by Stan
“Will she be okay, Gus?” asked Sister. “She looks really upset.”
“We’ll just leave her be for a while,” said Gus. “She’ll come around. Meanwhile, we need to get an application form from the office for Cousin Fred.”
“Oh, never mind—” Fred started to say.
“Shhh,” whispered Brother. “Let’s go with him. It’ll give us a chance to ask some questions.”
As the other cubs boarded the bus, Gus walked with Brother and Fred to the office.
“Do you still think the place might be haunted, Gus?” Brother asked.
“Naw,” said Gus. “I thought it over. And I just don’t believe in jinxes, ghosts, hauntings, or nothin’ like that. Forbidden Bog may be a spooky place with a spooky legend, but this is somethin’ else.”
“Like what?” asked Fred.
They entered the office, and Gus handed Fred an application form.
“Like sabotage,” said Gus.
“What?” said Brother.
“Sabotage,” said Fred. “The deliberate undermining of a project or cause.”
“Do you mean someone’s doing it on purpose?” asked Brother.
“You bet I do,” said Gus.
“But who?”
“I don’t know,” said Gus. “But whoever it is, they’re being real careful about it. I’ve been over all the trouble spots with a fine-tooth comb. Didn’t find a speck of evidence.”
They headed back to the waiting bus.
“If lessons are canceled for a whole week,” said Brother, “then how will Miss Mamie pay the mortgage?”
“That’s another question I don’t have the answer to,” said Gus. “I’m afraid Miss Mamie’s Riding Academy is beginning to look like a lost cause.”
Later, on the way home, Brother looked off into the spooky darkness of Forbidden Bog and shook his head. “Grizzlock Holmes didn’t believe in jinxes,” he told Cousin Fred. “And neither do I. Gus is right. Someone is causing these so-called accidents.”
“But who?” asked Fred.
Brother shrugged. “Grizzlock Holmes would know how to find out. But not me. So far I’m clueless.”
“If we can’t figure out who it is, Miss Mamie is going to lose the academy,” said Fred.
“I’m afraid so,” said Brother. He was deep in thought. “Unless there’s some way we could help her raise the money for that mortgage payment …”
Chapter 10
Cubs to the Rescue
All afternoon Brother thought about how to help Miss Mamie. He thought about it all evening. And he thought about it all the next morning in Teacher Bob’s class.
By lunchtime he had come up with an idea. First he talked with Sister, Fred, Babs, and Queenie. Then they talked with all the other riding students. They decided to form a committee called Friends of Miss Mamie. They would meet later that evening at the Burger Bear to go over a plan of action.
At the Burger Bear, the Friends of Miss Mamie decided on three things. First, they would all pitch in to clean up Miss Mamie’s place so that Fire Chief Barnes could declare it safe. Second, they would organize a big event to raise enough money for Miss Mamie’s late mortgage payment. And third, they would get their parents to help Miss Mamie become a better businessbear so that she would never again be late with a mortgage payment.
For the fund-raising event, the cubs decided to put on a big outdoor horse show and fair. Over the next few days, the Friends of Miss Mamie worked very hard to organize the big show. First they drew up some plans and made some phone calls. Soon a really great show was taking shape. There would be exhibition riding, jumping, and stunts by Miss Mamie’s teenage assistants. The students themselves would show off their riding skills. There would be booths for face painting, weight guessing, palm reading, and a ring toss game. Even Ralph Ripoff would be there to fool bears with his famous shell game. (But this time it would be for a good cause!) The name of the show would be “The Greatest Horse Show on Earth.”
Harry “Wheels” McGill printed up the announcement posters for the big show on his computer. And the Friends of Miss Mamie posted them all over town. Meanwhile, Gus persuaded Miss Mamie to let the cubs clean up the academy. He also got permission from Bear Country School to have a school bus take them out to the academy on a Sunday afternoon for the big cleanup.
The cleanup was hard work. But it went smoothly. Brother and Fred took the oily rags out of the toolshed and burned them. Queenie’s father hauled away the rotting hay in his pickup truck. Babs, Queenie, Sister, and Lizzy put new fire-resistant tiles on the office roof.
