Produced by Giovanni Fini, Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net TRANSCRIBERâS NOTE: âObvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. BANNER BOY SCOUTS MYSTERY THE BANNER BOY SCOUTS MYSTERY _By_ GEORGE A. WARREN THE WORLD SYNDICATE PUBLISHING COMPANY CLEVELAND NEW YORK _Published 1937 by The World Syndicate Publishing Co._ [Illustration: LOGO] _Printed in the United States of America_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I LOST 9 II FIRE! 23 III PAUL LOOKS INTO THE MATTER 28 IV DETECTIVES 36 V A SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUAL 44 VI THE SPY 53 VII THE ROBBERY 66 VIII ENCOUNTER 73 IX WHO IS MR. GREY? 81 X STUMPED! 90 XI A HUNCH 97 XII A BUMP ON THE HEAD 105 XIII DISCOVERY 113 XIV A NEW TURN OF EVENTS 122 XV FOLLOWING UP THEIR CLUES 131 XVI PAUL GETS INTO TROUBLE 138 XVII PARENTAL ADMONITIONS 149 XVIII FALSE ALARM! 156 XIX CAPTURED! 163 XX ESCAPE! 172 XXI CONVINCING THE POLICE 178 XXII MR. GREY 191 XXIII PAUL HELPS OUT 197 XXIV BATTLE 204 XXV INTO THE LAKE 210 XXVI TROUBLE AT HOME 218 XXVII MYSTERY OF THE WHITE CARD 229 XXVIII AGAIN THE WHITE CARD 237 XXIX MYSTERY SOLVED 243 BANNER BOY SCOUTS MYSTERY CHAPTER I LOST âKen! Ken Armstrong! Dinner is ready.â âIâm coming, Mother,â he called from his room upstairs. Hurriedly he finished brushing his hair and raced downstairs to the dining room. His father was already at the table and waiting for the children to take their places. Mrs. Armstrong in the meanwhile was adding the finishing touches in setting the table. âBefore you sit down, Ken,â his mother told him, âwill you please go out and call Betty. She must be outside somewhere playing.â âYes, Mother.â Ken obeyed and went outside to look for his younger sister, who was five years old. It was a day in the latter part of August, warm, clear. Stepping out on the porch, he called out, âBetty! Betty!â There was no answer. Ken looked in the yard, then in the garage where she sometimes climbed into the back of the car and amused herself playing with her doll. But she was not there either. Ken walked across the street and rang the Smithsâ doorbell. Mrs. Smith herself answered and Ken asked, âIs Betty here, Mrs. Smith?â She shook her head. âNo,â she answered. âShe was playing with my little Helen until about an hour ago, when she left.â âThank you,â Ken said and walked away. On the sidewalk, he paused to think of all the places where she might be. Ken walked further down the street and stopped at the Morrison home. Paul answered the doorbell. âHello, Ken,â he called. âHello, Paul. Is Betty here playing with your little brother?â âWhy, no, Ken. Pete has been at the park all day and has just returned.â âThatâs strange,â muttered Ken. âWhatâs strange?â âI canât seem to find her.â âOh, youâll find her,â Paul assured his friend. âShe may be playing with little Karliner across the street.â âThatâs right. I didnât think of it. Thanks, Paul.â âSo long, Ken. Donât forget the meeting tonight.â âI wonât,â Ken called back over his shoulder. He went across the street to the Karliner home and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Karliner opened the door. âIs Betty here?â he asked. âNo,â answered the youthful woman. âBetty and Karl had a childish quarrel this morning and they quit playing together.â âUntil tomorrow,â remarked Ken, laughing. âYes, no matter how much they quarrel the children always come together again,â she said, also laughing. âAnd it is a good thing they do,â added the boy. âYes. And in that respect, grown ups would do well to take after children.â âYou are right, Mrs. Karliner.â Ken edged away from the doorway. âYou will excuse me, but I have to find Betty.â The woman smiled and closed the door. Ken walked back toward his own house. He was puzzled and couldnât think where else his younger sister might be. Usually she was somewhere in the neighborhood. If she wasnât in her own yard, she could always be found either at the Morrisons, the Smiths or the Karliners. But today she wasnât at any one of those places. As he entered his own yard, Ken thought of one other place where she might be. Around the corner was a small park where Mrs. Armstrong very often took the child to play. Perhaps she had gone there with some other child. Ken thought he better run over there in a hurry before his mother became worried. However, there were only a few children there because it was dinner time. And no Betty. He walked through the playground twice. No sign of his sister. For the first time, Ken became anxious. Of course, she was not lost, he thought to himself. But where could she be? Slowly he walked home without coming to any definite opinion. Stepping onto the porch noiselessly, he hesitated to enter the house. If he told his mother he could not find Betty, she might become frightened. He conceived another idea. Walking around to the side of the house, he peeked through the window into the dining room. Seeing that his mother was not there, he knocked on the window and motioned for his father to come outside. Mr. Armstrong came out onto the porch. âWhatâs the trouble, Ken?â he asked. The boy tried hard not to look anxious. âDad, I canât seem to find Betty,â he whispered. Mr. Armstrong was a tall, heavy set man. He tugged at his close cropped mustache and muttered, âYou canât seem to find her, eh? Did you look everywhere?â âI did.â âAt the Morrisons?â âYes. I was also at the Smiths, the Karliners and at the park, Dad. She was not at any one of those places.â âHmm!â mused Mr. Armstrong. âShe must be somewhere around, Ken. Let us first search the yard thoroughly.