Read Online The Mystery of the Headless Horse by William Arden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: William Arden
Tags: child_det
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Skinny Norris jumped from the ranch wagon.
“There he is!” Cody cried.
“Don’t let him get away!” Skinny called.
The sheriff got out of his car. “I told you two to let me handle this,” he said. “He isn’t going to run away.”
The sheriff still carried the large brown paper bag the boys had seen earlier. He walked slowly up to Pico.
“Pico, I’ve got to ask where you were on the day of the brush fire.”
“Where I was?” Pico frowned. “I was at the fire, as you know. Earlier, I was with Diego at the central school in Rocky Beach.”
“Yes, you were seen then. That was around three p.m. Where before that?”
“Before? On the ranch. What is this about, Sheriff?”
“We found how the brush fire started. Someone built a campfire back on the Norris ranch, well before three p.m. That’s illegal this time of year, and it wasn’t properly put out. The Norris fence was broken — ”
Cody burst out, “And we found tracks of your horses!”
“You went after them and started that fire!” Skinny cried.
Pico’s voice was cold. “If your fence is broken, and our horses stray on to your land, we go to get them. Good neighbours do that. But I and my friends do not build fires illegally!”
The sheriff opened the paper bag and took out a flat, black sombrero banded with silver conchos.
“Do you recognize this hat, Pico?” the sheriff asked.
“Of course,” Pico said, “it is mine. I was afraid it had been burned in the fire. I am glad you — ”
“You mean you hoped it was burned!” Cody snarled.
“I mean, Mr. Cody, what I say. Is that clear?” Pico’s eyes blazed as he faced the burly ranch manager.
“Pico?” the sheriff said. “When did you lose the hat?”
“When?” Pico thought a moment. “At the fire, I suppose. I — ”
“No,” the sheriff said. “You had no hat at the fire. I remember that. So do firemen I’ve asked.”
“Then,” Pico said, “I do not know when I lost it.”
“Pico, this hat was found at the site of the campfire that started the brush fire.”
“Then why isn’t it burned?”
“The brush fire moved away from the campfire in just one direction. This hat was on unburned ground nearby.”
There was a silence. The sheriff sighed.
“I’m going to have to arrest you, Pico.”
Diego cried out, but Pico silenced the boy. He nodded to the sheriff.
“You must do your duty, Sheriff,” Pico said quietly, and walked towards the sheriff’s car. “Tell Don Emiliano at once!” he called back to Diego.
The sheriff turned to Cody and Skinny. “You two have to come and make your statements.”
“You bet we will,” Cody said.
“It’ll be a pleasure,” Skinny added. He laughed at the boys as he followed Cody to their ranch wagon.
Stunned, the Investigators and Diego watched the two cars drive away. There were tears in Diego’s eyes as he turned towards Bob and Pete.
“Pico couldn’t have started that fire!” he cried.
“No, of course not,” said Bob. “I know there’s something wrong with the sheriff’s story, but I can’t think just what. And I know I’ve seen that hat before. But when, and where? Oh, why couldn’t Jupiter have been here!”
The slim Investigator sighed with frustration. “Well, now we have two problems to solve, fellows. We must find the Cortés Sword, and we must free Pico!”
10
New Ideas
Diego rode off to Emiliano Paz’s, and Bob and Pete hurried back to Rocky Beach. The two Investigators tried to call Jupiter for the rest of the day but got no answer at the Jones house. As Jupe had predicted, his great-uncle’s birthday party was keeping him away till late. Finally Bob and Pete gave up and went to bed.
As Bob came down the stairs to breakfast the next morning, his father looked up from the morning newspaper.
“I see that your friend Pico Alvaro has been arrested on suspicion of causing a brush fire,” Mr. Andrews said. “That’s a very serious charge, Bob, and I’m surprised. Alvaro is an
“There he is!” Cody cried.
“Don’t let him get away!” Skinny called.
The sheriff got out of his car. “I told you two to let me handle this,” he said. “He isn’t going to run away.”
The sheriff still carried the large brown paper bag the boys had seen earlier. He walked slowly up to Pico.
“Pico, I’ve got to ask where you were on the day of the brush fire.”
“Where I was?” Pico frowned. “I was at the fire, as you know. Earlier, I was with Diego at the central school in Rocky Beach.”
“Yes, you were seen then. That was around three p.m. Where before that?”
“Before? On the ranch. What is this about, Sheriff?”
“We found how the brush fire started. Someone built a campfire back on the Norris ranch, well before three p.m. That’s illegal this time of year, and it wasn’t properly put out. The Norris fence was broken — ”
Cody burst out, “And we found tracks of your horses!”
“You went after them and started that fire!” Skinny cried.
Pico’s voice was cold. “If your fence is broken, and our horses stray on to your land, we go to get them. Good neighbours do that. But I and my friends do not build fires illegally!”
The sheriff opened the paper bag and took out a flat, black sombrero banded with silver conchos.
“Do you recognize this hat, Pico?” the sheriff asked.
“Of course,” Pico said, “it is mine. I was afraid it had been burned in the fire. I am glad you — ”
“You mean you hoped it was burned!” Cody snarled.
“I mean, Mr. Cody, what I say. Is that clear?” Pico’s eyes blazed as he faced the burly ranch manager.
“Pico?” the sheriff said. “When did you lose the hat?”
“When?” Pico thought a moment. “At the fire, I suppose. I — ”
“No,” the sheriff said. “You had no hat at the fire. I remember that. So do firemen I’ve asked.”
“Then,” Pico said, “I do not know when I lost it.”
“Pico, this hat was found at the site of the campfire that started the brush fire.”
“Then why isn’t it burned?”
“The brush fire moved away from the campfire in just one direction. This hat was on unburned ground nearby.”
There was a silence. The sheriff sighed.
“I’m going to have to arrest you, Pico.”
Diego cried out, but Pico silenced the boy. He nodded to the sheriff.
“You must do your duty, Sheriff,” Pico said quietly, and walked towards the sheriff’s car. “Tell Don Emiliano at once!” he called back to Diego.
The sheriff turned to Cody and Skinny. “You two have to come and make your statements.”
“You bet we will,” Cody said.
“It’ll be a pleasure,” Skinny added. He laughed at the boys as he followed Cody to their ranch wagon.
Stunned, the Investigators and Diego watched the two cars drive away. There were tears in Diego’s eyes as he turned towards Bob and Pete.
“Pico couldn’t have started that fire!” he cried.
“No, of course not,” said Bob. “I know there’s something wrong with the sheriff’s story, but I can’t think just what. And I know I’ve seen that hat before. But when, and where? Oh, why couldn’t Jupiter have been here!”
The slim Investigator sighed with frustration. “Well, now we have two problems to solve, fellows. We must find the Cortés Sword, and we must free Pico!”
10
New Ideas
Diego rode off to Emiliano Paz’s, and Bob and Pete hurried back to Rocky Beach. The two Investigators tried to call Jupiter for the rest of the day but got no answer at the Jones house. As Jupe had predicted, his great-uncle’s birthday party was keeping him away till late. Finally Bob and Pete gave up and went to bed.
As Bob came down the stairs to breakfast the next morning, his father looked up from the morning newspaper.
“I see that your friend Pico Alvaro has been arrested on suspicion of causing a brush fire,” Mr. Andrews said. “That’s a very serious charge, Bob, and I’m surprised. Alvaro is an
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