The Mystery of the Man in the Tall Black Hat

by Margaret M. Sandberg

  “He won’t go away now that you’re here, Barney. I’ll bet he even gets into the sleeping bag with you.”

  Barney giggled. “No, he won’t.” He crawled into his sleeping bag and zipped it up. MacDuff dashed up beside him and began to lick his face.

  “You won’t get any sleep if he keeps that up,” laughed Tod.

  Barney put his pillow over his face, and MacDuff finally settled down beside him, his tongue hanging out. Barney lifted the pillow from his face and MacDuff stood up and licked him again.

  “Where’s my sack, Tod?” asked Barney. “I brought some stuff to eat.”

  “You left it upstairs in my room. I’ll go get it.” Tod unzipped his sleeping bag and went into the house, while Barney sat up and petted MacDuff.

  When Tod returned with the paper bag he also had two bottles of pop he’d taken from the refrigerator. He handed them to Barney while he slid back inside his sleeping bag. Barney handed the pop back to Tod and opened the sack.

  MacDuff sat close to Barney with an expectant look on his face. He sniffed when Barney tore open a bag of potato chips. Barney reached in and got one and held it out to the dog. MacDuff opened his mouth and the potato chip disappeared. He cocked his head to one side waiting for another.

  “You can’t have them all. Tod and I want some, too.”

  The boys began to share the potato chips. Every couple of seconds Barney popped another one into the dog’s open mouth. When they were gone he crumpled the bag and laid it on the ground. MacDuff pawed at it, sniffed it, and finally lay back down close to Barney.

  When the boys had finished eating, Barney snuggled down inside his sleeping bag. “I wish MacDuff were my dog,” he said.

  The boys lay quietly for a few minutes. Tod was trying to find the Little Dipper in the star-studded canopy under which they lay.

  “Tod, do you think if we prayed, God might let me keep MacDuff?”

  “I told you, Barney, he belongs to Mr. Fitzsimmon. We ought to take him back tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow is the treasure hunt.”

  “So, we’ll take him back in the morning.”

  “I’m going to pray that God will let me keep him all the time.”

  “You’d better ask Him to change your mom’s and dad’s minds about having a pet, then.”

  “You pray first,” suggested Barney.

  Tod folded his hands on top of him, and he talked to God and thanked Him for saving him and for saving Barney. When he had finished he listened to Barney’s prayer.

  “Dear Jesus, thank You for coming into my heart. Please let me keep MacDuff if maybe Mr. Fitzsimmon doesn’t want him, or something.” MacDuff seemed to sense that Barney was praying about him as he snuggled closer against the sleeping bag. “And dear Jesus, change Mom’s and Dad’s minds so they will let me have him.”

  Tod didn’t know what to say when Barney had finished. He was sure that Mr. Fitzsimmon wouldn’t give away his dog, and he was even more certain that Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian weren’t going to change their minds about letting Barney keep a pet. Mrs. Sebastian was too fussy for that!

  He listened to the night sounds around him. A cricket nearby was chirping loudly while those in the distance produced a singing hum. He remembered hearing somewhere that you could tell the temperature by how fast the crickets rubbed their hind legs together. He knew that was what made the chirping sound. He wished he could remember the formula.

  Off in the distance he detected the soothing chorus of frogs and the lower basso of the bullfrogs. A soft breeze sighed through the branches of the firs nearby, and the indistinct warble of a night bird caressed the velvet darkness. Tod closed his eyes.

  Suddenly the quiet night was pierced by the eerie scream of the hospital siren. Tod had been sleeping snugly, but now he felt a chill creep up his spine. It was like the time on the hill when he’d seen the man in the stovepipe hat for the first time.

  “Tod,” whispered Barney after the noise had died away. “Maybe they finally discovered he’s missing.”

  MacDuff had started up and now sat beside Barney howling loudly. Barney reached out and stroked the bristling fur.

  10

  The Treasure Hunt

  “MacDuff? Here MacDuff.” Tod heard Barney’s voice through a curtain of heavy sleep. He moaned and turned over in his sleeping bag.

  “Tod?” Barney was shaking him.

  “What’s the matter?” Tod mumbled in his pillow.

  “MacDuff’s gone. He’s not around anywhere.”