â Together they looked over the yard and then the garage. But the child was not there. Finally they stopped their search. âYou say that you were to the park, at the Morrisons, the Smiths, the Karliners?â asked Mr. Armstrong. âYes, Dad.â âCan you think of anywhere else she might be? Do you know of any other child she occasionally plays with?â Just then Mrs. Armstrong came out onto the porch and called, âKen, John, what are you doing out here when you are supposed to be at the dinner table? And where is Betty?â Mr. Armstrong walked slowly over to his wife and said, âNow, Edna, donât you become upset. It seems that Betty is nowhere where she usually plays. Do you know of any other child she sometimes plays with and with whom she might be now?â Mrs. Armstrong became very pale. âWere you to the Karliners, Ken?â she queried anxiously. âYes, mother.â âNow donât you become alarmed, Edna. The child is somewhere around. But she may have walked off alone somewhere or she might be playing at some house.â âWere you to the Johnsons?â Mrs. Armstrong asked. Ken shook his head. âThen run over and see. And if she is not there, stop in at the McKinlys.â Ken was off at a run. The Johnson home was at the end of the street. Junior himself opened the door and Ken bent down to question the child. âIs Betty here?â he asked. The little boy shook his head and muttered, âNah.â Mrs. Johnson came to the door and he asked her the same question. âWhy, no,â she replied. âShe never comes. I would like very much for her to come and play with Junior, but she never does. I guess it is a little too far away for her.â Ken was anxious to be off. âYes, I guess so,â he answered. âExcuse me.â And he was off. The McKinly home was across the street. But she was not there either. Ken walked away deeply concerned. Returning home he found his parents awaiting him, their faces drawn and worried. At the news that the child was neither at the Johnsons nor the McKinlys, Mrs. Armstrong clenched her fingers. Her husband stood up. âShe must have walked off somewhere,â he said. âIâll notify the police and have them search for her.â âWait a minute, Dad,â cried Ken. âPerhaps she is in her room.â Without losing a second, he dashed up the stairs. A minute later he was coming down slowly. By the expression on his face the parents could tell that she was not in her room. Mr. Armstrong walked to the foyer where the telephone was and they could hear him calling the police and giving a detailed description of the child. She was five years old, blonde hair and blue eyes, weighed between forty-five and fifty pounds and was about twenty-six or twenty-seven inches tall. His task completed, he returned to the dining room. He put an arm around his wifeâs shoulder and said, âNow, donât worry, Edna. The child most likely has walked off by herself and she will be found. You will have her again in half an hour.â Ken jumped out of his chair and dashed out of the house. He ran over to the Morrison home and called Paul. Drawing his friend aside, he whispered, âPaul, call the troop together. We cannot find Betty and we have to make a search for her.â âThatâs too bad,â replied Paul. âIâm sure no harm has come to her and we will find her.â The two boys walked off to call the boys together. Some of the Boy Scouts lived in the immediate neighborhood while the others were reached by telephone. Practically every one of them knew Betty by sight, but just to make sure a description of her was passed around. Within ten minutes the entire Stanhope Troop No. 1 was out on the streets and searching for the child. In the meanwhile the police had also sent out an alarm and were combing the town to find Betty. The news had spread and many townspeople had joined in the search. For the next half hour every nook and corner of the town was ransacked. Many a little girl was stopped and asked if her name was Betty Armstrong. But always it was a shake of the head and the word no. Suddenly the news spread that the search was off and that the child was safely home. Ken, who was with Paul, sprinted home. The two boys burst into the house and found Betty sitting very calmly at the table having her dinner. Quite innocently she shook a finger a her big brother and scolded him. âYouâre late,â she told him. âMama is angry if you come late for dinner.â The two boys, hot and out of breath as they were, couldnât resist laughing at the innocent humor of the child. âWhere were you?â Ken demanded. Just then Mr. Armstrong came in. Seeing his missing child at the table, he sighed with relief. Mrs. Armstrong came in from the kitchen and said, âYou men better have your dinner right away, before it gets spoiled.â Paul moved away, saying, âI will wait for you upstairs, Ken, in your room.â âJack is also upstairs,â mentioned Mrs. Armstrong. âHe found the child and brought her home.â Paul walked upstairs while Mr. Armstrong turned to his wife and asked, âWhere did he find her?â âOn Leonard Street.â âSo far away!â exclaimed Ken. âLeonard Street is at the edge of the town.â âYes.â âWhat was she doing there?â asked Mr. Armstrong. âWho knows?â his wife exclaimed. Ken turned to his younger sister. âWhat were you doing so far away from home?â he demanded. âDonât bother the child now,â asserted his mother. âLet us eat now. You can ask her all the questions you want later or tomorrow.â âYes, Mother.â The family settled down to their meal and for the present tried to forget the anxiety and worry the child had caused them. As soon as he could get away from the table, Ken did so and raced upstairs. Dashing into his room, he called out, âHello, Jack.