Read Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All Online
Authors: Donald J. Sobol
Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All (3 page)
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After the terrible-tempered Joe had left, Sally questioned Encyclopedia.
“Do you think we should have taken his money?” she asked. “This isn’t an ordinary case. Where do we begin?”
“At Fort Hope,” said Encyclopedia. “Let’s go.”
Fort Hope stood eleven miles west of Idaville. The fort had been entirely rebuilt so that it looked exactly as it had looked in 1872.
As Encyclopedia and Sally got off the bus, they saw that the three o’clock tour of the fort was underway. A man in a black cap was guiding a small group of people to the many points of interest.
“Just in time!” said Encyclopedia.
The guide had stopped at the statue of Buck Calhoun. The detectives joined the group and listened to the tale of that desperate midnight in July, 1872.
“Buck Calhoun was a scout for the Fourth Cavalry before he became a famous wagon train master,” began the guide. “Early in July, the Seminoles put on the war paint. Calhoun knew they were burning and scalping, and when he came through that mountain pass, he took a long, hard look at Fort Hope.”
The guide turned and pointed to the mountain pass, which was now Emerson Avenue.
“Despite a light rain, Calhoun had a good view of the fort from up in the pass,” went on the guide. “The American flag was flying proudly, and soldiers manned the walls. Everything looked all right.”
The guide paused to allow the group to get the feeling of danger. Then he resumed.
“Calhoun was wagon-train master for five hundred settlers. Having studied the fort from the distance, he decided it was safe to move from the pass. So shortly after midnight he started down. Only he didn’t know the truth. The red-skins had slain everyone inside the fort. What Calhoun saw were Indians dressed up in the uniforms of the dead soldiers!”
A woman in the group let out a shriek of horror. The guide gave her a comforting look and went on.
“When the settlers got onto the open ground, the Indians poured out of the fort, hollering and whooping and shooting. Half the settlers were killed right off. The rest seemed doomed. But Calhoun stayed cool and did some fancy thinking. He closed up the big Conestoga wagons into columns of two’s and raced for the fort’s open gates.”
A hush fell upon the group. No one moved. Everyone waited to hear the outcome of Buck Calhoun’s heroic charge for the gates.
“Just as Calhoun figured,” said the guide, “there wasn’t enough room going through the gates for the skinniest Indian to sneak in alongside the big wagons. Suddenly all the settlers were inside the fort. And when Calhoun slammed the gates shut, all the Indians were outside. His courage, coolness, and quick thinking had saved half the settlers.”
“You mean,” spoke up Encyclopedia, “his stupidity
killed
half the settlers. He never should have led the wagon train down from the pass.”
killed
half the settlers. He never should have led the wagon train down from the pass.”
WHY NOT?
(Turn to page 89 for the solution to the Case of the Wagon Master.)
The Case of Sir Biscuit-Shooter
Lionel Fisk came into the Brown Detective Agency walking on his hands.
Encyclopedia knew what an upside-down Lionel meant. The circus was in town!
Lionel was the only boy in Idaville who wanted to be an acrobat. He could read an entire comic book while standing on his head.
“I brought you two tickets to the circus,” he said, falling to his feet. “For you and Sally.”
“Boy, thanks,” said Encyclopedia. “They must have cost a lot.”
Lionel shook his head. “My Uncle Barney sent them to me,” he said proudly.
Encyclopedia knew about Lionel’s Uncle Barney. He had sold used cars, he had sold houses, and he had gone to prison for two years. Uncle Barney hadn’t cheated people more than some men who sold used cars or houses. But he had been caught.
“Uncle Barney is working as a clown now,” said Lionel. “After the show, I’ll introduce you to him.”
Lionel did five back flips and was out the door.
After lunch, Encyclopedia told Sally the good news. The partners caught the two o’clock bus to the circus grounds.
Lionel was there to greet them. He led them into the main tent and up the grandstand steps. The free seats were in the very last row. When the circus started, Encyclopedia scratched himself a few times. The center ring was so far away that even the elephants looked like trained fleas.
Lionel wriggled with delight when the clowns came on. His Uncle Barney first appeared as the rear end of a horse. Later, wearing pots and pans for armor, he clanked about as the fearless English knight, Sir Godfrey Biscuit-Shooter.
When the circus ended, Lionel took Encyclopedia and Sally behind the sideshow tents to meet Uncle Barney. Trailers, in which the performers lived and traveled, were parked in three rows.
“Hold it,” said Encyclopedia suddenly. “There’s some kind of trouble over there.”
He pointed to a trailer with a lion’s head painted on the side. A small group of circus people were gathered at the open door. Someone hollered, “Get the doctor!”
