Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch

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The First Federal Savings and Loan Association had been held up ten minutes ago. The four bandits had escaped.

Encyclopedia’s father picked up the two-way speaker. He swung the car about and speeded up.

Encyclopedia could feel his heart beating faster. He had never been on a real cops-and-robbers chase before.

Ahead, Encyclopedia made out a hitchhiker standing at the crossroads of the highway and Coconut Drive.

Chief Brown braked to a stop.

“Did a blue car with four or five men in it speed past you?”

“It sure did,” said the hitchhiker.

“You’d better climb in,” said Chief Brown.

A few minutes later Chief Brown opened the door.

All at once he was around by the back door. He had his pistol out, pointed at the hitchhiker.

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First published in the United States of America by Dutton Children’s Books,
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Published by Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group,

No character in this book is intended to represent any actual person;
all the incidents of the story are entirely fictional in nature.

Text copyright © Donald J. Sobol, 1965

Illustrations copyright © Thomas Nelson Inc., 1965
Member of the Authors League of America, Inc.
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card number: 65-19640

eISBN : 978-1-101-00710-5

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Idaville looked like any other town of its size —from the outside.

On the inside, however, it was different. Ten-year-old Encyclopedia Brown, America’s Sher-lock Holmes in sneakers, lived there.

Besides Encyclopedia, Idaville had three movie theaters, a Little League, four banks, and two delicatessens. It had large houses and small houses, good schools, churches, stores, and even an ugly old section by the railroad tracks.

And it had, everyone believed, the best police force in the world.

For more than a year no one—boy, girl, or grown-up—had got away with breaking a single law.

Encyclopedia’s father was chief of police. People said he was the smartest chief of police in the world and his officers were the best trained and the bravest. Chief Brown knew better.

His men were brave, true enough. They did their jobs well. But Chief Brown brought his hardest cases home for Encyclopedia to solve.

For a year now Chief Brown had been getting the answers during dinner in his red brick house on Rover Avenue. He never told a soul. How could he?

Who would believe that the guiding hand behind Idaville’s crime cleanup wore a junior-size baseball mitt?

Encyclopedia never let out the secret, either. He didn’t want to seem different from other fifth-graders.

There was nothing he could do about his nickname, however.

An encyclopedia is a book or set of books filled with facts on all subjects. Encyclopedia had read so many books his head held more facts than a library.

Nobody but his teachers and his parents called him by his real name, Leroy. He was called Encyclopedia by everyone else in Idaville.

Encyclopedia did not do all his crime-busting seated at the dinner table. During the summer he usually solved mysteries while walking around.

Soon after vacation began, he had opened his own detective business. He wanted to help others.

Children seeking help of every kind came to his office in the Brown garage. Encyclopedia handled each case himself. The terms of his business were clearly stated on the sign that hung outside the garage.

One morning Speedy Flanagan, the shortest fast-ball pitcher in the Idaville Little League, walked into the Brown Detective Agency. He wore a face longer than the last day of school.

“I need help,” he said, side-arming twenty-five cents onto the gasoline can beside Encyclopedia. “What do you know about Browning?”

“Nothing, I’ve never browned,” replied Encyclopedia. “But once at the beach I tanned something awful, and—”

“I mean Robert Browning,” said Speedy.

“The English poet?”

“No, no,” said Speedy. “The American League pitcher, Robert Spike Browning.”

Even Encyclopedia’s Aunt Bessie knew of Spike Browning. He was the ace of the New York Yankees’ pitching staff.

“What do you want to know about him?” asked Encyclopedia.

“Do you know what his handwriting looks like?” asked Speedy. “I made a bet with Bugs Meany—my bat against his—that Bugs couldn’t get Spike Browning to buy a secret pitch for a hundred dollars.”

“Whoa!” cried Encyclopedia. “If I understand you, Bugs bet he could sell Spike Browning a special way to throw a baseball?”

“Right. Bugs and his father were in New York City the last week in June,” said Speedy. “Bugs says he sold Spike Browning his cross-eyed special.”

“You’d better explain,” said Encyclopedia.

“The pitcher crosses his eyes whenever there are runners on first and third bases,” said Speedy. “That way nobody knows where he’s looking —whether he’s going to throw to first base, third base, or home plate. The runners don’t dare take a lead. The secret is how the pitcher can throw the ball some place while staring himself in the eye. Bugs sold the secret. He has a letter from Spike Browning and a check for a hundred dollars!”

“Phew!” said Encyclopedia. “I understand you now. You figure Bugs wrote the letter and the check himself to win the bet and your bat. So do I! Let’s go see Bugs.”

Bugs Meany was the leader of the Tigers, a gang of older boys who caused more trouble than itching powder in Friday’s wash. Since setting up as a detective, Encyclopedia had stopped many of Bug’s shady deals.

The Tigers’ clubhouse was a tool shed behind Mr. Sweeny’s Auto Body Shop. When Encyclopedia and Speedy arrived, Bugs was leading a discussion on how to beat the bubble gum machines around town.

The Tigers’ leader broke off to greet Encyclopedia. “Get lost,” he said.

“Not until I have a chance to see the letter and check from Spike Browning,” said Encyclopedia.

Bugs opened a cigar box and passed Encyclo-pedia a check and a letter. Encyclopedia read the letter.