By dusk the Friends of Miss Mamie were all very tired. But they were also very proud of themselves.
Chapter 11
A Visitor from the Bog
After the cleanup, the cubs crowded into the office, where Miss Mamie made hot chocolate for everyone. They sat on the floor and drank from their mugs as night fell.
“I can’t thank you cubs enough,” said Miss Mamie. She looked over at Gus and chuckled. “Gus and I were beginning to think this place was jinxed. You cubs sure put that idea to rest. No school or business could be jinxed and have such a loyal bunch of friends at the same time.”
“And don’t you worry about that mortgage payment, Miss Mamie,” said Brother Bear. “Our show will raise enough money to pay last month’s and this months mortgage!”
“That would be mighty nice,” said Miss Mamie. “Well, the bus is waiting, and I hear a storm brewing out there. You cubs better get on home.”
The cubs put their empty mugs on Miss Mamie’s desk and started for the door. Just then they heard a faint howling from the direction of Forbidden Bog. Sister stopped in her tracks. “What was that?” she said.
Brother was right behind her. “Just the wind whistling through those old twisted bog trees,” he said.
“But it’s getting louder,” said Miss Mamie. She went to the window, and looked out. “Nothing there,” she said. “No. Wait. There’s something moving out there in the bog.”
Gus hurried to the door and threw it open. The cubs crowded around him and stared wide-eyed into the darkness. There it was! A glowing form moved through the darkened bog, flickering as it passed behind trees and vines.
As Miss Mamie, Gus, and the cubs watched, the form suddenly burst from the bog and came into full view. It was a ghostly, glowing bear riding a ghostly, glowing horse! And it was galloping right toward them!
“Good heavens!” cried Miss Mamie. “Quick, Gus, shut that door!”
Gus slammed and bolted the door. The cubs huddled in the middle of the room.
All trembled in terror as the howling got louder and louder. It passed so close to the office that it sent shivers down their spines. Then it moved away in the direction of the bog, growing fainter and fainter until it was gone.
For a time no one said a word. At last Miss Mamie broke the spooky silence.
“So it’s true!” she gasped. “The old legend is true! The Galloping Ghost of Forbidden Bog is real!”
“But … but …” Gus stammered. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get another word out.
The cubs were all so badly shaken that they couldn’t speak at all.
“That does it!” said Miss Mamie. “This place isn’t just jinxed. It’s haunted, too! I’m closing it down. The big show is canceled. All riding lessons are canceled.”
“For how long?” asked Gus.
“Until further notice.”
“But what about your mortgage payment?” asked Brother.
“It’ll just have to go unpaid,” said Miss Mamie.
“But you’ll lose the academy,” said Cousin Fred.
“So be it,” said Miss Mamie. “I’m not going to fool around with the supernatural. No, sir!”
Brother wanted to argue with Miss Mamie. But he didn’t even try. He was so confused. A glowing ghost on a glowing horse—he had seen them with his own eyes! And they had looked every bit as real as anything he had ever seen.
Miss
Mamie swung the door open and moved toward the bus. “It’s starting to rain, cubs,” she said. “Let’s get you on the bus.” Bessie, the driver, was staring wide eyed into the bog. Miss Mamie had to bang on the door to get Bessie to open it. The cubs were so shaken up that Gus had to lead them to the bus.
As the cubs climbed onto the bus, Miss Mamie thanked each one of them. Brother was last in line to get on. Miss Mamie shook his hand and gave him a special thanks for organizing Friends of Miss Mamie.
“I don’t know what to say, Miss Mamie,” said Brother. “I wish this all could have turned out different.”
“Me, too,” said Miss Mamie. “I guess maybe I should have taken that offer.”
“Offer?” said Brother.
“Yes,” said Miss Mamie. “It was a real generous one, too. A couple of months ago, a group of strangers from Big Bear City offered to buy the academy. I turned them down, of course. Told them the academy was my life and wasn’t for sale at any price.”
“Maybe you could still sell it to them,” said Brother.