â âHello, Ken. I hear Betty gave you a bad scare.â âAnd how!â added Paul. âThe only ones we did not have searching for her were the marines, and only because there are none in Stanhope.â âYes, that is just what I want to ask you about, Jack. How did you come to find her?â asked Ken. âI was out that way visiting Bud Menninger. You know him, donât you, Ken?â âYes, he is the fellow who wants to join our troop, isnât he?â âThatâs right,â answered Jack. âWell, I was riding home on my bicycle when I happened to notice Betty walking along, all by herself. I was so surprised, I wouldnât believe my eyes at first. I couldnât imagine what she would be doing so far away from home. At any rate, I jumped off my bike and approached her and then I saw that it was really her. She was sucking a large peppermint stick.â âSucking a peppermint stick!â exclaimed Ken. âWho gave it to her?â âThat is just the point. I asked her and she replied that a man gave it to her.â âA man!ââ Paul interrupted. âDonât interrupt, Ken,â he said. âListen to the rest of the story. It is mighty interesting.â âAll right, I wonât interrupt. Go on.â âWell, I questioned her a little more,â continued Jack, âand she told me that she was walking home from the Smiths when a man stopped her and asked if she wanted some candy. Like a child, she couldnât refuse. So he took her by the hand and he bought her that peppermint stick she was sucking.â âThen what?â Ken asked eagerly. âFrom further questioning, it seems that after he bought her the candy, they just kept on walking. I looked her over closely and saw that she was not all frightened or hurt in any way. So it seems that the man who took her walking, did not harm her in the least.â âBut how come he left her at the edge of the town all by herself. A man must be crazy to do a thing like that.â âNow that is a clue,â spoke up Paul. âAn ordinary man would not do a thing like that.â âClue!â exclaimed Ken, surprised. âWhat sort of clue? What are you talking about?â âLet me finish,â urged Jack. âAs I was talking to her, I noticed that she kept one hand behind her back. I asked her why and she just shrugged her shoulders. I looked and I saw that she was clutching a card in her little fist. I asked where she got it and she told me that the man gave it to her before he left her. I asked her to give it to me and she did. Here it is.â Jack held up the white card, three inches by two inches. The boys huddled together, examining it. âWhy, it is just a plain, blank, white card!â exclaimed Ken. âThatâs right. But what is the meaning of it?â asked Jack. There was no answer. The three boys were mystified. The whole story sounded very odd and the card made it all the more perplexing. âFrom all the evidence at hand,â remarked Paul, âI am convinced that there must be something wrong with the man who walked off with the child.â âBut thatâs just it,â exploded Ken. âIf there is something wrong with the man, he must be found out and put away into an asylum. He canât be permitted to roam the streets and walk away with children.â âAnd if Paulâs suggestions are correct,â added Jack, âGod knows what other tricks he might be up to and what damage he may be doing.â âNow letâs think this out calmly and logically,â said Paul. âFirst did you ask Betty to describe the man?â âI did,â replied Jack. âBut all she would say was that he was tall and very kind to her.â âThere are many tall men in town. That is no clue,â said Ken. Paul rose. âWe certainly have to look into the matter and see what we can do.â âWhat can we do?â asked Ken. âAs far as I know there are no crazy people in Stanhope and only a lunatic would do a thing like that.â âWe have about an hour before the meeting,â suggested Jack. âSuppose we go down to Leonard Street and look around.â Just then Mr. Armstrong came in. âHello, Jack,â he greeted. âHello, Mr. Armstrong.â He saw that the boys seemed to be on the verge of leaving and he said, âI hope I am not keeping you boys from going on your way.â âWell, we were preparing to leave, butââ that from Ken. âI merely want to ask Jack about his finding Betty.â Jack repeated his story, leaving out the part about the white card. For a while there was silence. Mr. Armstrong mused. Finally he said, âIt must have been some man who knows the family and bought her some candy.â âBut why should he leave her at the end of the town to walk back alone,â demanded Ken. Mr. Armstrong shrugged his shoulders wearily. âI canât understand that myself,â he said. âBut the fact remains that the child was not harmed. Which leads us to the conclusion that the man must have been a friend.â The boys had no desire to argue with the older man and so they left it at that. In the street, Ken asked, âWhy did you leave out that part about the white card, Jack?â âI didnât think it mattered,â was the answer. âI figured that if I told him about it, he would give it over to the police, and then it would get into the newspapers and then everybody would know about it. And the guilty man, even if he is crazy, would know better than to do anything to give himself away. As it is, nobody knows, except the three of us, and by a little quiet work we may track the culprit down.