Part 13 (1/2)

”Worthington!” he shouted. ”They're big as pigeons! They're giant vampire bats!”

”I think not, Master Andrews,” Worthington said as his light finally came on again. He aimed its beam upward, and they could see dozens of things with wings flying around them. But the things were birds, not bats. As soon as they saw the light, they flew towards it, squeaking and screeching in their excitement.

Worthington snapped off the lantern.

”The light attracts them,” he shouted to Bob. ”We'll make our way back in the darkness. Here, give me your hand.”

Bob grasped Worthington's hand, and the Englishman led the way back, groping along the rough wall. The birds seemed to disappear. At least in the darkness they quietened down again, so that the two investigators got to the door and back into the cellar of Terror Castle without any more interference. They closed the door to keep out the birds.

”I don't think the lads were taken through that tunnel,” Worthington remarked.

”Their captors would have had to put them down to open the hidden door. Then Master Jones would have had a chance to leave a mark. And there is no mark here.”

There was no mark. But suddenly a voice started yelling. And there was no mistaking whose voice it was. Jupiter was calling for help. A moment later Pete joined in.

Their voices were coming from behind Bob and Worthington, and were very m.u.f.fled. The tall chauffeur hurried back up the dark corridor, and found a closed door he had missed while chasing after the vanis.h.i.+ng woman. Inside was a real dungeon cell with iron ring-bolts on the wall. And there were Pete and Jupiter, tied up like Christmas packages. They didn't seem any too happy to be rescued, either. In fact they were annoyed that their yelling hadn't been heard sooner.

As he cut them loose, Worthington explained that in chasing after the mysterious woman and hammering on the hidden tunnel door, he had made too much noise to hear their shouting.

”We must get out of here at once and fetch the authorities,” the English chauffeur said, while Jupiter and Pete were dusting themselves off. ”These people are dangerous. They left you here to die.”

But Jupiter wasn't paying much attention. He had p.r.i.c.ked up his ears when Bob mentioned being attacked by birds in the tunnel.

”What kind of birds were they?” he asked.

”What kind of birds?” Bob yelled belligerently. ”I didn't stop to ask them. They acted like small eagles, the way they came after us.”

”Actually they were harmless,” Worthington said. ”They were merely attracted by the light. They seemed to be parakeets, Master Jones.”

”Parakeets!” The First Investigator acted as if he had been stung by a hornet.

”Come on, follow me! We must act fast!”

And getting the torch loose from his belt, he dashed out.

”What bit him him?” Pete asked as Bob handed him his torch.

”A clue, I guess,” Bob answered. ”Anyway we can't let him go alone.”

”Definitely not,” Worthington agreed. ”We must follow him, lads.”

They raced after Jupiter, who was already fifty yards ahead of them, despite his taped ankle. Pete out-distanced Worthington, who paused to a.s.sist Bob. As the latter two ducked into the tunnel, they could see the others' lights bobbing along ahead of them going up, then down, then round a corner of the natural rock tunnel. They made the best time they could, ignoring the frightened parakeets that fluttered round them. In some spots Worthington had to duck low to squeeze through. Finally they came to a straight section of tunnel, and saw the bobbing lights ahead come to a halt.

They hurried along the final stretch and found a wooden door wide open. Stepping through it, they joined Jupiter and Pete in a big wire cage, surrounded by fluttering parakeets screeching in fright.

”We're inside the big cage where Mr. Rex raises his parakeets!” Jupiter yelled to them. ”The end of Black Canyon must lie exactly parallel to the end of Winding Valley Road, with only a few hundred feet of rocky ridge separating them. I never thought of that possibility they start so many miles apart on opposite sides of the mountain.”

Jupiter pushed hard on the wire door that closed the cage, and it burst open. All four squeezed out and found themselves just a few feet away from Mr. Rex's little bungalow. Through the window they could see Mr. Rex and a small man with bushy hair playing cards, as if they didn't have a care in the world.

”We'll surprise them,” Jupiter whispered. ”Extinguish all lights.”

They did, and followed him silently round to the front door. He pressed the doorbell. In a moment the door opened. Mr. Rex stood in the doorway, glowering at them. For the first time Bob had an opportunity to see at firsthand how sinister he looked, with his bald head and the awful scar on his throat.

”Well, what is it?” Rex whispered in a menacing way.

”We'd like to talk to you, Mr. Rex,” Jupiter said.

”And supposing I do not wish to be bothered, boy?”

”In that case” it was Worthington speaking up ”we shall have to call the authorities to investigate.”

Mr. Rex looked alarmed. ”No need for that!” he whispered. ”Come in, come in.”

All four followed him into the room where the other man sat at the card table. He was a very small man, scarcely more than five feet tall.

”This is my old friend, Charles Grant,” Rex said. ”Charlie, these are the boys who have been investigating Terror Castle. Well, boys, have you found the ghosts yet?”

”Yes,” Jupiter said boldly. ”We have solved the secret of the castle.” He sounded so convinced that he startled both Pete and Bob. If they had solved anything, n.o.body had told them about it.

”Indeed?” The Whisperer said. ”And what is the secret?”

”You two men,” Jupiter said, ”are the ghosts who have been haunting the castle and scaring people away. And just a few minutes ago you tied up Pete Crenshaw and me and left us in the dungeon under the castle.”

The Whisperer scowled at him so hard that Worthington tightened his grip on the hammer.

”That's a very serious accusation, boy,” Rex whispered. ”And I'll wager you can't prove it.”

Which was what Pete was thinking, too. Had Jupe gone off the rails? They had been tied up by an Englishwoman and an old gipsy.

”Look at the tips of your shoes,” Jupiter said. ”I marked them with our secret mark while you were standing beside me, tying me up.”

The two men looked down at their shoes. So did the others.

On the polished black leather of each right toe was chalked the trade-mark of The Three investigators a question mark.

Chapter 18.

Interview with a Ghost BOTH MEN looked startled, as did Pete, Bob and Worthington.

”But ” Pete started to say.

”They were just wearing women's clothes and wigs,” Jupiter said. ”I realised that when I felt their shoes and discovered they were wearing men's shoes. Then I understood that all five of the gang who captured us were really just two men in different costumes.

”You mean the two Arabs and the Oriental and the two women they were all Mr.

Rex and Mr. Grant?” Pete demanded, dumbfounded.