!" cried Bernice when they were out of the store. "We know who owns the old place, and of course he'll know who his tenant is. Let's go over to Bartow to-morrow and find out!"
But Sydney drew the line at this. "How in the world do you expect to tackle him, anyway?" he argued indignantly. "What excuse would you have for running over there and taking up his time asking such a fool question? It's none of our business, if you come to that!"
"It certainly is our business, if we want to find out who the girl is that was so kind!" contradicted Bernice. "We ought to do something for her anyway to show our