â âI think you did right,â spoke up Paul. âThat is to be seen,â added Ken skeptically. The boys walked down to Leonard Street and Jack pointed out the exact spot where he came upon Betty. The neighborhood was one occupied mostly by the poorer people of the town. Of course, there was nothing to be found in the way of clues. They walked all around the neighborhood and noticed the various shacks and empty lots but did not come across any man that was tall and kindly looking. At last they decided to give up the search and go to a meeting of their boy scout troop, the Red Fox Patrol. All the other boysâNuthinâ, The Carberry twins, William and Wallace, Bobolink, Bluffâwere already there when the three arrived. Pressed for information, Jack for the third time re-told his story. CHAPTER II FIRE! Several days passed and although the boys had not forgotten the incident, they did nothing to look for the culprit. The only evidence they had was the white card and the information that the man was tall. It was about five-thirty and the boys were coming from the baseball field. Paul and William, walking ahead, turned into Water Street, and the rest of the boys followed them. At about the middle of the street, they suddenly heard the weird cry, âFire! Help! Fire!â The boys stopped in their tracks and looked around to find where the cry was coming from. Paul began to run and the boys followed him. They came upon a two story frame house. Dense clouds of smoke came billowing out of the doorway. Paul turned to the one nearest him, who happened to be William, and ordered, âCall the Fire Department! Hurry!â William set off at a run. Paul, followed by the other boys, ran to the back of the house. He cried, âA couple of you try to find buckets and water. The others stick around and form a water brigade until the firemen come.â Pushing open the back door, he dashed into the house. He noticed that the smoke was dense at the front door. Just as he turned to run up the stairs, tongues of flames shot out of the smoke. The thought came to him that the fire had started at the front door. But how? Why? At the front door, of all places. He raced upstairs and threw open the first door that he came upon. No one there. He dashed for the next room. An old man and woman, in their late seventies, if not older, were rushing back and forth, picking up things and dropping them. They were so bewildered, they did not know what to do. As Paul dashed in, they rushed at him and clung to his arms. They were absolutely speechless; they did nothing but tremble. Paul shook them off and rushed to the window, threw it open and cried to the boys below, âGet a ladder! Get a ladder!â He looked for the firemen but they had not yet arrived. Every second seemed to him an hour. He saw the boys scatter in a frantic search for a ladder. The five minutes that elapsed to procure a ladder seemed like an age. At last Bobolink came running up with a ladder and he placed it under the window. But it was too short, and Paul cried, âGet something to stand it on. A box. Anything.â Bobolink scurried to find something upon which to stand the ladder. A minute later he returned with a soap box. The ladder was stood on the box and several of the boys supported it. Paul helped the old woman through the window onto the ladder. âOne of you boys climb up and help her down.â He saw the boys hesitate. Evidently they thought that the ladder would not hold. In the meanwhile, the woman, trembling and bewildered, almost fell from the ladder. Bluff raced up and directed the womanâs legs, rung by rung. The old woman at last descended and collapsed in Kenâs arms. Paul turned to the old man. âIs there anybody else in the house?â he asked briskly. The old man nodded his head vigorously. âDownstairs,â his trembling lips mumbled. âA baby in a crib.â âWhich room?â The old manâs teeth chattered so violently that he could not speak. Again Paul demanded to know which room the child was in but the old man could not talk. He almost hurled the man through the window as he helped him to gain a footing on the ladder. Without waiting another instant, Paul dashed out of the room and down the stairs which by now were crackling with flames. The last couple of steps were so badly burned that he had to jump. He scurried about wildly and at last found what he was searching forâa pail of water. Dipping his handkerchief into it, he clasped the wet rag over his mouth and nostrils. Layers of heavy smoke whirled all about him. He walked along the wall and listened carefully. An infantâs wailing came to his ears and he searched frantically for the door. Finding it at last, he threw it open and stepped in quickly. He brought in with him a dense cloud of smoke. He moved blindly about the room, directed only by the cries of the infant. He stumbled against the crib and clasped the child to him. Smoke entered his lungs and he began to cough. He felt choked and was sure he was going to collapse before he managed to get out. He heard a shattering crash. Someone had broken the window and he ran to it. He felt someone take the child from him and direct him to the broken window. Someone lifted him almost bodily through the window and the next moment he fainted. About fifteen or twenty minutes after the alarm had been sent in, the Volunteer Fire Brigade came clanging down the street. Immediately they pulled out the hose and set to work. Captain Bob was there. It was he who had helped Paul through the window. About a minute after Paul had been taken out of the house, there was a terrible shattering and crackling. From all sides of the house streaks of flame spurted forth, until the whole building was enveloped in a sheet of flame. Paul came to and opened his eyes to find his father bending over him. âAre you all right, fellow?