The Woodshed Mystery by Gertrude Warner

Author:Gertrude Warner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2010-08-06T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

A Light in the Dark

Benny was the first to speak. He said, “Well, this shows two things. Somebody’s living here. And his hiding place can’t be very far away.”

“That’s right, Benny,” said Henry. “Nobody could move all these things very far and then move them right back again.”

“I say we’d better look for a hole in this cabin,” said Benny. “Maybe there’s a cellar.” He began to flash his light on the floor. Henry did the same. They found nothing.

“This is a funny floor, anyway,” said Violet. “Just dirt.”

Sam said, “I’d take up that bed and look under it.”

“Yes,” said Henry. “Sorry, Watch. You’ll have to get off the bed.”

Benny pushed him off gently. Watch shook himself and sat down.

The children moved the blanket carefully. They moved the thick bed of hay under it.

“Now, look!” said Jessie. “Do you see what I see? That dirt has been moved!”

“That’s right, Miss Jessie,” said Sam. “And not very long ago either. I wish we had a shovel.”

“We don’t need a shovel,” said Henry. “We need a shingle. And I know exactly where I can find a shingle!”

Henry went over to the shelf and came back with a shingle. “I saw it under the cans the first day,” he said. He knelt down and pushed the shingle into the soft dirt. He worked and worked to find a hole or a crack.

“Let me try,” said Benny. “I love to dig.” He knelt down and began to dig away the dirt.

“Certainly that dirt has been moved,” said Violet. “See how soft it is.”

Then Benny found the crack.

“I’ve got it!” he shouted. “It’s heavy! I hope I don’t break the shingle!”

“Oh, I hope not!” cried Jessie. “Let Henry help you, Benny.”

Henry took the shingle and lifted. And up came a cover.

“A wood cover!” shouted Benny. “I bet there’s a cellar under this woodshed!”

Perhaps it was not a cellar, but there was surely a big hole under the cover. Some of the dirt fell in. Benny flashed his light down the hole.

“Stairs!” he cried. “I’m going right down!”

His foot was on the top step.

“Oh, no, you’re not,” said Sam. He shook his head. “I couldn’t let you. What would your Aunt Jane say if you got into trouble?”

“What trouble could I get into, Sam? There are only a few stairs.”

“Who knows?” said Sam. “Might be somebody down there.”

“Oh, no, Sam!” said Benny. “Watch would be right down there by now. And he would bark. And look at him!”

Watch was lying down chewing some hay. He was not interested in the hole.

“I’ll go down myself,” said Sam. “I’d like to see what’s down there.”

“You’re too tall,” said Benny.

“Well, I can bend over,” said Sam. “I am going first, that’s sure.”

“Take the biggest light, Sam,” said Henry.

Sam took the big light and put his foot on the first stair. The stair did not break. Sam moved slowly. He sat down on a stair and flashed the light ahead.

The Aldens held their breath.

“Well, what do you know!” he called.

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