  Tod groaned and sat up, his sleeping bag still around him. He brushed his hair from his eyes and looked around. “He’s probably not very far away.” He felt the dampness of the early morning air seeping in around his shoulders. “Go back to sleep.”

  “I can’t. I think I’ll get up and look around for him.”

  Tod watched as Barney crawled out onto the damp grass to put on his shoes. “You’ll freeze, Barney.”

  “No, I won’t. I’ll just look around the corner of the house and out by the woodshed and then I’ll come back.”

  Tod lay down, turned on his stomach, and put his head down inside the sleeping bag. A few minutes later he heard Barney unzip his sleeping bag and make an attempt at getting settled.

  “I just can’t go back to sleep, Tod,” he said at last. “I keep wondering about MacDuff.”

  “He probably went back home where he belongs,” suggested Tod.

  There was a long silence before Barney spoke again. “Tod, do you think God answers prayer?”

  “Sure, Barney.” He thought for a moment. “But God doesn’t always answer like we expect Him to.”

  “I think I’ll just stick around all day and see if MacDuff comes back.”

  “Today’s the treasure hunt. You don’t want to miss that!”

  “What if I go on the treasure hunt and he comes while I’m gone?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Barney.” Tod sat up and unzipped his sleeping bag. “Since we can’t sleep we might as well get dressed. Come on.” He waited while Barney crawled out of his bag, and then they got up and dashed across the damp grass and into the house.

  * * *

  Mr. Taylor, the club sponsor, was waiting when Tod, Barney, Tricia, and Donna arrived at the church for the treasure hunt later in the day. Pam was already there with her friend, Skinny Peterson. Tod was glad nobody laughed when they saw the shovel Barney was dragging.

  At one o’clock Mr. Taylor began to give instructions to the sixteen young people who had gathered. “How about Tod Mitchell for captain number one and Jeff Jacobs for captain number two?” he suggested.

  A few minutes later the teams were divided evenly with Tricia, Donna, Skinny Peterson, Pam Dobson, Jim and Bill Faris, besides Tod and Barney on team number one.

  “OK, kids, after I read the first clue each team, with their captain, will figure out what it means and proceed to the next clue. When a clue is found, the captain is to read it aloud to his team, then replace it for the other team. The team that finishes the hunt first will be given final instructions for locating the treasure. Now, here’s the first clue. Listen closely!”

  NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, OR WEST

  CHOOSE THE WAY YOU LIKE THE BEST.

  UP AND OVER A GENTLE RISE

  YOU WILL FIND YOUR FIRST SURPRISE.

  “That doesn’t make any sense!” exclaimed Tod.

  Mr. Taylor was walking toward his car. “You’ll figure it out. Have fun!”

  Tod sat down on the church steps and shoved his hand through his hair while his team gathered around him. “Let’s go, Tod!” urged Tricia impatiently.

  “Yeah, Tod. Jeff’s team has already left.”

  “So, let them leave. They didn’t even stop to figure out the clue. How do we know they went the right direction?”

  “Sure, the only sensible thing to do is to figure it out first and then start,” commented the skinny Peterson girl.

  “‘North, south, east or west, choose the way you like the best.
’ Not much of a clue. You get a big choice.”

  “‘Up and over a gentle rise—”’ Tod stood up and looked around. He pointed west. “It’s all flat that way, so that’s out.”

  “And that way is flat and goes downhill pretty quick,” Bill pointed out.

  “That eliminates north,” said Barney. “And that way is mostly woods and doesn’t start up until you reach the gravel pit.”

  “So that leaves the road to our place!” cried Tricia. “It’s flat, then goes over that hill and down again. That must be it. Come on, everybody, let’s go!”

  “Keep your eyes open along the way, and if you find a clue wait for me!” cautioned Tod as they scattered.

  Tod listened to the scraping of the shovel Barney dragged behind him. “Why didn’t you leave that thing behind?” he exclaimed.

  “It might come in handy—in case the treasure is buried.”

  Tod groaned.

  As they started down the far side of the slope, several of his team mates were calling. “Down here, Tod. We’ve found an arrow drawn on the road!”

  Tod ran down the hill leaving Barney lumbering after him, the shovel clanking against the loose gravel.

