The Mystery of the Man in the Tall Black Hat (6 page)

“He won’t come out while we’re standing here,” Tod said.

As they walked away to watch from a distance, Barney kept looking back. It was a long time before the rabbit moved. Then, as if sensing that he was free, he sniffed around the cage until he found the open door. A moment later he had disappeared into the dripping woods. Barney gazed at the spot where he had disappeared for a long time.

“I never had a pet,” he said at last. “I thought maybe this time I had found one I could take care of.” He paused, digging the toe of his wet tennis shoe into the gravel. “I remember once, a long time ago, somebody gave me a rooster. He was brown and had colored tail feathers—red and green, and I think some yellow.” Barney looked down at his feet as he continued to kick at the gravel. “I took him home and showed him to Mom and Dad. You know what happened?” Barney choked and kicked hard at the ground. “My dad killed him. He
killed
him!”

He had tears in his eyes as he glanced up at Tod. “I still think of that rooster whenever Mom fixes chicken. I can’t eat it without getting sick.”

He looked up again, and Tod could almost feel how sick Barney had been. He didn’t know what to say, so he just listened as Barney continued.

“Mom and Dad would never let me have any kind of pet. They’re too messy, or they’re too much trouble, they always said.” He snuffled. “Then they got me those dumb, stupid fish. All they ever did was swim around all day. They weren’t any fun at all, and then they died.” He turned angrily to Tod. The tears in his big dark eyes were about to overflow. “You know something? I’ve never had a real friend. I guess I wanted that rabbit to be my friend!”

Tod swallowed hard. “I wish you could have kept the rabbit, too, but you couldn’t just let him die.”

Barney snuffled loudly.

“I’m your friend, and I know someone else who would be your friend if you want,” Tod continued. “Jesus will be your friend, Barney. I found Him last summer at Bible camp. All you have to do is ask Him, and He’ll be your very best friend.”

Barney sniffed and wiped his eyes on his raincoat sleeve. Then he walked over and picked up the empty squirrel cage. He acted like he hadn’t even heard Tod.

Tod followed Barney through the woods and out onto the highway. As he moved up to walk beside him he wished he could think of some way to tell Barney about Jesus so that Barney would listen. He was looking down at his feet as he walked but glanced up as they reached the cemetery.

“Barney, how many of the people buried over there in the cemetery do you think are in heaven right now?”

Barney shrugged but didn’t look up.

Tod stopped and looked at the tombstones. “Only the ones who asked Jesus into their lives before they died.”

“My dad says if he does the best he can they’ll have to let him in.”

“Does your dad believe the Bible?”

“I don’t even think he has one.”

“The Bible says that everybody is a sinner and God won’t let sinners into heaven. Sin is like telling lies, getting mad at your parents, and stuff like that. God sent Jesus to die on the cross for sin so that when anybody believes in Him He can give them everlasting life.”

“Does that get you to heaven?” Barney questioned.

“Uh-huh. I asked Jesus to save me at Bible camp. We were having our prayer time in our cabin. I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about but I knew if I died right then, I wouldn’t go to heaven.”

“I guess if I died right now I wouldn’t go to heaven either.”

“Would you like to, Barney?”

“Can you tell me what to do?”

“Sure, but do you really want to invite Christ into your life?”

“Yes, I do.” Barney turned eagerly toward his friend.

“Then just tell God you know you’re a sinner and that you need to be saved. After that tell Him you believe He died on the cross to take away your sin and ask Him to come into your life.”

Barney bowed his head. “Jesus, I know I’m a sinner because the Bible says everybody is one. I know you died for me because Tod says the Bible says that, too. Please come into my life right now.” He paused. “Is that enough?”

“Yes,” Tod answered softly.

“Would it be OK now if I ask Jesus for a pet?” Barney asked.

“Sure. Maybe He’ll send you a pet. But if He doesn’t, just remember what I told you. He can still make you happy.”

“I’m happy already.” Barney smiled weakly and walked over and picked up the empty squirrel cage. He looked up at the sky. “Hey, Tod. The sky sure is blue.”

“It always is after the rain, Barney. Didn’t you know that?”

