Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way (6 page)

“I suppose I’ve seen just about every animal in the world,” began Justin.

“Are they treated well in other countries?” asked Stan Fletcher.

“Usually, but not always,” said Justin. “Once in Mexico I met a man who owned a fighting cock—an ugly, cross-eyed old rooster. I had my dad buy the rooster so I could retire it from fighting and find it a good home.”

The children clapped in approval.

“Did you see any pigs in your travels?” asked Dona Frye.

“Dona has the largest piggy bank collection in Idaville,” Hector whispered to Encyclopedia. “She’s a pig nut.”

“Once, flying over Germany, we passed over a pig farm,” said Justin. “The pigs raised their heads to look at the plane and went running in all directions, scared stiff.”

“Machines frighten animals,” said Silvester Braun angrily. “It’s a shame.”

“Have you seen any tigers?” asked Ken Wilson.

“Yes, when I was in Africa with my Uncle Ben,” replied Justin. “We watched a tiger creep up on a family of giraffes.”

“Oooh,” whimpered Lucky Menken.

“All the giraffes ran away except one. It was lying on the ground, sick or something,” went on Justin. “It tried to get up. But it had risen only on its front legs when the tiger killed it.”

The children shuddered. It was a moment before the next question was asked.

“What was the strangest thing that ever happened to you?” said Molly Beal.

“In Australia, I went to a carnival and caught a thief,” said Justin. “A man named Mr. Austin had a trained kangaroo, George. Mr. Austin picked pockets and used George to carry the stolen money to the next town.”

“How did you catch this Mr. Austin?” asked Ted Wills.

“By luck,” admitted Justin. “I happened to see Mr. Austin hide two wallets in George’s pouch. Mr. Austin went to jail. George, his mate Frieda, and their baby Marmaduke were put in a nice zoo.”

“Were you ever nearly killed by a wild animal?” asked Bill Cohen.

“You better believe it,” said Justin. “My dad and I were camping out west. One night I noticed an owl in a nearby tree. That owl didn’t move a muscle, but it followed our every move with its eyes. I thought it was going to steal some of our food.”

“Did it?” asked Sam Benson.

“No, it saved our lives,” said Justin. “We heard the noise of its wings as it flew away into the night, and my dad said, ‘Something has frightened it.’ He got his rifle—and shot a mountain lion prowling by our camp.”

“Golly,” Hector whispered to Encyclopedia. “Justin’s had all kinds of animal experiences. Should we vote him into the club?”

“You’d be better off voting in a purple cow,” said Encyclopedia.

 

 

WHAT WAS JUSTIN’S MISTAKE?

The Browns were sitting in the living room after dinner when Otto Beck burst into the house.

He was trembling like flypaper in a stiff breeze. His eyes bulged so far from his head he could almost stare himself in the ear.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t utter a word. His teeth were chattering louder than a tap dancer with spring fever.

“Otto, what is it?” exclaimed Mrs. Brown. “What’s frightened you?”

“I—I saw
h-her!”
gasped Otto.

“Who?” asked Chief Brown.

Otto tried to tell. But the name stuck in a fresh chattering of teeth. Instead he said, “I ran all the way from Heartbreak Cove.”

“But that’s seven miles,” protested Encyclopedia. “Your feet must be killing you.”

“My feet never touched the ground,” said Otto.

He began sinking weakly to the floor. Encyclopedia shoved a chair under him.

“Thanks, I needed that,” said Otto. After a while he recovered his strength. He blinked twice and said, “I saw Jennifer MacIntosh ! She was dressed all in white, and the train of her gown dragged along the sand behind her. She was walking slowly, like a bride!”

Encyclopedia gave a start.

Jennifer MacIntosh had lived in Idaville a hundred years ago. Her lover had been lost at sea the night before their wedding. According to a local legend, Jennifer’s ghost still walked Idaville’s beaches in her long white bridal gown, searching for his body.

“Did anyone else see her?” asked Chief Brown.

“I—I saw
h-her!”
gasped Otto.

“I don’t think so,” groaned Otto.

He explained that he had gone camping on the beach alone. He had pitched his tent on the scrub grass above the sand.

“I was cooking supper when Jennifer MacIntosh appeared—”

He stopped short. His brow wrinkled.

Suddenly he said, “Hold on. There was someone else on the beach. About an hour before I saw Jennifer MacIntosh, a man walked across the beach carrying a bag. He seemed to be in a hurry. And he was limping.”

“Limping ...” muttered Chief Brown.

“Is that important, dear?” asked Mrs. Brown.

“Polk’s Jewelry Shop was robbed after it closed today,” said Chief Brown. “A witness says she saw a man leave the shop by the back door. She didn’t pay much attention to him. But she remembers that he carried a bag and limped.”

“Gosh, Dad,” said Encyclopedia. “If the man really did limp, his footprints on the sand would show it. One step would be long and the other short.”

“We’d better have a look,” said Chief Brown. He got three flashlights and strapped on his gun.

As they drove to the beach at Heartbreak Cove, Encyclopedia questioned Otto about the ghost of Jennifer MacIntosh.

“Did you see her face?” he asked. “Did she make any noise?”

“I didn’t hear a sound,” replied Otto. “The ocean was making too much noise, and so was the wind. It whipped her bridal veil about her face. But I wasn’t looking at her face. When you see a ghost, you don’t look to see if she’s anyone you know.”

The questioning went on, but Encyclopedia could learn nothing more. Night had fallen when Chief Brown stopped the car on the south end of Heartbreak Cove.

He parked beside an old rotting dock. From there Jennifer MacIntosh’s lover had put to sea, never to be seen again.

Otto shone his flashlight on his pup tent. It was pitched a good hundred yards from the water’s edge.

“I was sitting by the tent when the limping man came by,” he said. “Then an hour later I saw the ghost walk past from the opposite direction.”

Three flashlights were used to search the beach for footprints. None were found but Otto’s.

Suddenly Chief Brown halted. “Look here,” he said.

Under the flashlight beams, Encyclopedia saw a trail of sand that had been smoothed over about two feet wide. It ran the length of the beach about fifteen feet above the high tide line.

“Someone has wiped away the footprints!” exclaimed Otto.

“Barney Slade and his wife live in a shack about two miles on the other side of the beach,” said Chief Brown. “Barney has limped since he took a nasty fall last year.”

“Is Barney the thief?” asked Otto.

“He might be,” said Chief Brown. “I’d say Barney might have stolen a car and driven out here after the robbery. He probably then left the car by the old dock, hoping the police would believe the thief got away by boat.”

“Instead he took a shortcut across the beach,” said Otto. “He had his own car parked at the north end!”

“Yes,” said Chief Brown. “But halfway across the beach, he noticed you. It was too late to do anything. He knew you were too far away to see his face, but he worried about his footprints. So after you ran to town, he returned and wiped them away.”

“But there is no car except yours by the dock,” said Otto. “And I don’t think he’d dare chance smoothing out the sand. Somebody else might have seen him.”

“Maybe he covered the footprints and then hid the getaway car,” said Chief Brown. “Still, I agree. It doesn’t add up.”

“And I’m still stuck with the ghost of Jennifer MacIntosh,” complained Otto. “No one will ever believe me!”

“Wrong,” said Encyclopedia. “I believe you.”

 

 

WHAT DID ENCYCLOPEDIA MEAN?