Wobar and the Quest for the Magic Calumet

by Henry Homeyer

  Wobar threw another stick in the water and watched it disappear underground. He had no choice. His only chance was to try to swim out of the cave. He took off his sneakers and his jeans and tested the icy water with his toes. He twirled his mustache nervously. Then he eased into the cold water and took several deep breaths. The water sucked at him, trying to pull him down toward the deep dark hole. He held on to the edge for a moment, then went in, headfirst.

  The water was moving so fast that Wobar didn’t have to swim. He just let the current pull him along. He kept his arms out to protect his head, fending off any rocks. He must have gone about thirty yards when he felt the water moving faster. There was a hole in front of him, and the water was rushing to get through it. “This is it,” thought Wobar, as he felt the size of the hole. “It’s too small for me, and I can’t swim back. I’m going to drown.”

  Wobar pushed with all his might to get through the hole in the rock. No luck. He grabbed the edge and shook it. Suddenly, part of the rock broke loose, and he shot through the opening. The water slowed down, and he soon found himself floating to the surface in a huge dark underground cavern. He swam to the side, all out of breath.

  After a short rest, Wobar made his way along the edge to the other side of the cave. He could hear water gurgling as it was sucked down fast. Would this river really go outside? Or would it go to an underground lake in the center of Grantham Mountain? Wobar had no choice but to keep on going. He took a deep breath and let the river pull him down and away. The cold water chilled him right to his bones.

  After a little while, the river slowed down, and Wobar began to swim underwater with the current. Up ahead, he finally saw light! He swam as hard as he could, and just as he was totally out of breath, he came to the surface. He’d made it! As he’d hoped, he was in the big pool where he’d fished for trout. He swam to the side, pulled himself out, and collapsed on the bank. He was cold and tired, but still alive.

  Moments later, Wobar was running back up the mountain. When he got to the cave, he knew just what to do. First, he dragged away the dead tree that was in front of the cave. Then he found a big stick and used it to pry loose the boulder that blocked the entrance. He ran inside, checked on Roxie, then quickly put on his sneakers and dry jeans. His T-shirt was ruined, so he would have to go barechested.

  Carefully, Wobar lifted Roxie in his arms and carried her out of the cave. Although she must have weighed as much as he did, Wobar managed to lift her limp body up and onto his shoulders. He headed down the mountain, moving carefully so he wouldn’t fall and hurt Roxie.

  When Wobar’s family first moved to Woodstown, their dog had been hit by a car. His father had brought Bobo to an animal hospital on the other side of Grantham Mountain, and the vet had been able to save his life. So that’s where Wobar was headed.

  Wobar was afraid that the doctor might recognize him, even though he hadn’t talked to him, and Wobar’s brothers and sisters had been there. Still, his mustache made him more noticeable than most kids. The vet might call his parents or the police, but Wobar had to take that chance if he wanted to save Roxie.

  Roxie was very heavy, and Wobar wanted to stop and rest, but he didn’t dare waste any time. He didn’t want to go on the roads, so he kept in the woods and cut across fields only when he had to. Finally, he saw the animal hospital ahead, and only then did he stop.

  Wobar knew he had to disguise himself. He took out his Swiss army knife and opened the scissors. Snip, snip, snip. “Ouch, that hurts,” he said to himself. He cut off his whole mustache even though it hurt terribly. He knew it wouldn’t be a perfect job, not without a mirror, so he rubbed a little dirt over his lip when he was done. Now he was ready.

  CHAPTER 5

  The Veterinarian Has Suspicions

  WHEN WOBAR RANG the bell at the animal hospital, a friendly looking woman answered the door. “My goodness,” she said. “Just look at you. You’re all covered with blood! Who are you? What happened?”

  “My name is Bobby Jones, and I’m new in town” he said.” I was playing in the woods and I found a big animal that’s been shot. I think it’s a cougar. I tore up my T-shirt to help stop the bleeding. I tried to bring it here, but it’s too heavy for me to move. Please have the doctor come quickly.” Wobar faked a little sob.