â Dr. Morrison asked. Paul sat up and blinked his eyes. He nodded. âIâm all right, Dad. What are you doing here?â âJust happened to come along.â His father helped him to his feet and he found the boys crowding around him. âHow do you feel?â asked William. Paul nodded. Ken remarked, âSome fire eater you are.â He smiled and turned to watch the firemen fighting the blazing structure. âWhat happened to the old couple?â he asked. âThey are all right,â answered Nuthinâ. âThey wouldnât have been, though, if it hadnât been for you.â Bobolink added, âThe child would surely have perished if not for you, Paul.â Just then a policeman came and pushed them all back. Some moments later the front door fell in with a shattering thud. The firemen poured gallons of water into the blaze but it did not seem to help. The fire ate through the wooden house and ten minutes later one of the walls collapsed. A groan rose up from the watching crowd and some turned their heads away. As the wall collapsed tongues of flame and dense smoke came shooting out. Some of the firemen retreated and then returned to continue their struggle with the blaze. Another wall caved in and eventually the roof of the house came crashing down. Captain Bob realized that further effort was futile and he ordered his firemen to just stand around and let the fire burn itself out. Soon the house was a heap of ashes and smoldering pieces of wood. The firemen left and the crowd dispersed. CHAPTER III PAUL LOOKS INTO THE MATTER Jack was sitting on the Morrison porch. It was about eight oâclock in the evening of the same day. Ken came walking up through the yard. âHello, Ken.â âHello, Jack. What are you doing here?â âWaiting for Paul.â Ken came onto the porch and sat down beside his friend. âDid Paul call you too?â he asked. âThatâs right. He told me over the telephone that he had something important to talk over.â âHe told me the same thing. I wonder what it is.â âPerhaps it is something about the fire.â âWell, letâs not guess, but wait for Paul to tell us instead.â Several minutes later, Paul came out. âHello, fellows,â he called. âHello, Paul.â âHello, Paul. What is it you have to tell us?â asked Jack. âLetâs go where we will have some privacy,â answered Paul. Paul led them into the garage and the three boys piled into the back of the car. âNow,â said Ken, âyou can tell us without anyone overhearing us. Donât keep us in suspense any longer or we will collapse of curiosity.â âFirst tell us how you feel,â spoke up Jack. âAny after effects from the smoke?â âI feel perfectly all right,â was the answer. âNow, this is what I want to talk to you about.â âYes, what is it all about?ââthat from Ken. âJack,â began Paul, âdo you still have that white card? You know the one I mean.â âOf course. I still have it, certainly. What about it?â âWill you show it to me?â Jack began to look through his pockets. Finally he confessed, âI guess I donât have it with me. I must have left it home, in my other coat pocket.â âWhat about the card?â asked Ken. âOnly this,â replied Paul gravely. And he showed them the card. âIs it the same card?â he asked. Jack examined it very closely. âTo me it appears as though it is the very self-same card. How did you get it?â âNow listen closely,â whispered Paul. The other two boys leaned over. âI rushed down the burning stairs to find the room in which the child was. Well, I was groping along the wall with my hands because I couldnât see a thing. I came upon the door and I moved my hand up and down trying to find the knob when I came upon something sticking in the doorway. Without thinking any further, I grabbed it and shoved it into my pocket.â Paul paused to add emphasis to his forthcoming statement. âAnd that thing was this card,â he concluded. The boys gasped. âThis card!â exclaimed Jack. âAre you sure?â asked Ken. âAbsolutely positive,â asserted Paul. âBut how did it get there?â âThat is something I donât know and which I would very much like to know.â For about a minute the boys sat there in silence, overcome with amazement. Jack jumped out of the car. âCome on, fellows,â he called. âWhere to?â asked Paul. âTo my house. I want to find that card.â Jack was so excited, he had difficulty in restraining himself from running. The other boys kept up with him, walking briskly. At the Stormways home, Jack rushed up the steps of the porch. âYou wait here,â he called over his shoulder to his companions. Two minutes later he came rushing out of the doorway. âHere it is,â he cried, waving the white card. The two cards were compared; they were identical in every respect. âThis is getting to be serious,â whispered Ken. âTerribly serious,â added Ken. âWe must do something about it. The man must be absolutely crazy.â âCrazy is not the word,â said Paul. âDangerous is more fitting. If he is permitted to roam the streets without being stopped, only God knows what damage he will do and what crimes he may commit.â âBut what can we do?â Jack questioned anxiously. âOur suspicions are only a hunch. These cards may only be an accident.â âNo,â said Paul, shaking his head. âMy opinion is that this is no accident but the work of a distorted mind.â The boys sat down on the porch. At a loss as to the meaning of it all, they remained silent. Paul whispered, âIâll tell you what we can do, though.â âWhat?â âLetâs go over and see Captain Bob.â âWhat for?â queried Ken. âI want to ask his opinion on the origin of the fire.â âWell, that wonât hurt any,â remarked Jack. The three boys set off. Captain Bob himself opened the door for them and led them into the living room. Turning to Paul, the Captain said, âYou are the boy that dashed into the burning building this afternoon, arenât you?