Read Online The Mystery of the Headless Horse by William Arden - Free Book Online
Authors: William Arden
Tags: child_det
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wait till tomorrow, when Jupiter can help. Besides, I haven’t done any homework yet this weekend.”
Pete moaned again. He’d forgotten all about his homework.
The boys started across the top of the dam towards the road and their bikes. Just as they walked off the dam, Pete stopped and stood alertly.
“Diego?” the tall boy said, staring off to the right, “does someone on your ranch own four big, black dogs?”
“Dogs?” Diego said. “No, I — ”
“I see them, Second,” Bob said, his voice uneasy.
The four big black dogs were some distance away, above the reservoir and beyond the burned area on the Alvaro side of the creek. They were pacing wildly in front of some trees and thick brush, their red tongues lolling out and their eyes glittering.
“Wow,” Bob said nervously, “they sure look mean, and — ”
A shrill whistle seemed to sound from nowhere. Pete whirled, and pointed back across the dam.
“That’s a signal! Run for those trees across the dam!”
In the distance, the four dogs raced towards the dam with their teeth bared and red tongues dripping! The boys tumbled back over the dam, and pounded across the rocky ground towards a line of old oaks some fifty yards away.
“It’s… too… far!” Bob panted.
“We… we’ll… never… make it!” Diego gasped.
“Faster, guys!” Pete urged.
“Pete!” Diego cried as he looked back. “They’re swimming!”
In their violent pursuit of their quarry, the four dogs had plunged straight into the small reservoir instead of circling it by the faster route across the dam! They were swimming strongly, and were soon out and leaping after the fleeing boys. But the delay had been just enough!
The three boys reached the twisted live-oaks, clambered wildly up, and sat on the heavy branches looking down at the four leaping, snarling dogs.
They were trapped!
9
The Sheriff Makes an Arrest
The shrill whistle came again. The dogs stopped snarling and leaping, and lay down under the trees.
“Look!” Bob said. “Skinny and that ranch manager, Cody!”
Their thin enemy and the stocky cowboy were trotting across the dam. Skinny was grinning with delight at the sight of the boys high in the trees. When the two came up, Cody ordered the dogs back sharply. They lay at his heels, alert and quivering, as he looked up at the boys. His small eyes sparkled, and he smiled nastily at them.
“So we’ve got some trespassers, eh? These trees just happen to be on Norris land!”
“Your dogs chased us here, and you know it!” Diego cried.
“What were you and your dogs doing on Alvaro land!” Pete said hotly.
Cody laughed. “Now how you going to prove that, boy?”
“All I see,” Skinny said innocently, “is three trespassers up a tree on my dad’s land.”
“Like we told the sheriff,” Cody said with a smile, “We’ve been having trouble with trespassers.” He nodded towards the dirt road on the Norris side of the creek. A sheriff’s car was coming up it. “I guess he’ll believe us now.”
The sheriff’s car parked, and the sheriff himself got out with a deputy. They strode up to Skinny and Cody.
“What’s going on here?” the sheriff demanded.
“We’ve caught some trespassers, Sheriff,” Cody said. “The Alvaro kid and two buddies. I told you the Alvaros and their friends act like they think it’s still all their land! Running their horses on our land, breaking our fences, making illegal campfires. You know how bad a campfire is out here now.”
The sheriff looked up at the boys. “All right, you boys, climb down. Cody, hold those dogs back.”
The boys climbed down as Cody controlled the growling dogs. The sheriff looked closely at the two Investigators.
“I know you two, don’t I? Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews of The Three Investigators! From what Chief Reynolds has told me, you two should know better. Trespassing is a serious matter.”
“We weren’t trespassing, sir,” Bob said quietly. “We were on Alvaro
Pete moaned again. He’d forgotten all about his homework.
The boys started across the top of the dam towards the road and their bikes. Just as they walked off the dam, Pete stopped and stood alertly.
“Diego?” the tall boy said, staring off to the right, “does someone on your ranch own four big, black dogs?”
“Dogs?” Diego said. “No, I — ”
“I see them, Second,” Bob said, his voice uneasy.
The four big black dogs were some distance away, above the reservoir and beyond the burned area on the Alvaro side of the creek. They were pacing wildly in front of some trees and thick brush, their red tongues lolling out and their eyes glittering.
“Wow,” Bob said nervously, “they sure look mean, and — ”
A shrill whistle seemed to sound from nowhere. Pete whirled, and pointed back across the dam.
“That’s a signal! Run for those trees across the dam!”
In the distance, the four dogs raced towards the dam with their teeth bared and red tongues dripping! The boys tumbled back over the dam, and pounded across the rocky ground towards a line of old oaks some fifty yards away.
“It’s… too… far!” Bob panted.
“We… we’ll… never… make it!” Diego gasped.
“Faster, guys!” Pete urged.
“Pete!” Diego cried as he looked back. “They’re swimming!”
In their violent pursuit of their quarry, the four dogs had plunged straight into the small reservoir instead of circling it by the faster route across the dam! They were swimming strongly, and were soon out and leaping after the fleeing boys. But the delay had been just enough!
The three boys reached the twisted live-oaks, clambered wildly up, and sat on the heavy branches looking down at the four leaping, snarling dogs.
They were trapped!
9
The Sheriff Makes an Arrest
The shrill whistle came again. The dogs stopped snarling and leaping, and lay down under the trees.
“Look!” Bob said. “Skinny and that ranch manager, Cody!”
Their thin enemy and the stocky cowboy were trotting across the dam. Skinny was grinning with delight at the sight of the boys high in the trees. When the two came up, Cody ordered the dogs back sharply. They lay at his heels, alert and quivering, as he looked up at the boys. His small eyes sparkled, and he smiled nastily at them.
“So we’ve got some trespassers, eh? These trees just happen to be on Norris land!”
“Your dogs chased us here, and you know it!” Diego cried.
“What were you and your dogs doing on Alvaro land!” Pete said hotly.
Cody laughed. “Now how you going to prove that, boy?”
“All I see,” Skinny said innocently, “is three trespassers up a tree on my dad’s land.”
“Like we told the sheriff,” Cody said with a smile, “We’ve been having trouble with trespassers.” He nodded towards the dirt road on the Norris side of the creek. A sheriff’s car was coming up it. “I guess he’ll believe us now.”
The sheriff’s car parked, and the sheriff himself got out with a deputy. They strode up to Skinny and Cody.
“What’s going on here?” the sheriff demanded.
“We’ve caught some trespassers, Sheriff,” Cody said. “The Alvaro kid and two buddies. I told you the Alvaros and their friends act like they think it’s still all their land! Running their horses on our land, breaking our fences, making illegal campfires. You know how bad a campfire is out here now.”
The sheriff looked up at the boys. “All right, you boys, climb down. Cody, hold those dogs back.”
The boys climbed down as Cody controlled the growling dogs. The sheriff looked closely at the two Investigators.
“I know you two, don’t I? Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews of The Three Investigators! From what Chief Reynolds has told me, you two should know better. Trespassing is a serious matter.”
“We weren’t trespassing, sir,” Bob said quietly. “We were on Alvaro
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