Part 3 (1/2)
”This visit,” he said, ”is just to get a first impression. But if we see anything unusual, I'll take a flash-bulb picture of it. If we hear any sounds, you, Pete, capture them on your tape recorder.”
”If I have to use this tape recorder,” Pete said, as Worthington turned into a narrow road with steep hills on both sides, ”all you'll hear will be the sound of chattering teeth.”
”You, Bob,” Jupiter continued, ”will wait in the car for our return.”
”That's the kind of job I like,” Bob said. ”Golly, but it's dark along here.”
They were still climbing up a narrow, winding road, without a house in sight anywhere.
”Whoever named it Black Canyon knew what he was doing,” Pete said.
”We seem to have reached an obstruction,” Jupiter observed.
A ma.s.s of rocks and gravel blocked the road. The hills in that section of California, though sometimes covered thickly with mesquite and other bushes, had very little gra.s.s on them. So it was easy for rocks to roll down on to the road. Here, a rock slide seemed to have knocked down some crossbars which might have been put up once, long before, to bar pa.s.sage.
Worthington pulled the car off to one side.
”I fear we can proceed no farther,” he reported. ”But it is my impression from the map that the canyon should not extend more than a few hundred yards round that turn ahead.”
”Thank you, Worthington. Come on, Pete, we will walk the rest of the way.”
They climbed out.
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”We'll be back in an hour!” Jupiter called to Worthington, who was maneuvering the car to turn it round.
”Golly,” Pete Crenshaw said, an apprehensive note in his voice, ”that place looks scary.”
Jupiter, crouched beside him in the darkness, said nothing. He was intently surveying the scene ahead. At the far end of the dark, narrow canyon the two boys could just make out the faint outlines of a fantastic structure. Against the starlit sky a round, peaked tower stood out clearly. But with the exception of the tower, Terror Castle was almost invisible. Placed as it was, at the head of the narrow, rock-strewn canyon and built high against one wall, the castle-like building was enveloped in murky shadow.
”I think we ought to come by daylight,” Pete suddenly suggested. ”So we can find our way around.”
Jupiter shook his head.
”Nothing ever happens here in the daytime,” he said. ”It's only at night that this place scares people out of their wits.”
”You're forgetting those men from the bank,” Pete argued. ”And besides, I don't want to be scared out of my wits. I'm half- way there already.”
”So am I,” Jupiter admitted. ”I feel as if I had swallowed some b.u.t.terflies.”
”Then let's go back,” Pete exclaimed with great relief. ”We've done enough for one night. We ought to go back to Headquarters and make some more plans.”
”I've already made my plans,” his stocky companion said, and stood up.
”My plans are to stay in Terror Castle for one hour tonight.”
He started up the road, using a torch to pick his way round the rocks that had tumbled down from the steep canyon walls on to the cracked concrete. After a moment Pete hurried after him.
”If I'd known it was going to be like this,” he complained, ”I'd never have become an investigator.”
”You'll feel better after we solve the mystery,” Jupiter told him. ”Think of what a wonderful start it will give our investigation firm.”
”But suppose we meet the ghost? Or the Blue Phantom, or the mad spook, or whatever it is that haunts this place?”
The two boys peered through the murky darkness at the fantastic structure.
”That's exactly what I want.” Jupiter slapped the compact flash camera which hung from his shoulder. ”If we can get its picture, we'll be famous.”
”Suppose it gets us?” Pete retorted.
”S-s-s.h.!.+” his stocky friend said, stopping and snapping off his torch, Pete froze into silence and the darkness closed round them.
Somebody or something something was coming down the hillside directly towards them. was coming down the hillside directly towards them.
Pete crouched down. Beside him Jupe was swiftly getting his camera ready.
The noise, a pattering of rock displaced by moving feet, was almost on them when Jupe's flash-bulb lit up the night. In the sudden radiance of the flash, Pete saw two huge red eyes leaping directly at him. Then something furry scurried past, struck the concrete road and went bounding away. In its wake several small rocks rolled down and came to rest at the boys' feet.
”A jack rabbit!” Jupiter said. He sounded disappointed. ”We frightened it!”
”We frightened it it!” Pete exclaimed. ”What do you think it did to me me?”
”The natural effect of mysterious sound and movement at night upon a susceptible nervous system,” Jupiter said. ”Forward!” He grabbed Pete's arm and pulled him along. ”We don't have to move quietly now the flash-bulb will have alerted the Phantom, if there is a Phantom.”
”Can we sing?” Peter asked, reluctantly falling into step beside him. ”If we sing 'Row, row, row your boat' loudly enough, we won't hear the spook moan and groan.”
”There's no need to go to extremes,” the other boy said firmly. ”We want to hear any moans and groans also any screams, sighs, screeches or rattling of chains, all of which are supposed to be common manifestations of a supernatural presence.”
Pete suppressed the impulse to tell his partner that he had no desire whatever to hear any moans, groans, screams, screeches, sighs or rattling chains. He knew there was no point in it. When Jupiter made up his mind, he made up his mind. He was about as easy to move as a large rock.
As they moved forward the rambling old building loomed larger, gloomier, and altogether less desirable. Pete tried hard to forget all the stories Bob had told them about the old place.
After a last stretch along a high, crumbling stone wall, the boys entered the courtyard of Terror Castle.
”Here we are,” Jupiter said, and stopped.
One tower stretched skyward far above them. Another, shorter tower seemed to scowl down at them. Blank windows were like blind eyes reflecting the starlight.
Suddenly something flew around their heads. Pete ducked.
”Wow,” he yelled. ”A bat!”
”Bats only eat insects,” Jupiter reminded him. ”They never eat people.”
”Maybe this one wants a change of diet. Why take chances?”