  “It points toward those trees. Come on!”

  Legs flew as everyone tried to discover where the arrow was directing them.

  “A red ribbon!” shouted Tricia.

  “Here it is! Here it is!” Skinny Peterson was jumping up and down. A white slip of paper was sticking out from beneath the ribbon which had been neatly tied about a small fir tree.

  Tod removed it and began to read.

  YOU’VE HEARD OF THE BLARNEY STONE

  AND THE LUCKY HORSESHOE

  BUT WHEN YOU REACH THE RAINBOW’S END

  THERE’LL BE A POT OF GOLD FOR YOU!

  “Oh, no. How will we ever figure that one out!”

  “Wait a minute,” said Tod. “Look here. There’s an ‘S’ here on this corner.”

  “South! South! Let’s go!” Several of the group started off at a run.

  Jeff and his team were racing down the hill. Tod quickly replaced the clue and darted off. He had noticed another mark on the paper, but the gang had rushed off before he could mention it. He told Barney about the picture of a mailbox which was drawn in one corner.

  “All we have to do is check out all the mailboxes along the way,” said Barney.

  When they reached the first one, Tod glanced back. Jeff’s group was gathered together. Tod opened the box and glanced inside. It was empty. There was another box about half a mile farther, and as Barney and Tod walked quickly in that direction Jeff’s team caught up with them.

  “What’s the matter, Tod? Stuck on that last clue?” asked Jeff as he trotted past.

  “Still puzzling,” answered Tod. “The rest of the gang thinks they know where they’re going.”

  Jeff held up his hand and formed his fingers into a large “OK” sign. Tod knew Jeff thought he had it made. He waited until Jeff and his followers were past the next mailbox, then reached out and opened it.

  “There’s something in there, Barney. Reach in and get it while I stand in front of you—just in case they look back.”

  Barney obeyed, and Tod slowly walked ahead reading the clue.

  CROSS THE ROAD

  KNOCK AT THE DOOR

  THEY KNOW WHAT

  YOU ARE COMING FOR!

  Tod walked backward, replaced the clue in the box, and looked at Barney. “Now all we need is our team!”

  When Jeff’s team had gone ahead, the members of Tod’s team gradually returned to find their captain. “Tod!” exclaimed Tricia, “Are you going to let them win?”

  “Is everyone here?” asked Tod. The boys and girls gathered around and he reached in the mailbox and pulled out the clue. A moment later Mrs. Graybill was passing out large, juicy oranges. When she had seen that everyone had one, she handed Tod another clue. Tod opened the paper and read,

  THE BRIDAL TRAIL WILL LEAD YOU ON

  UNTIL YOU REACH THE ALTAR,

  BUT ON THIS BRIDLE TRAIL YOU’LL FIND

  THE CRITTER WEARS A HALTER.

  “That’s a clue?” asked Pam.

  “Mmmm,” Tricia mumbled. “Brides and altars.”

  “There are other kinds of bridal trails, little sister,” laughed Tod.

  “Sure, a bridle trail is a horse trail!” exclaimed Skinny Peterson, who had her own horse.

  Tod couldn’t help but laugh. Skinny had her hair done up in a pony tail.

  He turned to Mrs. Graybill. “Thanks. If we see the other team we’ll send them back.”

  A quarter mile farther they turned off the main road. The bridle trail led through the woods, up over the hill, and behind the old Martin place. The gang scattered out along the trail searching for clues. There was no sign of Jeff and his team, and Tod concluded they had continued along the main road. Well, they would become tired before long and retrace their steps.

  Barney was dragging his shovel behind him, catching it from time to time on tree roots and bushes. Tod wondered what possible use they would find for it. He lagged behind the others so he wouldn’t get too far ahead of Barney. Every few minutes they would catch up to the group sitting beside the trail waiting.

  After the climb to the top of the hill, the trail leveled off. Just before they reached the clearing around the Martin place, Tod and Barney saw the gang standing in a circle looking at something along the trail. They parted when they heard Tod and Barney. Next to the trail, rocks had been piled together and in the center a stick had been placed in a standing position. A red ribbon was tied to it. Tod crouched and began to search for the clue.

