The Mystery of the Headless Horseman Read Online Free PDF

concerned about the bazaar tomorrow!
    “Harrison!” Brian called sharply. “Don’t fall asleep! Trixie, Mart! All of you! Keep him talking! I’m going to see if there’s any sign of that ambulance.”
    When he had gone, Di looked as though she were trying desperately to think of something to say. All she finally managed was a hesitant “We were very—well—worried about you when you didn’t come home last night.”
    There was no answer.
    The black Persian cat jumped down from the window seat and came and rubbed himself against Trixie’s ankles. She bent down and picked him up, then began to tickle him under his chin.
    “I’ll bet his name is Fluffy,” she said.
    Harrison’s eyes opened. “No, his name is Henry the Eighth. It used to be just plain Henry, but we—that is, his owner and I—think he’s got a lot of wives, you see.”
    “His owner?”
    “Mrs. Crandall. Mrs. Rose Crandall. Henry is her cat. This house belongs to her, too. She—she was called away unexpectedly yesterday. She should be home soon....” His voice faded.
    Trixie didn’t look at Di. “You came here last night to give Henry his dinner, didn’t you?”
    Di opened her mouth to protest, but something in Harrison seemed to have snapped to attention. “Now, how did you know that?”
    “Keep talking, Trix,” Jim whispered.
    Trixie said, “There was a' cat’s dish on the kitchen floor and a freshly opened can of cat food on the counter. You didn’t even have time to put it away in the refrigerator, did you?”
    Harrison seemed to be choosing his words with care. “No. I—I thought I heard a noise in the cellar, you see. I went down the stairs. I shut the door behind me and accidentally locked myself in.”
    “And your cranium?” Mart asked, trying to help Trixie keep the conversation going. “How did you come to smite your pate?”
    “Ah, that was very foolish of me,” Harrison said, “very foolish. I was trying hard to reopen the door, and I slipped and fell down the stairs.” He met Trixie’s gaze blandly. “And that’s really all there is to tell, miss—except, of course, to thank you for rescuing me. By the way, how did you know I was here?”
    “We followed the marks made by your bicycle tires,” Honey said. “When we saw the bike on the front porch, we guessed we were on the right track.”
    “You may leave the bicycle here,” Harrison said, “and I’ll retrieve it later. It will be quite safe.” He paused. “It was very fortunate for me that you did follow my trail. This house was solidly built many, many years ago. The cellar is in the rear, and I feared no one would hear my cries for help.”
    “We almost didn’t.” Honey had to raise her voice above the wail of a siren.
    “Hooray!” Mart cried. “The medicinable conveyance is here at last.”
    “And so is the doctor,” Jim said on his way to open the front door.
    Suddenly everyone seemed to be busy at once. Mart and Jim hurried outside to soothe the horses, who were frightened by the unexpected noises. Di rushed to give earnest instructions to the ambulance attendants. Even Brian ran out briefly to report to Dr. Ferris, who was climbing out of his car.
    Without a specific task to do, Honey became restless. As Trixie watched, her friend wandered around the room, almost absentmindedly closing the drawers of a desk. Then she tidied some disarranged books and straightened a greeting card that stood on the mantlepiece.
    Only Trixie remained by Harrison’s side. She glanced down at him and realized that he had been watching her as intently as she had been watching Honey.
    They looked at each other in silence.
    “There’s more to tell, isn’t there?” Trixie said quietly.
    Harrison only shook his head. “No, miss,” he said. “You’ve heard the whole story. I’ve told you everything I know.”
    But Trixie knew that he hadn’t.

Curiouser and Curiouser ● 5

    IT SEEMED as if it were no time at all before the ambulance was on its way to