The Mystery of the Scar-faced Beggar - M. V. Carey [31]
l
l anybo
b d
o y be
b in
i g esp
s e
p cia
i ll
l y
l in
i teres
e t
s ed in
i wha
h t
a I
do.”
“Wha
h t abo
b u
o t Mr.
. Tu
T c
u kerman?” said
Jupe.
“She
h lb
l y
b ? She
h lb
l y
b is
i
s in
i terest
s ed on
o ly
l in
i
n
She
h lb
l y
b ,” sa
s id
i Mr.
. Bon
o est
s ell
l .
l
. “He’s
s ou
o t of
o
tow
o n mos
o t
s of
o the
h tim
i e,
, and whe
h n he
h ’s
he
h re he
h keeps
p
s hi
h m
i se
s lf
f to
o hi
h m
i se
s lf.
f
. He eats
s
ou
o t usu
s all
l y
l ,
y
, and whe
h n he
h ’s
s he
h re in
i the
h
ho
h u
o se
s he
h ’s usu
s all
l y
l lo
l c
o ked in
i hi
h s
i
s roo
o m
o .
And I’m no
n t
o kid
i din
i g abo
b u
o t tha
h t — I can
n
sh
s o
h w
o you
o th
t e
h lo
l c
o ks.
s ”
“Tha
h t won
o ’t be
b nece
c ss
s a
s ry.” Jupi
p t
i er
r
st
s oo
o d
o up.
p
. “Don
o ’t be
b dis
i c
s ou
o raged,
, Mr.
.
Bon
o est
s ell
l .
l
. The
h po
p l
o i
l c
i e ha
h ve to
o keep
e
p goi
o n
i g
ov
o er the
h st
s or
o y wit
i h
h you.
. The
h y may not
o ha
h ve any ot
o he
h r le
l ads,
s
, and pe
p rha
h ps they hope
you
o wil
i l
l
l com
o e up
p wit
i h
h so
s m
o e deta
t il
i
l you
o fo
f r
o got
o earli
l e
i r.”
Walter Bonestell did not answer. He did not look at all cheered up. Jupe left him sitting at the table, staring straight ahead.
**
It was four-thirty when Jupe reached The Jones Salvage Yard again. Instead of going in through the main gate, he stopped his bike at a front corner of the yard, outside the wooden fence. The fence had been colourfully decorated by the artists of Rocky Beach. This corner showed a sailing ship about to be overwhelmed by gigantic green waves. A fish reared up in the foreground to watch the ship. When Jupe put his hand on the painted eye of the fish and pushed, two boards in the fence swung up, making the opening that the boys called Green Gate One. It was one of the secret entrances that allowed them to move in and out of the salvage yard without attracting the attention of Aunt Mathilda and Uncle Titus.
Jupe opened the gate now and pushed his bike through into his outdoor workshop.
Pete’s bike was there, leaning against the printing press. Jupe smiled and let the boards in the fence drop closed.
And then he heard a small sound in that corner of the workshop. It was no more than a rustle of clothing and a drawn breath.
Jupe turned his head.
The blind beggar was there! His scarred face was turned towards Jupe, his head lifted slightly. There was no stubble on his cheeks now, and he wasn’t carrying a cane.
Jupe saw with a shiver that the scar pulled one corner of his mouth into a sinister sneer.
For a heartbeat Jupe did not move. The beggar was still. Then Jupe took a breath and the beggar moved, his head still lifted in an attitude of surprise, his mouth still twisted disdainfully. There was something in his hand. His fingers were closed tightly.
He started to dodge past Jupe, and suddenly Jupe wanted to know—had to know—
what he was holding. Flinging his bike to one side, Jupe threw himself at the man and caught at the closed fist with both hands.
The man shouted and pulled back, but Jupe held fast to the fist, prying at the fingers. They opened slightly and something fell to the ground.
The beggar jerked away. Then he attacked! He struck, and the blow landed high on Jupe’s cheekbone. Lights flashed in Jupe’s head. There was a stab of pain under his eye. Waves of blue and red and yellow filled his vision, and he went limp.
For a bare instant he lost consciousness. Then he was aware of himself again, and of the beggar stepping over him. The boards in the fence swung open and banged shut, and Jupe was alone.
Chapte
t r 12
The Bug
JUPE
P SAT
T ON
O the
h grou
o nd,
, fe
f eli
l n
i g
sl
s i
l g
i ht
h ly
l diz
i zy
z .
. As
s his
i
s vis
i i
s o
i n
o cle
l ared,
, hi
h s
i
eyes
s fe
f ll
l
l on
o the
h thi