  “I don’t see anything,” he said as he puzzled over the problem. He began to take the stones from the pile examining each one, but when he had finished he still had no clue.

  “I don’t get it,” he said frowning. He replied the stones and replaced the stick.

  They fanned out searching the ground nearby, but gathered again around the little mound of stones. A bluejay flew overhead scolding loudly.

  “Look!” exclaimed Pam pointing upward. There in the tree was another red ribbon tied around a branch. Tod reached up on tiptoe and felt around the limb. A moment later he held a piece of paper in his hand.

  DON’T GO IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE

  WHERE GHOSTS AND GOBLINS PLAYED.

  RIPE, RED APPLES ONCE GREW HERE.

  PERHAPS YOU’LL NEED A SPADE.

  “A spade,” cried Barney. “I brought one. See, Tod. It will be useful after all!”

  Tod grinned. Maybe Barney was right.

  “And I know where to look this time,” said Tod. “There’s a dead apple tree right in front of the house. Let’s go!”

  Barney tried to get there first but his short legs weren’t quick enough. He came up to the tree panting and dragging his shovel.

  “Where shall I dig?” he asked. Everyone laughed. Tod was down on his hands and knees searching around the base of the old tree trunk. At last he found a hollow and inside was the next clue.

  “Sorry, Barn,” he said as he held it up. “No need for the spade after all.” Barney looked so disappointed that Tod almost wished he’d let him dig.

  BEFORE YOU START DOWN

  THE HILL BY THIS NAME

  A LARGE TREE YOU’LL SPY

  WITH A NAME THAT’S THE SAME.

  “I don’t get it,” Donna said shaking her brown curls.

  “I think maybe I do,” Tricia grinned. “What’s the name of this hill?”

  “It’s Madrona Hill,” said Bill Faris.

  “‘Before you start down the hill by this name’—Madrona Hill, sure,” said Tod. “That has to be it.”

  “And the large tree must be a madrona tree,” Bill added.

  Tod replaced the clue in the hollow in the tree. “Let’s just follow the trail to the path that goes down the hill and then look for a big madrona tree.”

  Skinny Peterson and Pam ran ahead, with Jim and Bill Faris following th
em. Tod and Barney were ahead of Tricia and Donna, but the girls soon passed them, leaving Tod impatiently urging Barney to hurry.

  “Barney, I wasn’t going to say anything about that shovel, but it sure is a nuisance and slows us up all the time. If Jeff hadn’t taken off on that wild goose chase they’d have gotten to the treasure by this time.”

  Barney didn’t answer, and Tod immediately was sorry he had spoken. “Maybe you’ll use it yet,” he said with a sigh.

  They had gone only a short distance when they saw Tricia and Donna running back toward them. “Tod, come quick!” called Tricia.

  “Did you find another clue?”

  “No,” panted Donna. “The others are up ahead—they saw the—man in the stovepipe—hat.”

  Skinny Peterson, Pam, and the Faris boys were waiting on the trail just ahead. “Tell Tod what you saw,” said Tricia.

  Skinny Peterson’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head. Pam’s face was white, and the two boys looked puzzled.

  “There was this guy—I mean, man,” began Skinny. “I just saw his back for a minute. He was wearing a black suit and he had on a tall black hat!”

  Tod and Barney looked at each other. “Did anyone else see him?” he asked.

  “I didn’t,” said Pam.

  “We didn’t either,” added Bill and Jim.

  “Well, I saw him!” exclaimed Skinny. “It was real creepy. What would a man be dressed like that for out here in the woods?”

  “Maybe he has something to do with the treasure hunt,” suggested Pam.

  “I think Skinny was seeing things,” Tod said as he gave a warning look to Barney and the girls.

  “Yeah, Skinny,” laughed Jim. “You and your imagination!”

  The others began to laugh, and Tod knew they thought Skinny was making it up.

  At the top of the hill they began to look for a large madrona tree. Tod was glad when they found the clue right away. It was tucked in the crotch between two branches. All it said was,

  TRAIL’S END.

  TREASURE AT THE MITCHELLS’.

  The gang whooped and hollered as they raced down the hill and through the woods. When Barney and Tod arrived in the yard shortly after the others, Mr. Taylor was waiting for them.