The Haunted Cabin Mystery

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  Henry nodded. “My sister saw one this morning. Cap thinks he might have a hawk or an eagle, too,” he said.

  She nodded. “This light will scare off any of those.”

  “Now the grocery store,” Henry told Benny, grinning. Then he touched Benny’s arm. Benny looked at him and then in the direction Henry was looking.

  “There’s that Mr. Jay again,” Benny whispered. “Why isn’t he back on the ship where he belongs?”

  “I wonder about that myself,” Henry said. “The minute I looked at him, he turned and went away fast. It really puzzles me the way he always does that.”

  Benny nodded. “Me, too. Maybe he can’t stand our looks.”

  A bell rang over the door of the grocery store. The grocer beamed at them. “Our strangers are back. I hope you found Cap Lambert all right?”

  “He’s still on crutches, but he’s fine,” Benny said. “He has the greatest rooster in the whole world.”

  The grocer laughed and started reaching for the things on the girls’ list. “That’s for certain. Doodle’s a beauty. Which size do you want of this canned ham?”

  “The biggest one,” Henry said. “We all like to eat.” Since the man was so friendly, Henry asked him Benny’s question. “We saw one of the men from our riverboat out there. We wondered why he’s still around town instead of back on the boat.”

  “That is peculiar, isn’t it?” the grocer agreed, filling a little bag with sunflower seeds. “But I know the man you mean. He’s been around town for days. I never see him with anyone or talking to people. He reminds me of somebody, but I can’t figure out who. He’s not a very friendly fellow.”

  He handed Benny the sunflower seeds. “Here,” he said. “These are for Cap’s old rooster. Give them both my best.”

  CHAPTER 8

  The Carpenter

  “Nothing new in town, I guess,” Cap said when the boys had brought in the groceries and brushed Pilot down.

  “The new thing is going to be here,” Henry told him.

  Cap listened to him explain about putting up the floodlight and examined it carefully. “That’s a clever way to drive away varmints. That’s the biggest light I ever saw. Where did you think to put it up?”

  “It should light both the chicken yard and the barn.”

  Cap nodded. “For that, it should be fastened at the back corner of the porch. You’ll need a mighty long cord.”

  Henry nodded. “I bought the longest one, but let’s check it anyway.” Violet held the plug end of the cord next to the outlet. Jessie and Benny led the cord up the wall and out of the window. Henry, on the ladder at the corner of the porch, nodded when Jessie handed him the end. “It’s going to work fine,” Henry said. “There’s even some extra.”

  Benny, on the ladder, handed the nails and hammer up as Henry fastened the metal bracket to the outside corner of the porch. Cap watched as Jessie and Violet hammered in the U-shaped nails to hold the cord against the wall.

  “I don’t know why I never thought of that,” Cap said as Henry set the big floodlight into the bracket. “Now I can’t wait until night to see how well it works.”

  When Cap returned to the front porch with Doodle on his shoulder, Jessie turned to Henry. “Now for the barn floor?”

  Henry slapped his forehead with his hand. “Jessie! I can’t believe this. I forgot to buy any extra nails.”

  “We could ask Cap if he has some,” Violet suggested.

  Jessie shook her head. “We need too many to explain to Cap. Let’s see if we can’t find some for ourselves.”

  The search for nails went slowly. They found a few bent ones in a toolbox in the barn. Benny went up in the loft to look. “Do you need a little red wagon?” he called down.

  Henry laughed. “Not that I know of, why?”

  “Because there’s one up here,” Benny told him. “And a box of books with all kinds of good pictures in them.”

  “How about nails?” Henry asked.

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Benny said. He came down the ladder carrying a tin coffee can full of more bent nails.

  “We’ll hammer them straight on a flat rock in the woods,” Henry said. “That way Cap won’t hear the noise.”

  “Somebody has to stay with Cap,” Jessie said. “He gets nervous when we’re gone too long. He was really fretting when Violet and I finally got back from the orchard today.”

  “Oh,” Violet cried. “We haven’t had a chance to tell you about the holes in the orchard.”

