Bradley occupied a chair not far away.
"Quite a domestic scene!" Ned muttered.
While the boy watched through the window, the old woman arose and
left the cabin by the front door. Then Bradley arose, went to a
suitcase in a corner by the hearth, took therefrom a small green
paper parcel, and went to the cupboard, hanging on the north wall.
After feeling about for a time he took out a cup, filled it with warm
water from a kettle on the fire and stirred the contents of the green
package into it with a brush which he took from a pocket. Ned could
not see the contents of the cup, but when the man held the brush up
to the light he saw that it was soaked in what seemed to be a black
dye. It appeared too thick to suit the taste of the man, and he
poured in more water out of the kettle.
Then, with the brush wet in one hand and the cup in the other,
Bradley drew closer to the bed where the child slept. Ned watched for
a few seconds more, then the footsteps of the old lady were heard
approaching the door, ringing on the hard earth at the front of it.
Ned made another entry in his memorandum book and turned away.
CHAPTER XIV
POINTING OUT THE TRAIL
After leaving the window at the rear of the cabin, Ned moved to the
north side, where there was no window at all, and stood there,
huddled against the wall, until he heard the old lady enter the house
and close the door.
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