â âYes, but it was really nothing.â Captain Bob sat himself down and pointed the boys to seats. âWell,â he drawled, âyou are a modest boy. But if it hadnât been for you, the old folks and the child would have burned to cinders.â âIf I had not entered, one of the other boys would have,â he answered. âWe were the first on the scene, you know.â âYes, so I understand. But what is it I can do for you boys?â Paul leaned forward in his chair. âCaptain Bob,â he said, âwe came over to ask you your opinion on the origin of the fire.â âJust what do you want to know?â Paul hesitated, not knowing exactly how to put his question. He said, âWhat I want to know, Captain, is whether you think the fire wasâer,âan accident, or whether you think someone started the fire.â âYou are asking very serious questions,â replied Captain, knitting his brows. âYes, I know, but I am very much interested andââ âMay I ask why you should be interested?â asked the old man shrewdly. âItâs only because,âer,âwhen I dashed into the building, I noticed something very odd about the fire.â âJust what do you mean?â âWell, as we ran up to the house, we noticed smoke pouring out of the front door. I dashed inside by the back door and then I saw that most of the smoke and fire seemed to be at the threshold of the front door. Now that is very odd.â âYes, you are quite right, my boy,â answered Captain Bob. âAs a matter of fact, the front door caved in first. However, I came to the fire a little too late to really judge the cause or origin of the fire. But it did seem to me that there was something odd about the whole thing.â âWas there anything about the fire that would lead you to believe that it was an accident or perhapsâer,âotherwise?â asked Paul, pressing his point. Captain Bob scratched his chin thoughtfully and said, âMy dear boy, you are asking some very serious questions that may get you into trouble.â Paul insisted. âJust the same, would you form an opinion?â âNo, I really couldnât because, as I said before, I came to the fire too late. I had no chance to look into the cause of the fire and now that the house is a heap of ashes, the chances of finding any clue is very slight. Suppose you tell me your opinion, my boy.â âTo be quite frank, Captain, I think that the fire was started by some pyromaniac.â The Captain sat up in his chair. âWhat makes you think so?â he demanded suddenly. Paul hesitated. He did not want to give himself away. âJust a hunch,â he replied. Captain Bob sank back into his chair. For what seemed a very long time there was absolute silence. The Captain seemed to be musing over something and the boys had nothing more to say. Paul rose and his friends did likewise. âThank you, Captain Bob,â said Paul. âI guess we will be going now.â Escorting them to the door, the Captain said, âDonât thank me. I am glad you came.â He hesitated. âAnd,âer,âdonât you go around talking about a pyromaniac, my boy. It may get you into trouble.â âI wonât, Captain,â promised Paul. âGoodnight, boys.â âGoodnight, Captain Bob.â The boys walked along for some few steps in silence. Ken spoke up. âThat talk with the captain didnât help much, did it, Paul?â âNo, very little. But I have now become more convinced than ever that the fire was the work of a mentally distorted person.â âYou count me in on that,â added Jack. âI certainly agree with you. But what can we do about it, that is the problem.â âDoesnât seem as if we can do anything for the present,â muttered Ken. âGuess youâre right,â answered Paul thoughtfully. A moment later he added, âTomorrow let us try and obtain a better description of the man from your sister, Betty, Ken. If she can tell us a few things on how he looks and the sort of clothes he wears, that would help a lot.â âIt certainly would,â agreed Ken. âWe will try it tomorrow.â âYes. In the meanwhile there is nothing else we can do tonight. So I am for going home,â announced Paul. âSame here.â âMe too.â The boys separated and went home. The following morning, they met again at Kenâs home. Taking Betty out into the yard, the boys tried to get some information from her about the man who had taken her for a walk and then deserted her at the end of the town. But the child had already forgotten him entirely and their efforts were in vain. CHAPTER IV DETECTIVES That afternoon, William went to the Stanhope Free Public Library to return a book. Walking in back of the room in search of a good novel, he came upon Paul hunched over a stack of newspapers. âWhat are you up to now, Paul?â he asked in a whisper. âTell you later.â âA mystery, huh?â William joked. Paul smiled and waved his friend away. âLeave me alone now,â he said, âIâll tell you all about it later.â âVery well.â William walked away and Paul returned to his stack of newspapers. He spent almost three hours going through the papers of the past two months. Tired, he decided to stop there. Besides, he was quite satisfied with the information he had obtained. He left the library and walked home. On the way he stopped to call for Ken but did not find him in. Crossing the street to his own home he found Jack, Ken and William on the porch waiting for him. âWell, what is the secret?â cried William. âTell us.â Paul motioned to the boys to follow him and he led them to the garage where they would be assured of privacy. The boys found boxes on which to sit and they gathered around Paul. âWell, what is it?