Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues Read Free Page B

brave and true!”
    “The dog didn’t attack Charlie because of the red pants,” said Encyclopedia. “Miguel gave the order.”
    “Prove it,” said Sally.
    “That’s easy,” replied Encyclopedia.
     
    WHAT WAS THE PROOF?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
(Please see solutions section)

The Case of the Divining Rod
    Sally jumped off her bike in front of the Brown Detective Agency.
    “How much money do we have in the treasury?” she called.
    Encyclopedia took the shoe box from its hiding place behind an old tire. He counted the money in it.
    “Three dollars and eighteen cents,” he said. “It’s time we went to the bank.”
    “It’s time we went to the beach,” corrected Sally. “We can make a million at the beach.”
    “A million what? Footprints?”
    “Take out the money and come on!” said Sally. “We can buy a divining rod for three dollars. We can make a million dollars with it. Maybe even more!”
    The idea of making a million dollars had crossed the mind of Encyclopedia before. But he never thought of making more than a million.
    “A divining rod?” he mumbled. “Say, isn’t that a twig of hazel wood that’s used to find underground water?”
    “This divining rod doesn’t find water,” said Sally. “It finds gold.”
    Encyclopedia shoved three dollars into his pocket. He reached for his bike. “Tell me more,” he said.
    Sally explained how easy it would be to get rich as they rode toward the beach.
    “Ace Kurash is selling the divining rods for three dollars apiece,” she began.
    “Ace Kurash ... ?” Encyclopedia couldn’t place the name.
    “Last week Ace’s father brought twenty rods back from the islands,” continued Sally. “The first time out, Ace found a gold coin. It’s worth ten dollars!”
    Ace Kurash—suddenly Encyclopedia placed him.
    Ace was seventeen. His father had a charter boat. Ace worked on it as a mate occasionally. Mostly he worked at the Children’s Farm for stealing automobiles or television sets.
    Encyclopedia and Sally reached the beach and parked their bikes. Around fifty boys and girls were standing near the old lighthouse on Pirates’ Point.
    Encyclopedia spied some of his gang among the crowd—Charlie Stewart, Billy and Jody Turner, Herb Stein, and Pinky Plummer. Bugs Meany and his Tigers were there, too.
    In the center of the children were three tall boys in their late teens. One carried a basket filled with divining rods. The second carried a shovel. The third was Ace Kurash.
    “A lot of you think I’m trying to cheat you,” said Ace. “But I’ll tell you this. Last week I took this divining rod out near the marina and found a buried gold coin.”
    Ace held up a coin in one hand and a divining rod—a forked twig—in the other.
    “This coin is worth ten dollars,” he announced. “If any of you had found it, you’d have paid off the price of a divining rod three times over!”
    “Aw,” grumbled Bugs. “Cut the chatter and let’s see that hunk of firewood do its stuff.”
    “I don’t blame you, kid,” said Ace. “Doubt all you like—till you see it work with your own eyes. Me, I wouldn’t pay three dollars on your say-so, either. So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to find gold right here and now.”
    Ace held the forked twig with both hands. He bowed his head a second. Then he walked slowly down the beach.
    Right behind him marched his two pals. The one with the shovel had it balanced lightly in his hands, ready to dig up sand the moment Ace gave the word. The other carried the basket of divining rods on his hip, ready to sell them like hotcakes when gold was discovered.
    “If there is an ounce of gold under the sand here, I’ll find it with my divining rod,” promised Ace.
    The children fell into step on each side of him. No one spoke a word. All eyes stared at the twig in Ace’s hands.
    “Lots of pirates used to come to this beach,” said Ace. “Who knows how many treasure chests they hid around