queried Curtis , as they left the main road and struck into a wood path through the ranks of beeches on Tom Grier 's land . `` Nearly everybody on the Hollow farms , '' answered Will . `` Until last week nobody on the Hill farms had lost any . But Tuesday night old Paul Stockton had six fine sheep killed in his upland pasture behind the fir woods . He is furious about it , I believe , and vows he 'll find out what dog did it and have him shot . '' Curtis looked grave . Paul Stockton 's farm was only about a quarter of a mile from the Locksley homestead , and he knew that Paul had an old family grudge against his Uncle Arnold , which included his nephew and all belonging to him . Moreover , Curtis remembered with a sinking heart that Wednesday morning had been one of the mornings upon which Don was missing . `` But I do n't care ! '' he thought miserably . `` I know Don did n't kill those sheep . '' `` Talking of old Paul , '' said Will , who thought it advisable to turn the conversation , `` reminds me that they are getting anxious at the Harbour about George Finley 's schooner , the Amy Reade . She was due three days ago and there 's no sign of her yet . And there have been two bad gales since she left Morro . Oscar Stockton is on board of her , you know , and his father is worried about him . There are five other men on her , all from the Harbour , and their folks down there are pretty wild about the schooner . '' Nothing more was said about the sheep , and soon , in the pleasures of chestnutting , Curtis forgot his anxiety . Old Tom Grier had called to the boys as they passed his house to come back and have dinner there when the time came . This they did , and it was late in the afternoon when Curtis , with his bag of chestnuts over his shoulder , walked into the Locksley yard . His uncle was standing before the open barn doors , talking to an elderly , grizzled man with a thin , shrewd face .
Curtis 's heart sank XXXXX he recognized old Paul Stockton .
Until against as behind down on that through upon with