The Mystery of the Monster Mountain - M. V. Carey [9]
“Vandal!” accused Jensen. The remark seemed to be directed at Mr. Smathers.
“If you drop a camera, it will break,” said Smathers. “And if you wish to call the police, I’ll be happy to talk to them when they get here. In the meantime, I am going back to bed. Don’t wake me unless there’s a good reason.”
Smathers marched into the inn, leaving Jensen to his rage.
“He’s right,” said Havemeyer reasonably. “We all ought to go back to bed.” He turned to The Three Investigators. “Bring your sleeping bags inside,” he told them.
“You don’t want to be out here with a bad bear on the loose.”
“It wasn’t a bear!” shouted Jensen.
“Then what was it?” demanded Havemeyer. “Jupe here heard something crashing through those trees, so unless someone from the village has suddenly taken to a life of crime, there had to be a second bear. Now, do you want us to call the doctor? If we call the sheriff, he’ll only tell you not to wander around at night disturbing the wildlife.”
That was true, and Jensen knew it.
“All right, all right,” he grumbled. “And I don’t need a doctor.” He went up the porch steps and into the kitchen, rubbing his neck.
Fifteen minutes later, The Three Investigators had moved their sleeping bags out of the tent and were comfortably installed in the living room of the inn. They waited until the noises on the second floor ceased. Then, in the darkness, Pete spoke.
“Jensen’s lucky,” he said. “Not too many people tangle with a bear and get off as easily as he did. Unless, of course, it really wasn’t a bear.”
Jupiter Jones frowned. “You’re thinking the same thing that I’m thinking. Could a bear deliver a blow that would stun a man and still not leave a scratch on him? The skin on Jensen’s neck wasn’t broken.”
“It couldn’t have been anyone from the inn,” said Bob. “Hans and Konrad don’t hit people. Joe Havemeyer was in the office when it happened, and Cousin Anna and Mr. Smathers alibi each other. Even if he were a human fly and could walk up walls, Mr. Smathers couldn’t have gotten back into his room so quickly that Cousin Anna saw him when she started downstairs.”
“So it was either an outsider or a second bear,” said Jupe. “In the morning, as soon as it’s light, we’ll go down to those trees south of the inn where the attacker ran after striking Mr. Jensen. It’s been a dry year, but trees hold moisture and the earth there ought to be soft enough to show footprints. Whoever or whatever hit Jensen, he must have left tracks. We should be able to tell whether the attacker was a bear or a man.”
Chapter 5
The Missing Key
JUPITER JONES awakened to find Pete shaking his arm.
“We missed the boat,” said Pete. “Get out of the sack and see.”
Jupe sat up. The room was still dim and gray.
“Joe Havemeyer beat us to it,” reported Pete.
Next to Jupe, Bob turned over and stretched. “Beat us to what?” he asked.
“We do not get to examine the back yard for bear tracks or people tracks or any kind of tracks,” Pete informed them. “Come and see. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Bob and Jupe got up and followed Pete to the kitchen. Pete went to the window near the range and pointed out.
“How interesting,” said Jupe.
“That’s… that’s crazy!” exclaimed Bob. He scowled at Cousin Anna’s husband, who was energetically sweeping the earth in the back yard with a broom.
“He’s already swept the ground under the trees,” said Pete. “He was finishing there when I woke you.”
“Hmmm,” mused Jupe. “Looks as if he’s deliberately erasing any possible sign of Mr. Jensen’s attacker. Very curious.” He stepped to the door, opened it, and padded out onto the back porch in his stocking feet.
“Good morning,” he said brightly.
Havemeyer jumped slightly, then smiled.
“Morning,” he greeted Jupe. “Sleep okay after all the excitement?”
“Like a log,” Jupiter assured him. “You’re up early.” Jupiter looked pointedly at the broom.
Havemeyer picked up the trash can which had been overturned and began to sweep the debris around the porch steps into a neat pile.
“Got a lot to do.’ he told Jupe. “Want to