The Mystery of the Singing Serpent - M. V. Carey [13]
“You’re out of your mind!” declared Pete.
“I see no other way,” said Jupe. “If you won’t do it, I must, but it seems to me that you’re the logical one. Once you get on top of the wall, you can help me up and we can help Bob. It’s the only way we can get in to see what’s happening in that house.”
Pete sighed, as he had many times since joining Jupiter Jones and Bob Andrews. “I’m not sure I want to see,” he muttered. But when Jupe bent, put his arms over his head and braced himself against the wall, Pete came through. He put one knee on Jupe’s back, touched the wall with his hands, placed a sneakered foot on Jupe’s shoulder and stood.
“Here goes,” he said, planting both hands on the top of the wall. He pulled himself up.
He sat on the wall a moment to survey the dark grounds around the darker house. Then it happened.
The alarm bell rang first — an ear-shattering, persistent clanging.
“Get down!” cried Jupe from the roadway.
Floodlights blazed suddenly. There were eight of them, two at each corner of the wall.
Pete clutched at the bricks, caught and blinded by the blue-white glare.
“Jump!” shouted Jupiter.
Pete tried. He swung himself around and let his legs drop outside the wall. But then, under his hand, a brick slipped, gave way and fell. And Pete fell, too. Backward, inside the wall!
Chapter 7
Caught!
PETE LANDED ON HIS BACK on soft turf. He rolled a bit and brought himself to his knees. The alarm bell stopped clanging. Pete blinked and turned his head away from the glare of the floodlights.
A thickset man stood between Pete and the wall.
“You little sneak,” said the man. He did not move, but his voice chilled Pete. “Just what do you think you’re doing here?”
Pete opened his mouth to say something and
found that his throat was suddenly very dry. He
began to get up, and the man took a single
menacing step toward him. Pete froze, half-
crouching.
“Pete?” called Jupiter Jones from the other
side of the wall. “Pete, did you find him?”
The man shifted and looked around. “Who’s
that?”
There were quick footsteps beyond the wall,
and Jupe appeared at the gate. “Hey, mister,”
he said to the man who stood over Pete, “did you see him?”
Pete felt himself begin to relax. Jupiter Jones
was putting on an act, and whatever act it was, Pete knew it would be a good one.
“See who?” asked the man.
“The cat,” replied Jupiter brightly. “I’m
going to get it if I don’t find him. He’s a seal point Siamese, and my mother doesn’t know
he’s out. I saw him go over your wall.”
“Tough!” said the man.
“He’s probably up a tree someplace,” said Jupe.
“Too bad.” The man turned away from Jupe, pushed back a mane of gray hair with one hand, then scowled at Pete. “You, kid,” he said. “Out!”
Pete stood up.
“Hey, please!” called Jupe. “Let me in and I’ll help my friend look for the cat.”
“Help him look my foot!” The man took Pete by the elbow and pushed him toward the gate.
“My mother will murder me!” protested Jupe.
“We’ve all got problems,” snarled the man. “Beat it or I’ll call the cops.”
Jupiter retreated a step and watched. As the man neared the gate, his hand went out to touch something in the ivy that grew up the inside of the wall. The gate clicked.
“You come over that wall again and you’re going to have more to worry about than a lost cat,” said the man. He opened the gate and thrust Pete out onto the road, then slammed the gate shut.
“If you should see the cat …” began Jupe.
“Scram!” shouted the man.
Jupe and Pete turned and walked a few paces down the road to the place where Bob waited. The floodlights at the corners of the property blinked out, leaving them in darkness.
“Whew!” said Pete.
“Good thinking, Jupe,” murmured Bob.
The boys heard the man go a few paces up the drive and then stop.
“He’s waiting to make sure we leave,” whispered Jupiter. “We’d better walk away, and Worthington can follow with the car. That man is already suspicious. If he sees us get into a car, he’ll know we weren’t simply looking for a stray