We got the robbers all right Ricky announced with a grin when they joined Pam and Sue He told them about Joey and Will Now they’ll try to get even Pam said as the girls gathered up the kittens Well I think we’ve made Blackie a little happier Holly remarked and the children started home again Soon they entered the driveway of the Hollister property which lay between the road and the shore of Pine Lake In the garden beside the large rambling house they saw their mother picking flowers Some mail came for you children she called gaily You’ll find it on the hall table Pam hastened inside and returned with a letter postmarked Germany Opening it quickly she found that it was from an old woodcarver they had met on a trip in the Black Forest where the youngsters had solved a mystery What does it say asked Sue tugging at Pam’s skirt Mr Fritz wants us to do him a favor Pam said She explained that the woodcarver needed the dimensions of a certain wooden Indian called The Settlers Friend This is a special statue Pam continued and Mr Fritz has an order to carve one just like it Crickets exclaimed Pete Where can we find The Settlers Friend It could be in Alaska for all we know
I’ll tell you where you might find out Mrs Hollister put in taking off her garden gloves Indy Roades makes a hobby of studying wooden Indians He has a book full of pictures of them Thank you Mother Pete said Maybe we can see Indy when he goes home for lunch The boy hastened into the house and telephoned The Trading Post This was a combination hardware sporting goods and toy shop which Mr Hollister ran in the center of Shoreham Indy said he would meet them at his home at noon to show them the book on wooden Indians When Pete returned to the yard he saw Ricky leading their pet burro Domingo from his stall in the garage while the girls watched The redhead swung himself onto the burro’s back just as a beautiful collie dog ran up barking excitedly Quiet Zip Holly said twirling her pigtails You can’t have a ride And look at you all wet You’ve been chasing frogs in the lake again The collie shook himself spraying water all over the girls Then he raced across the lawn back toward the lake Mrs Hollister prepared an early lunch for Pete and Pam and when they had finished the two older children hastened back to Indy’s house Their friend drove up just as they arrived Indy Roades was a short stocky man with jet black hair and a reddish-tan complexion He was a real Indian a member of a Pueblo tribe from New Mexico
He gave them a big smile as he got out of his car So you’re interested in wooden Indians too he said Come in I’ll show you my book Blackie followed them sadly into the house where Indy pulled a large bright-colored volume from a shelf in his living room Pete and Pam sat on the floor and opened the book Oh what beautiful colored pictures Pam said as they turned page after page showing wooden Indians collected from all over the United States We’re looking for one called The Settlers Friend Pete explained Oh here it is his sister exclaimed The Settlers Friend wore a feathered war bonnet on his proud head His chin was firm and jutting and his nose straight as an arrow In his left hand The Settlers Friend held a pipe of peace and in his right one he extended three ears of corn Pam read the caption It said that The Settlers Friend was in a museum called the Pioneer Village in Foxboro a town in New England Crickets Pete said Foxboro That’s where the train robbery happened today Maybe we can go there Pam said and measure the Indian for Mr Fritz And find the train robbers as well Pete declared Indy said that they could borrow the book any time they wanted After he had replaced it on the shelf he drove the two children back to their house
Indy went in with them He wanted to see his friend Sue The younger children were in the kitchen having lunch with their mother Oh Indy Indy Sue cried as she jumped from her chair and ran to meet him The man whirled her around a couple of times and placed her on top of his head I’m a totem pole Sue declared giggling Then Indy swung her in a great arc and set her on the floor Mother Pam said we’ve found where The Settlers Friend is located in Foxboro where the train was robbed Let’s all go there Ricky exclaimed Mrs Hollister shook her head slowly I’m afraid not children Neither Daddy nor I can take time off now The youngsters looked disappointed Oh gee whizzickers yikes Ricky said I thought we could solve another mystery and have an adventure Indy began to whistle a tune and gaze at the ceiling I have a vacation in a few days he said airily Holly flung her arms around the Indian Then you can take us she squealed Mrs Hollister smiled and said But how will you manage all five children Indy Well there’s Snow Flower their friend said with a smile Snow Flower What’s that asked Holly My sister Indy replied Her friends call her Emmy but her Indian name is Snow Flower She’s