“After what just happened?” said Miss Mamie. “Word about the Galloping Ghost showing up here will spread like wildfire. By noon tomorrow there won’t be a buyer in all of Bear Country who would touch this place with a ten-mile pole.”
“I guess you’re right,” said Brother. “But maybe you could find someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts—”
“I didn’t think I believed in ghosts,” said Miss Mamie. “But after what I saw tonight, well … I don’t know what to believe.” A bolt of lightning split the sky. It was followed by a loud clap of thunder and a gust of rain. “Wow! That was close. Into the bus with you.”
Chapter 12
To Catch a Ghost
Forbidden Bog looked spookier than ever as the school bus passed it in the night. The cubs watched for signs of the Galloping Ghost. But the bog was as black as coal.
Brother Bear wondered if the ghost had returned to his quicksand grave. But had it really been a ghost? Brother tried to imagine what Grizzlock Holmes would say. He could hear the great bear detective’s voice in his mind: “I say, Bearson, do you really believe that only ghosts glow in the dark?”
Just then Brother remembered what Miss Mamie had told him as he was about to board the bus. Aha! he thought. I’ve got it! “Stop the bus!” he cried.
Bessie looked back in surprise. “What?”
“Turn around and go back to the academy!” said Brother. “I have something very important to tell Miss Mamie!”
Great flashes of lightning again split the sky as the bus turned around on the narrow road. By the time they reached the academy, rain was pouring down. The dirt driveway was quickly turning to mud. Before the cubs could reach the door, Miss Mamie opened it and limped down the steps.
“What is it, cubs?” she said.
“Miss Mamie!” shouted Brother over the rumble of thunder. “I think I know what’s going on around here!”
“You do?” said Miss Mamie. “Come out of the rain and tell me about it.”
But just then the weird howling started again.
“Look!” cried Miss Mamie. “The Galloping Ghost! He’s coming back!”
The cubs turned in time to see the glowing horse and rider jump the fence at the edge of the bog and come galloping straight at them. The cubs started to run for the office. But Brother shouted, “Wait! Stand your ground.”
Which is just what he did. He stood there in the pouring rain, facing the ghostly rider and its steed as they came closer and closer.
Then the strangest thing of all happened. As the Galloping Ghost raced toward Brother and his friends, the glow of his ghostly horse began to fade. The horse was disappearing before their very eyes!
The cubs wanted to turn and run. But all of a sudden Brother ran straight toward the ghost, shouting, “After him, gang! Get him!”
When the cubs saw Brother’s bravery, they got back their courage and followed him. But before they could reach the ghost, it turned and galloped back toward Forbidden Bog.
By now the ghost’s horse was almost invisible. Heading for the fence, the glowing ghost bounced along as if in midair. With a tremendous leap, the horse jumped the fence and escaped into the bog. But the glowing ghost wasn’t so lucky. He lost his balance in mid-leap and fell right into the thornbushes that covered the fence.
“Come on, gang!” yelled Brother. “He’s trapped!”
The cubs reached the fence. But because the thornbushes were so dense they didn’t try to grab the ghost. The ghost struggled to free himself from the thorns. He was still glowing, but up close he didn’t look much like a ghost anymore. Instead, he looked a lot like a bear wearing a glowing sheet.
Gus and Miss Mamie were not far behind.
“Get that sheet off the varmint!” barked Miss Mamie.
“With pleasure,” said Gus. He poked the branch into the thornbush and lifted up the glowing sheet.
“Well, I’ll be!” said Miss Mamie. “Look who it is!”
“His initials are B.B. all right,” said Gus. “But he isn’t Billy Beechtree. He’s Billy Bogg!”
The youngest Bogg brother stopped struggling long enough to scowl at Gus, Miss Mamie, and the cubs.
“I thought the Bogg brothers were still in jail on their drug conviction,” said Cousin Fred.
“They must have gotten out,” said Miss Mamie.
“I’ll go call the police,” said Gus.
“Let me do it,” said Babs Bruno. “After all, the chief is my dad.” She headed for the office at a run.
Just then Billy Bogg’s horse came walking out of the bog. It was looking for its master. Its glow was completely gone. Miss Mamie took hold of the animal’s reins and calmed it down.
