Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues (4 page)

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Authors: Donald J. Sobol

BOOK: Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues
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Ace Kurash—suddenly Encyclopedia placed him.
Ace was seventeen. His father had a charter boat. Ace worked on it as a mate occasionally. Mostly he worked at the Children’s Farm for stealing automobiles or television sets.
Encyclopedia and Sally reached the beach and parked their bikes. Around fifty boys and girls were standing near the old lighthouse on Pirates’ Point.
Encyclopedia spied some of his gang among the crowd—Charlie Stewart, Billy and Jody Turner, Herb Stein, and Pinky Plummer. Bugs Meany and his Tigers were there, too.
In the center of the children were three tall boys in their late teens. One carried a basket filled with divining rods. The second carried a shovel. The third was Ace Kurash.
“A lot of you think I’m trying to cheat you,” said Ace. “But I’ll tell you this. Last week I took this divining rod out near the marina and found a buried gold coin.”
Ace held up a coin in one hand and a divining rod—a forked twig—in the other.
“This coin is worth ten dollars,” he announced. “If any of you had found it, you’d have paid off the price of a divining rod three times over!”
“Aw,” grumbled Bugs. “Cut the chatter and let’s see that hunk of firewood do its stuff.”
“I don’t blame you, kid,” said Ace. “Doubt all you like—till you see it work with your own eyes. Me, I wouldn’t pay three dollars on
your
say-so, either. So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to find gold right here and now.”
Ace held the forked twig with both hands. He bowed his head a second. Then he walked slowly down the beach.
Right behind him marched his two pals. The one with the shovel had it balanced lightly in his hands, ready to dig up sand the moment Ace gave the word. The other carried the basket of divining rods on his hip, ready to sell them like hotcakes when gold was discovered.
“If there is an ounce of gold under the sand here, I’ll find it with my divining rod,” promised Ace.
The children fell into step on each side of him. No one spoke a word. All eyes stared at the twig in Ace’s hands.
“Lots of pirates used to come to this beach,” said Ace. “Who knows how many treasure chests they hid around here!”
The boy with the shovel said, “See those sharp coral reefs by the lighthouse? You can guess the number of ships that got wrecked there. Plenty of gold and things washed up on the beach. Over the years, the ocean buried them.”
The younger children hopped with excitement. It was true, all right. There must be tons of pirate gold lying around. Right under foot. Just out of sight!
Suddenly the twig in Ace’s hands jumped and dipped.
The twig in Ace’s hand jumped
“I got something!” he cried. He stopped by a log. “Here! Dig here!”
The boy with the shovel began to dig like crazy. The sand flew. Presently his shovel hit something—
clank, clank.
Everyone pushed forward to see into the hole.
Ace lifted out an object shaped like a large brick. It was a foot long, six inches wide, six inches deep, and wrapped completely in dirty rags.
Ace unwrapped the rags. The sun shone on a brick—
“Gold!” screamed Ace. He raised the glittering, golden brick above his head with his right hand. He waved it for all to see. “I told you I’d find gold!”
He lowered the brick and covered it again with the rags.
“Okay, everyone,” he said. “I’m not greedy. I’m willing to share. For three dollars you can buy a divining rod like mine. What works for me will work for you. Only three dollars.”
“Just one to a customer,” called the boy with the basket of forked twigs. “Get ’em while they last!”
“There’s plenty of gold under the sand,” said Ace. “Find it! Buy your mother a fur coat! Buy your father a new car!”
Encyclopedia watched Bugs Meany and his Tigers fight their way to the head of the line.
“Save your money,” the boy detective told his friends. “Those twigs won’t even make good sling-shots.”
 
HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW THE DIVINING RODS WERE FAKES?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Please see solutions section)
The Case of the Bitter Drink
Mort Liveright was known throughout Idaville as Fangs. He was the only fifth-grader who could open a bottle of root beer between his front teeth.
One Thursday morning he came into the Brown Detective Agency and fell on the floor.
Encyclopedia was surprised to see Fangs in such bad shape. His face was very red; his well-known lower jaw hung down like a Christmas stocking; his cheeks were going in and out faster than a group of square dancers.
He reached an arm toward Encyclopedia. “Water,” he said, “Water!”
Encyclopedia ran into the kitchen. He returned with a pitcher of water.
Fangs drank it dry. Slowly his cheeks stopped going in and out. His jaw tightened.
He stood up and explained: “I’ve been practicing.”
“For what?” asked Encyclopedia, fearing the answer.
“I want to ride with the mayor in the Idaville Day Parade,” said Fangs.
“Back up a little, please,” said Encyclopedia. “What were you doing down there, huffing and puffing like the last dinosaur?”
“Did you ever drink castor oil mixed with vinegar and horseradish?” said Fangs. “I figured that if I could drink that, I could drink anything.”
“Toughening up your tonsils, eh?” asked Encylopedia. “How come?”
“Every year the Daughters of the Pioneers hold Indian trials,” said Fangs. “The boy who wins gets to ride in the mayor’s car in the parade.”
“Go on,” said Encyclopedia. “I’ll catch up.”
“The Indian trials are made up of three contests,” said Fangs. “Last year I won at boiling water. Melvin Hoffenberger won at setting up a tent. Then Melvin won the deciding contest-drinking the bitter drink.”
“I begin to follow you,” said Encyclopedia.
“In the old days,” Fangs said, “an Indian youth couldn’t become a brave till he swallowed a bitter drink without changing the expression on his face.”
Fangs put a quarter on the gasoline can beside Encyclopedia. “I want to hire you,” he said.
“You suspect Melvin cheated on his swallows?”
“He did something crooked last year,” said Fangs. “The stuff we had to drink could clean a stove. But Melvin drank it down like pineapple punch. I want you to watch him at the Indian trials tomorrow.”
“I’ll watch him like a factory clock,” promised Encyclopedia.
The next morning Encyclopedia rode over to Sally’s house and explained the case.
“You keep an eye on the bitter drink,” he said. “I’ll be watching every move Melvin makes.”
The Indian trials were held on the field behind the Veterans’ building. When the two detectives arrived, the tent-pitching contest was beginning.
Encyclopedia looked around for Fangs. It was difficult to find him, because all the boys were dressed like Indians.
At the soda fountain outside the Veterans’ building, Encyclopedia spied a small Indian. The Indian spat something into the trash can. It rang like a bottle top.
“Fangs,” called Encyclopedia, hurrying over. “Why aren’t you pitching a tent?”
“I’m saving myself,” said Fangs. “It’s too hot. Besides, Melvin will win easily. I’ve got to be at my best in the boiling-water contest. If I don’t win that, the bitter-drink contest won’t matter.”
Encyclopedia had no trouble spotting Melvin among the twelve boys pitching tents. His tent was the first up.
Finally, all the tents were up. The boys moved into the shade of the trees to await the water-boiling contest.
Encyclopedia kept his eyes on Melvin. The champion sat down under a tree beside a towel and an ice bucket. First he filled his mouth with ice. Then he put some more ice in the towel. He held the towel to the back of his neck.
“He sure knows how to stay cool on a hot day,” Encyclopedia thought admiringly.
Melvin sucked the ice and rested while the water-boiling contest was held out in the hot sun. All the boys in the contest used their hands only, except Fangs. He used his teeth, too.
The other boys tried to start a spark by knocking one stone against another. Fangs held a stone in each hand. He knocked against a
third
stone held between his mighty front teeth.
Sparks flew out of his mouth like a Chinese sky-rocket. Before anyone else got the first weak flame, Fangs had a fire roaring under his kettle of water.
It was one victory apiece for Fangs and Melvin. The bitter-drink contest would decide the final winner!
Sally stopped by Encyclopedia. “The bitter drink is ready,” she said, shuddering. ”It tastes like a mustard bath.”
Sparks flew out of Fangs’s mouth.
Only five boys dared try the drink. After one swallow, they dropped the cup and went leaping away as if gravity were out of style. The other boys hung back, looking at Melvin.
The champion calmly spat out his mouthful of ice. He wiped his hands on his towel and took the cup. He made his face as blank as a refrigerator door.
Then without changing expression he drained the cup.
“He isn’t human!” moaned Fangs.
“You’ve got the strongest jaws here,” said Encyclopedia. “Lock them together once you get the stuff down, and you’ll win.”
“Did you see something?” asked Fangs hopefully. “Did you see Melvin cheat?”
“Never mind,” said Encyclopedia. “Just keep your face still and hold the drink in.”
“Okay,” growled Fangs, lowering his head determinedly. “Keep my face still, hold the drink in—I’ll do it! I’ll make them forget Hoover Dam!”
He seized the cup and downed it in two gulps. Then his mighty jaws locked, though his eyes popped in and out and he swayed and bounced around like a rope bridge.
“That’s good enough to win,” said Encyclopedia. “Only Melvin did any better, and he’ll be ruled out of the contest after I speak to the judges!”
 
HOW HAD MELVIN CHEATED?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Please see solutions section)

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