[piosenniel]

Cook was just coming up the stairs to the cellar beneath the kitchen when the two lads burst through the door. ‘What’s this about the smokehouse?’ she demanded, putting the small bag of dried beans down on the counter.

Fallan and Ferrin began talking at once, their words tumbling all over one another. Cook cleared her throat at a brief pause in their dialog and fixed them with a look of impatience. Ferrin hissed at his brother to shut up for a moment, then proceeded to tell Cook, in a clearer manner what they had discovered. ‘And Gil and Tomlin shut the door back up and are keeping guard in case the culprit comes back!’ he said at last, looking pleased that they had made such a good plan.

‘Get right back out there and tell those two brave fools to get themselves in here! The culprit come back, indeed!’ she snorted. ‘And what if he does come back and it’s some big old bear or some thoroughly nasty critter of the two legged variety. What are they planning on doing, then?’ Fallon and Ferrin shrugged their shoulders at her question and hurried back out the door to fetch their friends.

‘Ruby!’ said Cook, arming herself with the heavy, iron fireplace poker. ‘You run and fetch the Shiriff. And tell Halfred to bring along his deputies. I’m going out to see what’s been taken. I’ll be back directly.’