â asked Jack. âI have spent about three hours in the library this afternoon,â Paul informed them âandââ âWilliam told us that already,â interrupted Ken. âI have been going through the newspapers for the past weeks,â continued Paul. âWhat for?â asked Jack. âI was looking up the fire reports. In the past two months there have been four fires, one each two weeks or so.â âWhat about it?â Jack wanted to know. âCanât you fellows see for yourselves?â asked Paul, irritated by their indifference. âDonât you think that in a small town such as this, a fire every two weeks is very much above the average?â âSay,â cried Ken, âyou have hit upon something. Come to think of it, that is a pretty high average.â âBut what has that to do with the story?â asked Jack. âSimply this,â answered Paul. âUnder normal conditions, there would not be such frequent fires. In other words, all the fires of the past two months may or may not have been caused accidentally.â âYou donât think yesterdayâs fire was an accident?â questioned William. âNo,â was Paulâs categorical answer. William raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was not acquainted with the facts of the case as the other boys were. âWhat therefore is the conclusion?â asked Jack. âIt is evident,â returned Paul. âFor the past two months at least one fire, or more has been started by a maniac.â âThis thing is becoming worse and worse,â commented Ken. âYes,â Paul said gravely, âthe situation is very serious and it is up to us to do something.â âWhy is it up to us?â asked William. But just as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew the answer. âBecause,â was Paulâs answer, âwe are the only ones who seem to be acquainted with the situation and our suspicions are quite definite.â âDonât you think it might be wise to acquaint the police with our suspicions?â inquired Ken. âI am against doing anything of the sort,â stated Jack. âIf we do that, there will be a public scandal. It will be in every newspaper in town and the culprit, whoever he is, will become wary. As it is, we may come upon him by surprise.â âI agree absolutely,â commented Paul. âWhat is our job going to be?â asked William, eager to do something as soon as possible. âFor the present there is only one thing we can do,â said Paul. âWe will talk the whole matter over with the boys of the patrol. We are all pretty close friends and we can act as a group. The thing we have to insist upon is secrecy on the part of all the boys and to be always on guard.â âThat alone is not enough,â added William. âI suggest that we also have the boys patrolling the streets, so that in case of anything, they will be Johnny-on-the-spot.â âThat is something we will have to discuss with the rest of the boys,â asserted Paul. âIn the meanwhile, suppose we notify the fellows to come to a meeting tonight after supper. Do you think it is all right?â âYes, I think that is a very good idea,â commented William. The other boys agreed and it was decided to meet in Kenâs garage. That evening at about seven, the boys began to congregate in Kenâs garage. They came by oneâs and twoâs. Fifteen minutes later they were all there except Jack. The boys were curious as to the reason for the meeting and they wanted to start without waiting for the missing member but Paul refused. He suggested that someone run over to call Jack. Bluff volunteered. They waited about five minutes and the messenger returned saying that Jack was not home. Paul remarked, âI wonder where he could have gone?â Nuthinâ said, âHe will most likely be here any minute. In the meanwhile letâs get going.â âYes, letâs do that,â echoed Wallace. Urged on by the other boys, Paul finally consented and the meeting was called to order. Paul then outlined the situation for them, told them the pros and cons of the problem and in conclusion said, âThere is one more thing I want to tell you. In going through the newspaper files for information on the fire reports, I noticed that there seemed to be about two weeks difference between fires. In other words, since the last fire was yesterday, we have about two weeks in which to act. The thing for us to do now is not to talk about it to anyone outside of this group and to be always on guard. If we donât track this maniac down, God knows what damage he is liable to do.â For a short while there was silence. Nuthinâ grinned and remarked, âWhat you want us to do, Paul, is for us to become detectives.â Nuthinâ meant it as a joke but Paul took it seriously. âThat is just what I want you to do,â he asserted gravely. âWe must all become detectives and find this man.â âBut the information we have is so slight. We really have no clues to work on,â protested Bobolink. âThat is very true,â replied Paul, âbut we must do the best we can.â A little later, the meeting was officially adjourned, but no boy ventured to leave. Their curiosity was aroused by Jackâs not coming to the meeting and they waited around. Paul felt anxious, though he had no reason to be. To Ken, who was sitting beside him, he whispered, âI wonder what happened to Jack!â Ken shrugged his shoulders. âI canât imagine. He promised to be here. And he is not home either.â âThatâs just it,â countered Paul. âThe fact that he is not home implied that he was on the way over here. But something must have happened on the way to keep him from coming to the meeting.â âWe can go over and see if he is home now.â âThat is a good idea. Letâs go.â Ken and Paul rose and the other boys did likewise. In a group they walked over to Jackâs house. Ken went in while all the others remained outside. A minute later he emerged and motioned that the missing boy was not home. The boys were disappointed and a few of them became worried. Bobolink commented, âThis is becoming serious. We ought to look for him.