Tuesday dawned bright and clear when a party of three men and a dog set out from the establishment of Tom Macabee. The party was composed of, Clack Henderson, Coale Janterbel, David Benn (a retired soldier,) and Quintilly. The three men were armed in the typical Pam Footsoldier style (a riffle and a brace of pistols.) Clack also carried the sword of an officer of rank, which he was, Coale carried the long curving machete that was native to the jungle-men far down the Sharklett, and Dave was equipped with the long dirk used by ruffian and mountain peasant alike. Quintilly was the only one with out weapons, but she had a thick jacket of leather covered with steel plates, and a tough leather collar and part-helmet studded with short nails; if there was a fight, she would take down any adversary. The four hiked back up the river to Nelly's Bridge, and started along the road on the way that our captors and I had taken a week before. Coale took the lead as an expert tracker in case there be any sighs that would lead to my discovery. Clack was next, and David came last holding Quintily's leash.
After going about three quarters of an hour, Clack and Coale simultaneously held up their hands for the party to stop. Coale was gazing intently at the ground, and Clack was staring down the road at a point just before the road made a sharp turn. Coale spoke up first:
"Look what I have found everyone," he held up a strip of cloth about two inches long and said, "This was torn from Kay's shirt." At this moment, Clack interrupted, and pointing down the road, he said excitedly,
"Look at that spot down the road just before it turns! I just saw two PAM soldiers go in there!"
"PAM soldiers don't belong in Meltolot." Coale replied, "They must be affiliated with Phil and his men. Let's follow them, and they might lead us to Kay. In fact, they might also have Lan Leaffy, the missing spy, as well." The four started at a quick gait down the road to the point described. The path was scarcely visible, bushes and branches intruding into it. Once onto the trail, Quintilly, with her nose to the ground, started pulling hard at the leash. David started out in front of the rest, and they followed the dog up to the foot of the huge tree that served as a ladder to get to the path in the air. The secret way was so well hidden, that after gazing up into the tree's great spreading branches for a full minute, Quintilly sitting patiently at the foot, Clack said to the dog:
"Quint, you've been going after a squirrel, and the whole time we thought we were on the track of those PAMonians!" She looked up at Clack with the resigned air of one who has done her duty, and cannot be blamed for the stupidity of her superiors. Starting off again on the forest trail, the three men and their dog continued on their way towards something they would have never expected.
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