  “In the orchard!” Henry said. “Tell me about them while we straighten these nails.”

  While the others went to the woods, Jessie stayed with Cap. He cocked his head. “Do I hear hammering?” he asked.

  Jessie nodded. “Henry’s nailing down some loose boards in the barn,” she said. “He really likes to stay busy.”

  “I’ve never seen such kids for work,” he said.

  As the hammering stopped, a low eerie cry sounded from high up in a pine tree. Jessie caught her breath. She thought of that awful whistling sound they had all heard. Though this was different, it was scary enough to make her shiver. Cap leaned to peer up into the tree. “Listen to that screech owl. Doesn’t he make your blood run cold?”

  “He sure does,” Jessie said, laughing at how scared she’d been. “Your birds do make some strange noises!”

  Henry and Benny came back from the barn. “I heard a spook or something out there,” Benny cried.

  Cap laughed. “That’s the owl this glen is named for. There’s nothing like a screech owl to raise your hair up. It makes some people think this place is haunted.” Seeing Benny’s eyes widen, Cap changed the subject. “I’m glad you boys are back,” he said, reaching for his crutches. “I’ve been smelling that applesauce all day, and I say it’s time to eat.”

  Henry nodded and glanced at his sister. The screech owl had made a scary noise, but it hadn’t “raised his hair up” as badly as that awful whistle they had all heard at one time or another. But he couldn’t believe Cap’s cabin was haunted … by what?

  At the table Cap turned to Henry. “So now you’re a carpenter,” he said. “Did you get the barn back in shape?”

  Henry nodded. “I like carpenter work.”

  “I sure appreciate all you’re doing,” Cap said, reaching for the bowl to take another serving of applesauce.

  “And I appreciate applesauce,” Benny said, taking the bowl from Cap to serve himself again.

  That night before going to bed, they turned on the big new floodlight. The yard and barn were almost as bright as day.

  Jessie had heard the scary whistling sound the first night they spent in Cap’s cabin. She and Henry and Benny had all seen the flickering light. Benny had kept talking about a strange scraping sound. Later Henry had heard the whistling, and Violet had heard it the morning she saw the strange creature running off into the dark woods.

  After Henry put up the big floodlight, everything stopped. For several days there was no strange whistling sound, no light, no scraping sound, and no more sign of the awkward dark creature that Violet had seen.

  Henry was puzzled. “Did we imagine all that stuff?” he asked.

  “That can’t be it,” Violet told him. “The holes were real, and Cap talked to me about that whistling.”

  “Maybe that strange creature got scared when Violet saw it out by the barn that morning,” Jessie suggested.

  “Or maybe it’s been afraid to come back since you put that floodlight up,” Violet said.

  “Oh, I don’t like those ideas at all,” Benny said.

  The others stared at him. “Why not?”

  He shrugged. “That would mean we haven’t helped Cap at all. Those things could come back and scare Cap again, or make him have another accident after we’re gone.”

  Jessie sighed. “Benny hit the nail on the head again,” she said. “What’s more, this trip was only supposed to last ten days. We only have about three days left.”

  “Maybe Grandfather w
ill be too busy to come get us on time,” Violet said hopefully. “Grandfather always keeps promises,” Benny told them.

  The mailman hadn’t stopped at Cap’s cabin once since the children came. The very next day he stopped out in the road and tooted his horn twice. Cap looked up in surprise. “That’s a change,” he said. “I don’t get much mail. You boys want to run and get it for me?”

  After Henry took the letter, Benny carried it back to Cap on the porch. “How’s the old man doing?” the mailman asked Henry. “I was sorry to hear about his fall.”

  “He’s getting better every day,” Henry told him.

  “I thought about stopping but I always run late. Then when I saw that he had help out here, I quit worrying.”

  “You mean us?” Henry asked. He hadn’t thought of them as “help,” but he liked the way that sounded.

  The mailman shrugged. “Maybe I’m wrong. I keep seeing a strange man on the road. I thought he worked for Cap.”