â Paul turned the idea down. âYou fellows better go home,â he said, âand donât worry. Jack has a right to go wherever he pleases and if he did not show up at the meeting, there must be a good reason for it.â âBut where could he have gone,â Nuthinâ asked anxiously. âAfter all, something may have happened to him.â Paul, though he was anxious himself, made believe that there was nothing to worry about and laughed at the suggestion that something might have happened to Jack. âMost likely he went to see someone or something like that,â he remarked casually. âNothing serious could have happened to him.â âBesides, he is the sort of fellow who can take care of himself,â added Ken. âAnd whatâs more,â argued Paul again, âwe donât know where to look for him. And if we spread an alarm, his folks will become worried and that is something we certainly donât want.â âNo, I guess you are right, Paul,â agreed Nuthinâ. Several of the other boys nodded and showed willingness to agree with Paulâs idea that they all go home. They walked along as a group until one by one the boys fell out to go home. Finally only Paul and Ken were left. The two boys walked side by side and Paul seemed exceedingly quiet and preoccupied with his thoughts. Ken hesitated to break in upon his friend, but finally he asked, âWhat are you so quiet and thoughtful about?â âI wasnât really thinking of anything,â the other replied. âWe may as well go home, like the others,â suggested Ken. âNo, letâs not do that. Suppose we walk down Main Street a bit. To tell you the truth, I am a bit worried about Jack.â âWorrying wonât help any,â Ken wisely remarked. The boys walked down Main Street and then retraced their steps. At Paulâs house, they silently sat down on the steps of the porch and remained like that, neither one uttering a sound. CHAPTER V A SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUAL Now let us see what really happened to Jack. He left his home with the intention of going to the meeting. As he walked along, deeply occupied with his thoughts, he suddenly became conscious of a certain individual that had just passed. Jack turned on his heel and stared at the retreating back of the individual. The man was tall and thinâgaunt; he wore a cap and a jacket and pants that hung like sacks upon him. Jack tried to think what it was about the individual that attracted his attention and he concluded that it was something wild about his appearance, about his bearing. He began to follow the man, sorry that he did not get a good look at the manâs face. Jack went over the situation in his mind. He wanted to go to the meeting and if he did not come, the boys might feel badly. On the other hand, there was something very suspicious about the person he was following. The man appeared to be very excited, or anxious; he seemed to be very much on the alert, turning his head this way and that way, as though searching for something. Jack felt sorry that he could not get a good look at the manâs face. Perhaps he could do it now, he thought, by walking ahead then walking back toward him; or possibly by hiding in some doorway and obtaining a close view of him as the man passed. But on second consideration, he thought it better not to do that. The man might get a good look at him and remember his face, which would put him at a disadvantage. Jack decided merely to follow and see what would happen. Twice the man turned around and looked back; Jack decided to cross over to the other side of the street. His heart pounded and he became nervous and excited. He followed, keeping his eyes glued to the back of the suspicious character. The man kept shifting his head in all directions, staring at people, at houses, at everything; his eyes seemed to bore right into things. The man turned into John Street, usually a deserted street with only several old houses on it. Jack quickly removed the light sweater he was wearing and formed it into a small package under his arm. If the man had noticed him, the fact that he now appeared in a white shirt, carrying a package under his arm, would make the man think him a different person. The man continued walking rapidly with Jack hot on his trail. The street was very poorly lit and Jack was forced to shorten the distance between the man and himself, though he still kept to the wrong side of the street. Coming to a lonely house set on a large plot, the man suddenly dashed behind the wall. Jack felt his excitement increase. He was only sorry that Paul or one of the boys were not with him; not that he felt afraid but for the sake of companionship. He had a weird, creepy feeling to be following a man on a deserted, dark street. Jack kept on walking as though nothing happened. He made believe that he didnât see anything unusual. His head square on his shoulders, he kept a careful watch out of the corner of his eye. He saw a large rock on the lot he was passing and immediately he threw himself behind it. Looking from the side of his shelter, he watched the house across the street. Possibly five minutes passed and nothing happened. To him it seemed like hours. At last the man he had been following showed himself at the corner of the house. Warily, the man stuck his head out and looked in all directions. In spite of the distance
{'title': 'The Banner Boy Scouts Mystery by George A. Warren', 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}