The Mystery of the Monster Mountain - M. V. Carey [26]
“He moves fast,” said Bob.
“It’s downhill all the way,” Pete pointed out, and he began a slipping, sliding, half-running descent of the slope. Bob and Jupe followed more carefully.
They were nearly at the bottom when they saw Joe Havemeyer start up the slope.
Cousin Anna’s husband had a knapsack on his back and his tranquilizer gun slung over his shoulder. When the boys approached him, he stood still. There was a scowl on his face.
“What have you boys been doing?” he asked.
“Hiking,” said Pete innocently.
Havemeyer pointed to Bob. “Smathers told me one of you fell in that earthquake fracture. It was you, wasn’t it?”
“You knew about the fracture?” asked Jupiter Jones.
“It’s not a secret. It’ll be a big attraction if we can get the hikers here in the summer. But in the meantime, I want you boys to stay out of the high country. Anna and I would feel responsible if you got hurt. There’s not only the chance that you’ll fall, but the bears …”
“Bears?” Jupiter said. He looked steadily at Havemeyer and then at the tranquilizer gun. “Is that why you carry that gun, Mr. Havemeyer?” he asked. “It’s a tranquilizer gun, isn’t it? Are you planning to capture a bear with it?”
Havemeyer laughed.
“Capture a bear? Now, why would I want to do a thing like that? No, I’m not planning to capture any bears and I think it would probably be against the law. I just want to be ready if I meet one, and I don’t want to hurt anything.”
He paused and grinned. “Mr. Smathers would never forgive me if I hurt a bear!”
Havemeyer passed them and toiled on up the slope.
“Mr. Smathers just made a mistake,” Bob said.
“Right,” said Pete. “We didn’t tell him that you fell in the hole, so if he knew it, he must have been there when it happened — or when Jupe got hit.”
“He may even have been the one who hit me,” said Jupe, “and he is probably the one who swept away the footprint from the edge of the crevice. Our Mr. Smathers may not be as nonviolent as he seems. There is something in the high country —
monster or not — that both he and Havemeyer have seen, and they both want to keep it a secret.”
The boys reached the back yard of the inn just as Konrad climbed out of the swimming pool excavation.
“Hey, Jupe!” he called.
Jupe waved.
The Three Investigators went to the hole and looked down to see Hans sitting on the bottom, taking a rest. The forms for the cement were almost finished.
“Good hike?” asked Hans.
“Very interesting,” said Jupe.
“Hardly a dull moment,” Pete added.
“You make Mr. Smathers very nervous,” Konrad said. “He does not want you up near that meadow. He tells us we should make you stay down here.”
“Do you think you’re going to do that?” Pete asked.
Konrad grinned. “I think you will do what you want,” he said. “Only you be careful, okay?”
“We’ll be careful,” Jupiter promised. “Where’s Mr. Smathers now?”
“He walked down to the village,” said Hans. “Cousin Anna, she took the car and went to Bishop to buy some things. Mr. Jensen went someplace in his car, too.”
“Cousin Anna says you should eat some lunch when you come back,” Konrad told them. “There are sandwiches in the refrigerator.”
“I’m ready,” said Pete.
After the boys had wolfed down lunch, Jupiter washed the dishes.
Cousin Anna’s wedding ring was on the window sill over the sink.
Jupe frowned.
“That ring’s too big for Anna.” he said. “She’s going to lose it if she doesn’t watch out.”
Pete, who was drying the glasses, only nodded absently. His attention had been caught by something on the living room floor, just beyond the kitchen doorway. He put the dish towel on the drain-board and went to the living room.
“Somebody’s wallet,” he said, and stooped to pick it up.
It was an old wallet, worn soft and with one seam ripped. When Pete picked it up a cascade of cards and papers slipped out onto the floor.
“Oh, blast!” Pete crouched to gather up the things.
“Whose is it?” Bob called.
Pete found a driver’s license