The Banner Boy Scouts Mystery

oun

reets of the town freely, God knows what damage he might eventually do and what crimes he might have up his sleeve. He might lead away another child, he might comm

tell my mother that I am having supper at your house tonight. Bu

dea. But suppose

oo difficult for two people to be hiding t

hough. Don’t get into any trouble.

he boys laughed at that. “I can take

7

t I want you to come bac

ng happens, I won’t come

had the opportunity to look the neighborhood over. It was a poor and deserted neighborhood, not far from the edge of the town. The first building

ack walked up and down the block twice. There were some women on several of the porches and a number of children played on the empty lots. He decided to take up a position

of him. Then he walked up Main Street and back again. It seemed to him[75] that the day would never end. He crossed the street to the empty lot and walked to th

nd the ground hard to sit on. Staring vaguely at the house on the corner, at the few people that passed up and down, many thoughts came to his mind. The uppermost thought in his mind w

versity. What was college life like, he wondered. There were sports, of course. Ken would make a swell swimmer and Paul would most likely join the football squad. As for himself, he would try basketball. Then there were the

vidual had just then emerged from the door of the corner house. Bending low, he ran to the corner and caught sight of the retreating back of his man. A cold chill ran down his spine. He was certain of his ma

eating his gestures of the day before, the man suddenly stopped and very slowly turned around on his heel. Jack had just enough time to dash behind a fence. The man entered the yard and then walked behind the house. Jack ran up and hid himself behind a tree[77] almost directly across from the house. Looking closely, he noticed that the house appeared to be unoccupied. There were no lights in the windows an

he moved to see if there was a back door; he found it on the other side of the house. Putting his hand on the knob, he turned it and pushed, but the door wouldn’t open; it was locked. He moved toward the front

cold and he could almost feel his hair standing[78] on end. “So!” the man grunted under his breath. “What are you doing, following me, eh?” Jack cowered before the great height towering over hi

d and couldn’t talk. Eventually he mut

ou have been following me for two w

e wondered. Would he attack him. He was on guard against an attack. “Why

other. “You lie! You do

t might get him out of his predicament, he thought. “I am sorry, Mister,” he said, “but

w let me see,” he mumbled to himself. “What is your name?” He mused,

ished he had never known about this thing, had never followed this man and had neve

snapped back. “Ba

ntradicted Jack. “M

e Jack Barrows. And I demand to

ollowing you. Y

here?” The man’s voice no

unhappy Jack. “I once used to live here,” h

sed to li

s foot out; his victim tripped and stretched himself out on the ground. Without waiting or looking back, Jack was off. He jumped[80] the fence and dashed down the street. Rounding the corner, he stop

use. Taking shelter, Jack looked across. A wave of pity swept through him at the scene he saw. On the very same spot, almost where he fell, the

pened to him to cause him to become what he was. Jack asked himself all those questions

round any more but to go home. On the way he remembered that he had promised Paul that he would come over and tell him if anything