  Henry frowned. “What does this man look like?”

  “Sober fellow, never smiles,” the mailman said. As he described the man, Henry caught a quick breath. The mailman was describing Mr. Jay from the riverboat perfectly.

  “Tell Cap to get well soon,” the mailman added, putting his car in gear and starting off. Henry walked back to the porch thoughtfully. It was one thing for Mr. Jay to hang around town and act strange, but hearing that he was walking up and down Cap’s road really bothered Henry.

  Cap’s letter was from Mr. Alden. He read it aloud. Grandfather Alden had gotten the children’s message from Mrs. McGregor and appreciated hearing from them. He told Cap not to worry about the kids, that they were doing what they liked to do best. He said to expect him this coming Saturday. He was eager to see all of them.

  “We need to fix a good fancy meal for my old friend,” Cap said. “You probably need to ride Pilot into town again. I’d hate not to give your grandfather a hearty welcome.”

  “We could use a few things,” Jessie said. “Maybe we could go tomorrow. That would leave us time for other jobs.”

  “What other jobs?” Cap asked. “You’ve done plenty!”

  Violet grinned at him. “Oh, Cap,” she said. “Even though your ankle is ever so much better, you’ll still have to use that cane for a while. We’ve thought of lots of little things to help with before we leave.” She didn’t add what she was really thinking — that they meant to solve the mysteries before they went off and left him alone.

  “Like climb the trees and pick the apples,” Benny said.

  “And weed and thin the garden,” Violet put in.

  “And I’d like to clean up the barn,” Henry said. “I want to sweep up the loose hay to save it for Pilot.”

  Cap threw up his hands. “I give up,” he said. “But groceries for your grandfather’s dinner come first. Agreed?”

  CHAPTER 9

  Storm Clouds

  We need a really good grocery list,” Jessie told the others. “Cap wants Grandfather’s dinner to be special.”

  “And it’s our last chance to cook for Cap,” Henry added. Everyone wanted to add something. It was late when they finally finished the list and went to bed.

  They were barely asleep when the wind rose. Before Jessie and Henry could even get the windows closed, a cold rain came blowing in, too. Lightning sliced across the sky, followed by crashing thunder.

  “Come on, Henry,” Jessie cried, pulling the yellow oilskin ponchos from the hooks by the door. “I’ll check the chicken house windows. You check on Pilot.”

  Leaning into the driving rain, Jessie ran to the henhouse while Henry closed the windows and doors of the barn. Violet and Benny were huddled together under a dry blanket watching the storm when they got back inside. The thunder had wakened Cap. He stood in the door, frowning. “You kids all right? Not scared, are you?”

  Violet shook her head. “It’s beautiful,” she said.

  The thunder finally growled away, but the rain kept coming. It settled into a slow steady drumming against the closed porch windows. It was still falling the next morning.

  “We’re stuck here today,” Cap told them. “Possum Creek is probably up over our road.”

  Violet made hot biscuits to eat with honey and scrambled eggs. “Maybe you’d like some of that canned ham with these biscuits,” Cap suggested.

  “Let’s save it for when Grandfather comes,” Jessie said. “In case the storm keeps us from getting to town.”

  Since they couldn’t work outside, the children cleaned the inside of Cap’s windows. After supper they made a hearth fire and roasted marshmallows until Cap went off to bed.

  Henry went out to check on Pilot one last time. He came back within minutes, his poncho dripping. Jessie could tell from his face that he was upset. He motioned to the others to gather close. “Somebody’s been out there since I shut the barn up. One of the windows I had closed was open, and hay was scattered all over the barn floor again.”

  “The wind could have done that,” Violet said, looking thoughtful. “Did you turn on the lights and look around?”

  Henry shook his head. “I was afraid Cap would see them from his bedroom window.”

  “I know where there’s a big flashlight,” Benny said. “I found it when I was straightening some shelves.”

  Jessie reached for her shoes. “That’s wonderful. Let’s go out with the flashlight.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Violet said. “We need to find an answer, even if it’s only the wind.”