  “Why of course, I’ll get the doctor at once,” she said and disappeared inside. As soon as she went inside, Wobar ran to the side of the house and found where the overhead wires came in. Using his Swiss army knife, he opened a gray plastic box near the electric meter and cut a couple of very small wires. Then he raced back to the door and waited for the doctor. A moment later, the doctor and his wife came out.

  “Oh please, doctor,” said Wobar. “please, come help. There’s a hurt animal in the woods over there.” He pointed across the field to the woods.

  “Okay, let’s go!” said the doctor. All three jumped into the jeep parked out front, and the doctor drove quickly across the field to the edge of the woods. Wobar led them to Roxie and begged the doctor to do something.

  “Hmm,” said the doctor as he looked at Roxie. “This is pretty serious. I’m not sure I can save her. But I’ll do my best.” The doctor and his wife lifted Roxie into the back of the jeep, and they all climbed back in.

  When they got to the animal hospital, they brought Roxie inside, and the doctor went right to work on Roxie, while his wife and Wobar waited.

  “What did you say your name is, young man?” asked the doctor’s wife.

  “Eddie Jones,” said Wobar. Then he remembered he’d said Bobby Jones the first time. “Actually, my name is Robert edward Jones. my father is Robert Jones, so my parents call me eddie. But at school they call me Bobby. We live in the trailer just over the hill.”

  The lady gave Wobar a funny look. “You must be freezing cold without a shirt on. And your hair is all wet. Let me find something warm for you to put on. You go clean up, and I’ll bring you a shirt and make some cocoa.”

  By the time Wobar had washed off Roxie’s blood and combed his hair, the cocoa was ready. He put on the shirt, which was clean and dry but much too big. Wobar drank his cocoa and ate four chocolate chip cookies. They were very good, and he was hungry. Wobar hoped the doctor’s wife wouldn’t ask too many questions because he didn’t like to lie. He knew it was wrong to lie. It was just that he didn’t want to get caught.

  “So, you live in that trailer on the other side of the pond?” asked the woman. Wobar nodded his head. “Maybe I’d better call your parents and let them know you’re here. It’s nearly dark, and they might be worried. What’s your phone number?”

  “I don’t know,” said Wobar. “We just moved in.”

  “That’s all right, I can call information,” she said and picked up the phone. But nothing happened. Wobar had cut the telephone wires.

  Just then the doctor came out. “Well, I guess our furry friend will be all right,” he said. “I put in quite a few stitches and gave her a shot. She’s just coming to. But I don’t know what to do next. Cougars can be very mean, so I don’t dare keep her here. I guess we’ll have to let her go and hope for the best.”

  His wife gave him a look. “James,” she said, “I need to talk to you.” They went into the next room and closed the door.

  Wobar put his ear to the keyhole. Even with his extra good sense of hearing, he could just barely hear them.

  “James, something funny is going on. First this boy said his name was Bobby Jones, and then he said it was Eddie Jones. He doesn’t know his own phone number, and all of a sudden our phone doesn’t work. I wonder if he’s really Wobar, that boy everyone’s been looking for. Maybe you should go for the police. Why don’t I keep him here while you drive to town?”

  “You know,” said the doctor, “you might be . . .”

  Wobar didn’t need to hear any more. It was time to run.

  CHAPTER 6

  The Haunted House

  WOBAR RUSHED INTO the operating room. “Roxie! Roxie!” he said.
“Wake up!” “Where am I?” she asked. Roxie lifted her head and looked around. She was dizzy and felt sick to her stomach.

  “You’re in the animal hospital. I think the doctor’s wife figured out who I am. Can you walk? We’ve got to go.”

  “I don’t know. I feel funny. Can’t we wait awhile?” asked Roxie.

  “The doctor is going for the police. Come on, I’ll help you.”

  Wobar helped Roxie stand up on the table, then picked her up and put her on the floor. Roxie wobbled, then took a few steps.

  “It hurts to move, but I guess I can walk. I’ll give it a try. Let’s go.”

  Wobar poked his head out the door to see if anyone was watching. The doctor and his wife were still in the next room. He motioned for Roxie to follow him, and they tiptoed out the front door.