“And get that new clown Barney!” shouted Kitty, the bareback rider. She was dressed in a tight pink costume and soft slippers. “He’s the one who did it!”
The three children moved toward the crowd. “Uncle Barney’s in some kind of trouble,” said Lionel in a worried tone.
As the doctor arrived, a woman in a house-coat stepped weakly from the trailer. She was holding her head.
“That’s Princess Marta, the lion tamer,” said Lionel. “She’s the star of the show!”
The doctor helped Princess Marta into a folding chair. “What happened?” he asked.
“Somebody hit me on the head and stole my money,” answered Princess Marta.
“Here’s Barney,” said the strongman, holding Uncle Barney by the neck.
The strongman shoved him, and Uncle Barney fell to the ground. His knight’s costume of pots and pans banged loudly.
“He’s the one who did it!” said Kitty. “I saw him slip out of the trailer a couple of minutes ago. How could I mistake him in that costume!”
“Come now, Kitty,” said Princess Marta. “Everyone in the circus knows where I keep my money. The thief isn’t one of us.”
“Neither is Barney. He joined the show only last month,” said the strongman.
“And he’s been in prison, hasn’t he?” said the sword swallower. “Look at him! He hasn’t denied a word!”
Uncle Barney rose to his feet. Vainly he tried to quiet the pots and pans by pressing them against his body.
“I went by Princess Marta’s trailer a few minutes ago,” he said. “But I didn’t go into it. I didn’t steal her money.”
“I believe him,” said Princess Marta. She waved both arms for the crowd to go away.
“Hold still,” said the doctor. “You’ve got a lump on your head bigger than a candy apple.”
“What did the thief hit me with?” asked Princess Marta.
A midget held up a frying pan. “Probably with this,” he said. “I found it just outside your trailer.”
“Well, it isn’t mine,” said Princess Marta.
“It could be Barney’s,” said the midget. “He’s got so many on him, you’d never know if one were missing.”
“Barney’s the thief, all right,” said the strongman.
“Didn’t you get a look at the thief?” asked the doctor.
“No,” replied Princess Marta. “I never even heard him sneak in. I was sitting with my back to the door knitting. All of a sudden,
whomp!
The lights went out.”
whomp!
The lights went out.”
“Ah, what’s the sense of talking,” said the strongman. “Barney’s the thief, all right.” He seized Uncle Barney by the neck and shook him. “Where did you hide the money?”
“I didn’t steal anything!” Uncle Barney protested. “You have to believe me!”
The crowd moved closer to him. There was a hum of ugly muttering.
“They’re going to hurt him!” exclaimed Lionel.
“Encyclopedia,” said Sally. “Can’t you do something?”
“I can try,” said Encyclopedia.
He stepped in front of Uncle Barney. “This man didn’t steal your money,” he said to Princess Marta.
Princess Marta regarded the boy detective with amused interest.
“If you’re so sure he didn’t rob me, tell me who did?” she said. “I expect you know that, too.”
“Yes,” answered Encyclopedia. “I do.”
WHO WAS THE THIEF?
(Turn to page 90 for the solution to the Case of Sir Biscuit-Shooter.)
The Case of the Frightened Playboy
“That was Mr. Mackey,” said Chief Brown as he hung up the telephone receiver.
“Goodness!” exclaimed Mrs. Brown. “Telephoning you at seven thirty in the morning! What is the matter with that man?”
“You know Mr. Mackey,” said Chief Brown, seating himself at the breakfast table. “Every week he’s afraid someone else is after his money.”
“Two weeks ago he thought burglars were breaking into his house,” said Mrs. Brown. “He called you at midnight!”
Encyclopedia had heard a lot about Mr. Mackey. Mr. Mackey’s father owned five oil wells in Texas. So Mr. Mackey was very rich and did not have to work. He was Idaville’s leading playboy.
“He ought to give all his money to the poor and get a job,” said Mrs. Brown. “Then he wouldn’t have to worry so much. What is he afraid of now? Kidnappers?”
“Last week he was afraid of kidnappers, remember?” Encyclopedia said.
“He thinks somebody is going to kill him,” said Chief Brown. “He wouldn’t tell me more over the telephone. So I said I’d stop by on my way to headquarters.”
Encyclopedia immediately asked to go along. He had never met a millionaire.
“Is there any danger, dear?” Mrs. Brown asked anxiously.
“No, I’m sure Mr. Mackey is only crying wolf again,” answered Chief Brown. “I think Leroy should go with me. He ought to see someone like Mr. Mackey—someone who let’s his money run his life.”
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