  “Do we all have to go?” Henry asked, looking at Benny.

  “Don’t even think about leaving me here,” Benny told him. “After all, I’m the one who found the flashlight.”

  Since they had only two ponchos, the children doubled up in them. They made their way to the barn between great puddles of rain. Henry stopped outside of the window he had found open. “There,” he said, shining the flashlight on the ground. “Footsteps, right in the mud.”

  “Are you sure they’re not yours?” Violet asked.

  “Positive,” Henry said, holding up his boot. “See, my soles are smooth, and these have a waffle weave on them.”

  There were more waffle-weave footsteps inside the barn. The children looked at each other. “Why would anyone want to poke around out here during such a storm?” Jessie asked.

  “Maybe they felt safe because the floodlight was off,” Henry suggested.

  “And we couldn’t hear them for the thunder,” Benny added.

  “But why do they come here at all? Why are they doing this? They can’t just be trying to scare Cap!” Violet said.

  Jessie kicked some hay aside to clear a path. “Look, Henry,” she said. “Here’s a hole with a loose board over it that you missed.”

  He knelt beside her and shook his head. “I didn’t miss it,” he said. “It’s been pried up again. See that old rusty nail I used to fasten it down?”

  Violet was walking past Pilot’s stall when she stopped and stood frowning. “What’s wrong?” Benny asked her.

  “It smells funny in here,” she said. “Not like wet hay and horses, but a sharp kind of smell.”

  Henry sniffed and nodded. “That’s kerosene,” he said. “You know, the liquid they burn in lamps. I know the barn didn’t smell like that when I was in here before.”

  “It’s dangerous to have that kind of lamp around all this loose hay,” Jessie said. “It could start a fire.”

  “Lamp,” Violet cried. “Remember that funny flickering light we saw? If it had been a flashlight, someone would have pointed it ahead and up and down. But a lamp …”

  “You’re right,” Henry said. “You carry a lamp with a handle that goes over the top. It would always be at about the same height. It would also seem to flicker when you went behind a tree or a fence post.”

  Jessie sat down on an overturned bucket with her chin in her hands. “Who could be coming here to stamp around in the mud, carrying a lamp?”

  “Or to dig holes in the
barn and orchard,” Benny added.

  “Or to pick vegetables and steal a chicken and eggs?” Violet reminded them.

  “We need two things, a who and a why,” Jessie said.

  “If we could find out who it was, we’d probably know the why,” Henry told her.

  Benny stood very still, thinking. “Do you remember what Mr. Edwards said about the pirates lying in wait to grab people?” he asked dreamily. “Couldn’t we do that? Then we’d grab the who, and make them tell us the why.”

  Henry stared at Benny, then laughed softly. “There’s our Benny, figuring out exactly what needs to be done.”

  “The hayloft,” Benny went on. “If we were hidden in the hayloft, we could see anyone who came in down here.”

  “Nobody’s said anything about that strange scary whistling noise,” Violet reminded them. “Could that be some kind of a signal? If so, maybe there are at least two people in this gang.”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere,” Henry said. “We need to make a plan. Let’s go back to the cabin and figure out exactly what to do.”

  “The door,” Benny whispered. “I just heard a door bang at the cabin.” When they rushed to the barn window to look out, they saw Cap in his white nightshirt leaning on his cane in the clearing. Then the awful whistle sounded from the direction of the orchard. It was dark in the shadow of the barn, but they could see a bulky shadow leaping away into the trees.

  Violet gasped. “There it is again. That’s the same thing I saw running away when I was in the henhouse.”

  “The dwarf,” Benny whispered. As they spoke, Cap turned and walked back toward the cabin.

  “But now we do know something for sure,” Henry said. “There have to be at least two people. One person stands guard and whistles to the other one as a warning.”

  “Let’s go figure out what to do,” Jessie said, shivering. “I can’t believe that they’ll dare come back tonight.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Henry’s Plan

  That night they talked a long time. They went over their plan until each of them knew exactly what to do. They talked so late that Thursday morning came too fast.