  Wobar knew that they couldn’t go far, but he had to find a place where Roxie could rest undisturbed. He knew the police would be looking for them, but they couldn’t go back to the cave. It was too far for Roxie to travel. Where could they hide?

  Wobar thought hard as he walked through a field of tall grass. His big brother had told him about a haunted house in Woodstown. It wasn’t far from the animal hospital. Although Wobar didn’t believe in ghosts, he didn’t like the idea of spending the night in a haunted house. But who would look there? It was the perfect place.

  “Wobar, I can’t walk much farther,” moaned Roxie. “We have to find a place to rest.”

  “Okay. I know just the place. There’s an abandoned house about a mile from here.”

  Roxie walked very slowly. Wobar kept looking around for the police.

  “Wobar, I’m sorry, but I can’t go any farther.” Roxie stopped and lay down. Let me stay here. You run or you’ll be caught. I’ve lived a good long life. It doesn’t matter what happens to me, but you’re young. You must escape.” Then Roxie closed her eyes and passed out. Wobar waited to see if she would wake up, then carefully picked her up and went on.

  Finally, Wobar came to the haunted house. He stopped and put Roxie down on the grass. It was a big wooden house, and some of the front windows were broken. He listened. He heard a noise that sounded something like a moan. He listened again. Nothing.

  Slowly, Wobar went up the steps to the front door. The door was ajar, and he pushed it open. Then he heard the noise again. It was not like any noise he had ever heard before, sort of a low screech mixed with a moan and a cry of pain. Wobar wanted to run, but Roxie needed to rest, and what better place to hide than in a haunted house?

  The house smelled like wet newspapers and mildewed furniture. There was broken glass all over the floor. Whoever had lived here must have left in a hurry, because all the furniture was still in place. There was even a newspaper on the table, but it was eight years old. Wobar brought Roxie’s still limp body inside and put her on a couch near the fireplace. Then he went outside to find some firewood.

  Once Wobar had built a fire, the house seemed a lot less scary. He poked around the kitchen and found some cans of corned beef. He opened one and fed some to Roxie, who had woken up and was feeling a little better. He explained how he’d gotten the doctor to save her that afternoon and why they had to run, even though he’d cut the phone wires.

  They had just settled down to sleep when suddenly a cold breeze passed through the room, and Wobar could sense that someone—or something—was there.

  “Who is it?” he asked. There was no answer. Then he heard the noise again. First it was in the cellar, then he heard it upstairs. It was a groan, a moan, a whisper, then a scream. Wobar wanted to run, but Roxie couldn’t. She was too weak. He twirled his mustache nervously, which, in the hours since he’d cut it off, had already grown back to its original length.

  “My name is Wobar. I will do you no harm. Who are you?” There was no answer. Crash! Behind him a lamp fell to the floor. He turned around quickly. No one was there. A picture fell off the wall. The front door closed itself, and with a loud click, it locked. Now there was no way out.

  “My name is Wobar,” he repeated. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  There was a long silence. Finally, a deep voice said, “I am the ghost named Simon. You’re supposed to be afraid of me, just like everybody else.”

  Wobar thought for a moment. “Simon,” he said, “I’m not afraid of anybody, not even ghosts. We’re in trouble. This is my friend Roxie, the cougar. Roxie was shot, and we need a place to stay until she can walk. Couldn’t we stay here? Please? Pretty please? We’ll do anything you want. You must be lonely living here all by yourself. Wouldn’t you like to have some friends? Roxie and I can keep you company for a few days. We could have fun together. I love ghost stories.”

  The ghost was perplexed. Little boys were supposed to be afraid and run away from him. But it’s true, he thought, it’s pretty lonely being a ghost in a haunted house. Nobody had lived in this house for a long time.

  “Well,” said the ghost “we’ll see. I’m not used to having company. You can stay here tonight, and I’ll see if I like having friends or not. It’s been a long time since I’ve had one.”

  Since Wobar was very tired, he lay down next to Roxie on the couch and soon fell sound asleep.

  CHAPTER 7

  Hiding from the Police

  THE NEXT MORNING, Wobar woke up early. Roxie was still asleep on the couch when he got up. He tiptoed outside and looked around. He tried to figure out what he would do if the police came looking for him. They couldn’t run away, that was for sure, because Roxie was still too weak. He needed to get some good nutritious food for Roxie so she would get her strength back. And he knew that he would have to make friends with Simon the ghost if they were going to stay in the house.