“Barney, I can’t believe it! I just can’t believe it!” exclaimed Tod when Barney rode his bicycle into the yard on Saturday morning.

“What’s the matter?” Barney dismounted and stood beside his bicycle with a puzzled look on his face.

“That load of stuff in your bicycle basket. Barney, we’re only going to be gone for part of the day! I have to be back for my paper route, remember?”

“You say that every time we go someplace, and every time the stuff I bring comes in handy.” Barney lifted his raincoat from the top of the basket. “I’ll show you what I brought.”

“Barney, look at the sky. It’s not going to rain.”

“It might,” said Barney, sounding a little annoyed. “This is my lunch.” He held up a brown paper bag.

“OK, OK. But you probably brought more than you need.”

“Here’s a first aid kit,” Barney continued, holding up a small white container with a red cross on it. “And some tire patches, just in case.”

“Tire patches won’t do any good unless we have the rest of the tools to fix a tire.”

“I thought of that, too.” Barney patted the bar of his bicycle to which he had strapped a tire pump. “The rest is in the pocket of my raincoat,” he added, smiling.

“OK, you win,” Tod grinned. “I’m just glad you’re the one who has to keep all that junk from jiggling out of the basket.” Tod mounted his bicycle and turned to leave.

“Aren’t we going to check on the polliwogs?” questioned Barney.

“Oh, oh, I almost forgot. Come on.” Tod wheeled his bicycle toward the woodshed.

They watched the tadpoles for a few minutes but were not able to find one which had sprouted legs. Tod turned his attention to the frog eggs.

“They’re hatched!” he exclaimed. Most of the black half-inch tadpoles had emerged from the eggs and clung to the jellylike substance.

“We’d better feed them,” suggested Barney. He stood up and searched for the fish food, finally locating it where it had fallen into the grass.

“Let’s get started,” Tod said, as he watched Barney dump some of the food into the pond. He adjusted the canteen of water which he had attached to his belt, grasped his lunch sack tightly against the handle bar, and mounted his bicycle.

The day was sunny, yet cool enough to be comfortable. White puffs of cloud drifted across the sky. The tall trees which lined the road thrust their dark branches against the blue overhead.

Half an hour later the boys coasted down the winding road and onto the wooden planking of the bridge which crossed Gull Lake.

“Look, Barn!” Tod exclaimed as he slowed to a stop. “Sail boats!” They dismounted and watched as a light breeze ruffled the water into intricate patterns. The wind billowed the sails, and the boats skimmed lightly over the water.

After crossing the bridge, they followed the winding road uphill between elegant lakefront homes set back of spacious lawns and elaborate fences.

“How long do you think it will take?” panted Barney, when they stopped to drink from the canteen.

“I don’t know, but after this hill the rest should be easy.” Tod strapped the canteen back onto his belt. At the top of the steep grade they stopped to rest on a strip of lawn.

“It sure feels good to know that’s over,” gasped Barney, flopping down on his stomach.

After resting for a few minutes, the boys continued along the drive as it wound downward, once again reaching the lake edge. They rode slowly, sheltered by the branches of the tall trees which grew close to the lakeshore.

“Look at the ducks!” called Tod. They parked their bicycles and watched the antics of the mallards as they dipped their green heads into the water and paddled awkwardly about with huge webbed feet.

Tod opened his lunch sack and pulled out part of one of his sandwiches which he broke into small bits and tossed out into the water. Several ducks immediately fought over the morsels of bread. Overhead a gull swooped low and hovered close by, hopeful of a share in the tidbits that Tod and Barney continued to toss into the water.

Mounting their bicycles again, Tod and Barney followed the road to the end of the lake. They dismounted and walked, pushing their bicycles up the final incline to the top of the rise. The trees thinned out, and on both sides of the road Scotch broom bushes mingled with thickets of oak trees. An occasional house dotted the landscape like a bright spring flower.

They reached the highway, and their bicycles seemed to fairly fly over the smooth asphalt surface. Stately firs and rustic oaks grew more thickly as they neared the hospital grounds.

“Let’s eat before we get there—just in case,” suggested Barney.

“Just in case of what? What do you think is going to happen?”

At that moment the shrill scream of the siren shattered the still air. Barney stopped his bicycle and covered his ears.