Cousin Fred held up the glowing sheet. “Hey,” he said. “This sheet must have been dipped in chemicals that glow. I’ll bet the horse was painted with them, and they got washed off by the rain.”
“What an awful thing to do to a horse!” said Miss Mamie. She turned on Billy Bogg with fire in her eyes. “What in tarnation are you up to, mister!” she snapped.
“Nothin’ that concerns the likes of you,” growled Billy Bogg. “There’s no law against practicing for Halloween, is there?”
Miss Mamie roared with laughter. “‘Practicing for Halloween,’ he says! Six months early!”
Billy Bogg yanked at the thorns that still held him fast. “I need a lot of practice,” he grumbled.
“Well, there may not be a law against riding around in a glowing sheet,” said Miss Mamie. “But there are laws against trespassing on private property and mistreating animals. And you can bet your muddy boots I’ll press charges.”
Just then the police chief’s car, its blue and red lights flashing, came speeding up the academy driveway. Chief Bruno and Officer Marguerite got out and hurried over to the group of bears.
“Well, well,” said Chief Bruno when he saw Billy Bogg. “Out of jail for two short weeks and already in trouble again.” He grabbed Billy Bogg’s arms and hauled him out of the thornbush. “You’re headed downtown for questioning, Billy. Cuff him, Officer Marguerite.”
As Officer Marguerite led the handcuffed Bogg brother to the chief’s car, Miss Mamie explained to Chief Bruno what had happened that evening.
“And that’s not all, Chief,” said Brother when she had finished. “I think you’ll find that he and his brothers are behind all these strange accidents and fire hazards at the academy.”
“Why would the Bogg brothers want to hurt Miss Mamie’s business?” asked the chief.
“For money,” said Brother. “Someone paid them to do it. And I think I know who.” He smiled proudly.
“Well, out with it,” said Miss Mamie.
“It’s whoever bought Miss Mamie’s mortgage from Great Grizzly National Bank,” replied Brother. “And I’ll bet they’re the very same bears who wanted to buy the academy two months ago.”
“Buy the academy?” said Gus with surprise. “You never told m
e about that, Miss Mamie.”
“Didn’t think it was important,” said Miss Mamie. “I just happened to mention it to Brother when he was getting on the bus tonight to go home. It’s a good thing I did.”
“Hmm,” said Gus, stroking his chin. “I think I get the picture. Miss Mamie wouldn’t sell to those real-estate folks, so they bought her mortgage from the bank and tried to ruin her business so they could foreclose.”
“Exactly,” said Brother. “They hired the Bogg brothers to sabotage the academy—to do things like leave the stable window open and the hose running all night, to loosen the bolts in the railing and mess with the fuse box. The mortgage owners wanted to get the academy closed down so Miss Mamie couldn’t catch up on her mortgage payments. Then they would take over the academy. For a while it looked as if their scheme were working. But then we formed Friends of Miss Mamie and planned the big horse show to raise money. So they tried to get us to cancel the show by making us think the academy was haunted. And it almost worked.”
“Sounds like a mighty good theory,” said Chief Bruno. “I’ll check it out and let you all know what happens. But first, I think I’ll snoop around a little in the bog. You know those Bogg brothers—wherever there’s one, the others can’t be far behind.”
The chief aimed his flashlight at a gap in the fence. As he walked toward it he looked back over his shoulder and said, “And good luck with your big show.”
“Thanks, Chief,” the cubs said all at once. There were big grins all around.
Chapter 13
The Show Must Go On
Sure enough, Chief Bruno caught Bart and Bert Bogg trying to drive out of Forbidden Bog in a horse van. He questioned all three Bogg brothers at the police station. As it turned out, Brother was exactly right about what had happened.
The Bogg brothers had been hired by a group of real-estate developers from Big Bear City to sabotage Miss Mamie’s Riding Academy. This group wanted to tear down the academy and build a huge shopping mall in its place. They were the same bears, of course, who owned Miss Mamie’s mortgage and who had earlier tried to buy the academy from her. Chief Bruno phoned the Big Bear City police, who arrested them.