  Wobar climbed a tall pine tree in the yard and took a look around. He could see fields, woods, and the road that led to town. He climbed down and had just stepped inside the house, when he saw a police car coming up the road.

  “Wake up, Roxie!” he shouted. “The police are coming!” Roxie looked up.

  “What are we going to do?” she asked sleepily.

  Wobar thought for a moment. There was no time to run away. They would have to hide somewhere in the house. “We’ll hide upstairs. Come on.” He ran up the stairs, with Roxie following as fast as she could manage. “Wait here,” he said, as he reached the top of the stairs. Wobar took a quick look in each of the four rooms on the second floor, but there was no good place to hide.

  A second set of stairs went up to the attic, but these were closed off by a door. Wobar tried to turn the knob, but it was locked. “Uhoh,” he thought. He heard the police car come to a stop outside. Then, without warning, the door opened by itself. Wobar started up the stairs, with Roxie following.

  Part way up, Roxie lost her balance and fell. She crashed against the wall and let out a small moan. Wobar turned to look and Roxie was gone! He started down the stairs. He couldn’t believe she had just disappeared. She had been right behind him, and the door at the foot of the stairs was still closed.

  Wobar heard car doors slam shut and two men talking. “I’ll watch the outside,” said one. “You go in and search the house. Look everywhere: cellar, attic, inside the closets, underneath the furniture.”

  The policeman entered the house. “Come on out, Wobar!” he shouted. “We know you’re in here.” He began on the first floor. He looked in the living room and the kitchen. He checked the dining room and the pantry. He looked under the couch. He looked behind the drapes. He came back to the living room and saw blood on the couch.

  “We’re hot on their trail,” he called out. “They must have been here last night.” Just then there was a loud noise in the basement. “I hear something in the basement. I’m going down. You check outside to see if there’s another way out of the basement and guard it if there is.”

  The policeman turned on his flashlight and started down the stairs. Crash! Something fell. He reached the bottom step and waited. He moved his light from side to side. He stopped. He lis
tened. He heard nothing, not a sound.

  Meanwhile, Wobar had stopped on the stairs. There still was no sign of Roxie. He leaned against the wall and suddenly the wall moved. He felt himself fall. His head hit something hard, and he was knocked out.

  In the basement, the policeman started moving furniture and boxes, trying to find Wobar. It was dark and dusty. He aimed his light at an old glass vase. It shattered into little pieces. Then behind him, he heard another noise. a box fell over. He turned to look when he heard chains rattling and a low moan. But he didn’t see anybody.

  “Come on, Wobar,” he said. “You can’t scare me. I don’t believe in ghosts!” But suddenly a figure appeared wrapped in an old blanket. The policeman thought it was Wobar, and he leapt at it. But when he grabbed it, there was nothing but a blanket.

  “Holy cow!” he yelled. “This place really is haunted!” He ran up the stairs, through the living room, and outside. “Hey, O’Brian,” he said. “Let’s get out of here! I just saw a ghost!”

  Officer O’Brian chuckled. “You’ve seen too many late night movies,” he said. “Okay, you stay here, and I’ll investigate. But the boys at the station are going to get a good laugh out of this one.”

  He went inside and down to the basement. He searched everywhere. He checked the first floor. He searched the second floor. He looked under the beds, He looked in the closets. He was starting up the stairs to the attic, when he heard a sound.

  Wobar had just come to. When he’d leaned on the wall, a panel had moved, and he’d fallen into some kind of secret room. He was covered with dust, and he needed to cough. It was completely dark. He felt Roxie next to him and heard her breathing, but she didn’t move. Wobar could hear the policeman on the stairs. If he, too, touched the panel, their hideout would be revealed.

  The policeman stopped on the stairs to listen. He was just about to lean on the wall when out of nowhere a big wooden barrel came rolling down the stairs. It was full of dishes that were falling out and breaking all over the place. He tried to get out of the way but couldn’t. He let out a loud yell just as it rolled over him.