“You know something, Barn? You just mention food and the noon whistle blows. OK, so we eat, but let’s find a better place than this.”

A little way farther Tod turned onto a side road, and shortly they were riding through a wooded area.

“Over there, Tod.” Barney nodded his head in the direction of a small creek. They propped their bicycles on the kickstands and sat down in the cool grass. Barney spread his lunch out on the ground in front of him.

“Say grace over my food too, will you?”

Tod grinned and both boys bowed their heads as Tod prayed.

“You know, I think I’ll go to Sunday school with you tomorrow.” Barney crammed a piece of sandwich into his mouth.

Tod beamed. “I was hoping you would. I’ll stop by for you.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll come by whatever time you say.”

“Better make it about nine-thirty then. We don’t want to be late.”

Tod finished his sandwich and bit into an apple. “I think we should just ride by the hospital first and see what it looks like,” he said.

“That sounds OK to me,” Barney answered, still chewing on a peanut butter sandwich from which he had discarded the lettuce. As he finished, he reached for the canteen and drained the last of the water from it.

Tod fastened the canteen to his belt and led the way out onto the highway. The afternoon had grown warm, and in the sky, clouds floated like fluffs of white cotton. The bicycle tires sang as the boys continued down the smooth highway. They slowed up as they neared the vine-covered stone wall which surrounded the hospital grounds.

“I didn’t know there were so many buildings!” exclaimed Barney. “Look! There must be at least ten big houses besides the main building.”

“It looks like a huge park, doesn’t it?”

Green lawns, neatly trimmed and freshly cut, spread out like a carpet beneath tall firs. Clusters of oak and evergreen shrubs added to the beauty of the well-kept grounds. Here and there were white benches, some occupied.

“Wow!” exclaimed Tod as he stopped his bicycle. “Look at how big that building is!”

Through the trees they viewed the five-story, red brick, main building. Except for the many barred windows it looked like any other hospital. A driveway wound from the main gate just ahead of them across the green lawn to the main entrance.

As they approached the iron gate, they saw that stonework pillars on either side supported it.

“That must be where the guard stays,” Tod said, pointing to a small stone building abutting the fence.

They pulled off the highway as a bus approached from behind them. It stopped before the hospital gate, and a young woman wearing a white uniform and a blue cape stepped off. She waved toward the guardhouse and entered the grounds through a small gate adjacent to the main one.

The boys dismounted and walked their bicycles toward the entrance. A man stepped from the small building as they approached.

“Out for a bicycle ride?” He smiled when he saw the boys. “It’s a beautiful day for it.”

“Is that gate locked?” asked Barney.

“No, son. It’s not locked.”

“Does anybody ever escape?” asked Tod.

“Oh, once in a while someone wanders off, but not often.”

“Are they dangerous? The ones who wander off?” asked Barney.

“No, son. Those who might hurt themselves or anyone else aren’t allowed out of the building.”

Tod looked up at the windows which were covered with bars. He shivered when he thought about people being locked up inside.

“When the siren blew the other day—last Saturday—did someone escape—I mean, wander off?” asked Barney.

The guard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I believe so. Yes, I recall a man did come up missing. When it began to grow dark he wandered up from the direction you boys came. I just phoned inside and told them he was back and they sent someone for him.”

“Is anyone missing now?” asked Tod.

“No, not that I know of. All present and accounted for.” He looked at Tod and then at Barney. “Say, fellows, why all the questions?”

Barney began. “Mister, if we told you we saw a man wandering around in the woods two or three miles from here last Saturday afternoon, could that have been the man that was missing?”

“Possibly, yes, but I doubt if this fellow had time to go that far.”

“What kind of clothes would he have been wearing?” asked Tod.

“Oh, the usual. Dark pants.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe blue shirt.”

“He wouldn’t have been wearing a black suit with long tails, and a stovepipe hat, and carrying a cane?”

The guard chuckled. “Did you see someone like that out in the woods?”

“You don’t believe us, do you?”

“Can’t say that I do,” he answered, shaking his head seriously.

“Come on then, Barney. We’d better go.” Tod swung onto his bicycle. “Thanks for talking to us anyway, Mister.”