Part 9 (1/2)
Evans wondered.
”I'll show you,” Bob said. He leaned out the same window he'd climbed in through. ”See?”
Pete and Joshua Evans leaned out.
They saw a series of stones projecting from the outside wall near the window. The stones made footholds and handholds going up from the window to the roof.
”I guess your ancestor had to have a way to reach the roof,” Bob decided.
”Jupe got to the roof on those!” Pete cried, gaping.
Bob smiled. ”The Purple Pirate was coming up, and we had nowhere else to go. I guess you can do a lot more when you're scared. But no one's chasing Jupe now, and he says there's no way he can climb down.”
”Like my cat, Blackboard, in a tree,” Mr. Evans said. ”He can get up, but it takes the fire department to get him down.”
”Maybe we'll have to call the fire department for Jupe,” Pete said, giggling.
”I think a strong rope will do,” Bob decided. ”Do you have a rope in the tower, Mr. Evans?”
”I sure do. I'll get it.”
Evans soon returned with the rope, and Bob and Pete climbed up on to the roof with it. Jupiter stood there in the now bright day looking out at the cove. He seemed to be watching the Black Vulture as it sailed by the small islands on its much postponed first ride of the day. Onboard, a larger than usual group of tourists, increased because of the delay, observed the attack of the two pirates acted by Jeremy and Sam Davis.
”Would you say,” the stout First Investigator said as Bob and Pete came up, ”that someone wearing boots would make a noise walking down wooden stairs?”
”I guess so, Jupe,” Pete said.
”Usually plenty of noise,” Bob added as he uncoiled the rope.
Jupiter nodded. ”And you saw no one go in or out of the front door. Second?”
”Only the cat.”
Pete told them both about the cat coming out just as Mr. Evans appeared. ”You guys must not have closed the door all the way.”
”That explains why our Purple Pirate thought we had escaped through the front door,” Jupiter realized. ”Or, to be more precise, why whoever it was thought he had successfully scared us out of the building through the front door.”
”Lucky for us the cat was in the tower, then,” Bob said.
”Luck,” Jupiter said smugly, ”is simply planning so well that you are ready to take advantage of events.” Then he added, smiling, ”But luck sure helps if you can get it!”
”And speaking about help,” Pete asked, ”you ready to get down from here. First?”
”I,” the leader of the trio said, ”am not climbing back down on that route for midgets and flies. I'm not at all sure how I got up here, but I know that as far as climbing down is concerned, I am ready to live up here permanently. You may ask Aunt Mathilda and Uncle t.i.tus to send up some food and my bed!”
”We could send for a helicopter,” Bob said, ”but I think a good rope will do.”
”Rope?” Jupiter cried. ”Do I look like Tarzan?”
”We just tie the rope around you,” Bob explained, ”and then you climb down while we hold the rope secure so you can't fall.”
Jupiter looked at the rope, then looked over the side of the high tower. He shuddered. ”Well, I suppose it's the only way short of living up here forever. Tie on your rope.”
Bob and Pete tied the rope firmly around Jupiter's waist and then held it securely, their feet braced against the low parapet of the roof. Jupiter knelt on the parapet, facing them. Taking a deep breath, he gingerly lowered his legs over the side and groped his way down with the small foot and handholds. Moments later he was helped through the window below by Joshua Evans, and Bob and Pete swarmed down behind him. Once inside, they all hurried down to the first floor.
”You think that Purple Pirate just wanted to scare us out of the tower, Jupe?” Bob said.
”I'm convinced of it, Records.”
Joshua Evans said, ”Any idea who it was, Jupiter?”
”Well, sir, it wasn't Major Karnes - he's much too short. And his helper, Hubert, is much too big. I considered you a strong possibility - you're the right size - but you were out there with Pete.”
”Lucky for me,” Evans said with a laugh.
”It certainly rules you you out,” Jupiter agreed somewhat humourlessly, ”along with Karnes and Hubert. But the pirate could be almost anyone else - it's very hard to tell a person's actual size and build in that costume.” out,” Jupiter agreed somewhat humourlessly, ”along with Karnes and Hubert. But the pirate could be almost anyone else - it's very hard to tell a person's actual size and build in that costume.”
”And you're sure he only wanted to scare you away,” Evans continued. ”Why?”
”To search the tower for something he thinks is hidden in it somewhere.”
”Hidden, Jupe?” Bob said. ”I thought you were sure Karnes and his gang were digging for treasure or something.”
”I'm convinced whatever they are after is not buried but simply hidden.”
”Gosh, Jupe,” Pete exclaimed, ”then why are they digging?”
”I think,” Jupiter said, ”that if we all go down into the cellar again, I can tell you exactly why Major Karnes is digging, and where!”
Chapter 17.
A Surprising Discovery THEIR FOOTSTEPS ON the wooden stairs echoed loudly through the low, enclosed s.p.a.ce of the dimly lit cellar.
”Records,” Jupiter said, ”do you remember when we first heard the Purple Pirate down here?”
”Sure. We were back there in that storeroom. He growled right behind us, and we turned and saw him.”
”Exactly.” Jupiter nodded. ”So the very first sound we heard was his growl behind us in the storeroom. But we all just heard what a clatter we made coming down those wooden cellar stairs. Why didn't we hear the Purple Pirate in his heavy boots?”
”Maybe he tiptoed real quietly,” Bob said.
”It would be hard - those stairs are very loose and creaky,” Jupiter said. ”But I have another question. For you this time, Pete. Why didn't you warn us when the Purple Pirate came into the tower?”
”Because I didn't see him go into the tower.”
”Exactly again,” Jupiter said maddeningly. ”So you saw no one enter the tower.