William Arden: The Secret Of Phantom Lake

Rory lapsed into a sullen silence.

“Mrs. Gunn?” Jupiter said after a moment. “How many people would know what’s in the letter and the first journal?”

“Over the years, Jupiter, many people must have read them.”

“Then that could explain the break-ins,” Jupiter said. “Java Jim must know about them, and must think the letter does refer to a journal. There’s a gap of two months between the last entry in the first journal and Angus’s murder. Java Jim probably realised there had to be a second journal! So he searched for it!”

Then he’s another big fool,” Rory muttered.

“I don’t think so,” Jupiter said. “Look what Angus said in the letter — I must write these last, urgent words in the knowledge that other eyes may see them. So he wrote a puzzle he thought Laura could solve. I’m convinced that Angus did hide some treasure, which can be found by solving the puzzle with a clue in the second journal!”

Bob, Pete, and young Cluny nodded eagerly.

“Perhaps so, Jupiter,” Mrs. Gunn said, “but how could anyone hope to solve the puzzle if Laura couldn’t? It was written for her.”

“We’ll figure it out, ma’am!” Bob cried.

“We’ve solved lots of puzzles and mysteries!” Pete said.

Jupiter drew himself up taller. “As it happens, Mrs. Gunn, solving mysteries and conundrums is our business.” He took a card from his pocket and presented it to Mrs. Gunn.

Cluny, wide-eyed, read it over his mother’s shoulder:

Rory grabbed the card and glared at it. He looked at the boys suspiciously. Jupiter ignored him.

“We would like to offer our services,” he said solemnly.

“We sure would!” Pete added.

Cluny urged, “Let them try, Mum! And I’ll help!”

“Well.” Mrs. Gunn smiled. “I see no harm in it, and if there were a treasure we could certainly use it, boys.”

“Hurray!” Bob, Pete, and Cluny cried together.

Mrs. Gunn laughed. “Then what about some lunch? Treasure hunters need their strength.”

Rory threw down the card. “It’s some trick, Flora!”

“I don’t think so, Rory,” Mrs. Gunn said.

“Then I wash my hands of the whole affair,” Rory raged, and stamped out of the living-room.

Jupiter watched him go, and frowned.

As soon as lunch was over, Rory McNab left, muttering that he was going to cut some Christmas greens from pines along the road. The boys and Mrs. Gunn returned to the living-room and began to study the second journal carefully.

“First, fellows,” Jupiter said, “you’ll notice that the journal isn’t a true diary. Angus didn’t write about his thoughts or plans, nor did he really describe anything. Most entries are brief, a line or two — Worked in the yard today and saw an eagle. More like a ship’s log — just the facts and no explanations.”

“The other journal’s just like that, too,” Bob said.

“So most entries don’t tell us anything,” Jupiter went on. “But Angus says in the letter to follow his course and read what his days built. He didn’t want Laura to note all he did, but only where he went and what he built.”

Cluny looked at the journal. “Well, the first entry’s about going somewhere — today began work on Laura’s surprise. First to Powder Gulch for men and sluice timber .”

“He was building something!” Pete exclaimed;

“As the letter says,” Jupiter agreed. “What next, Cluny?”

The red-headed boy turned several pages. “Nothing for two weeks. Just little notes — Saw hawk , and that sort of thing. Then he went to an island.”

“Mrs. Gunn?” Jupiter said. “What was Laura’s surprise?”

“I have no idea,” Mrs. Gunn said. “Perhaps furniture?”

“Well, we’ll think about that later,” Jupiter decided. “Men and sluice timber. A sluice is a trough to carry water. Miners used to wash gold out of ore with a sluice. Is there a mine here at Phantom Lake, Cluny?”

“Not that I ever heard,” Cluny said. “You mean a gold mine?”

“Maybe Angus built a secret mine!” Pete exclaimed.

“That’s possible, Second,” Jupiter conceded. “But I’ve got a hunch we won’t find our answers here. Angus said to follow his course, as if the clue is somewhere he went. Fellows, we’ll go to Powder Gulch!”

“Is Powder Gulch around here?” asked Pete.

Cluny said, “It’s only a mile or so up the highway.”

“I’m surprised you don’t know about it, Pete,” Jupiter said. “It’s quite famous in local history. I’ve read all about it. It —”

Bob jumped up. “The old ghost town! Sure!”

“A… a ghost town?” Pete gulped. “Do we have to go?”

“We do,” Jupiter declared, and stood up. “And we’ll go right now!”

The battered sign that read “Powder Gulch” pointed off the highway and along a narrow dirt road. The four boys cycled down the road and ten minutes later saw the ghost town below.

They stopped to study the town. Ruined old shacks were scattered along a dry creek bed, and dilapidated buildings with high false fronts lined the single street. One large building was labelled “Saloon”. Another had “General Store” clearly painted on it. A squat adobe building was marked “Jail”. There were also a blacksmith shop and livery stable. At the far end of the street, in the side of a mountain, stood the dark entrance to the gold mine that was the reason for the town in the old days.

“This town was abandoned about 1890 when the mine ran out,” Jupiter explained. “The creek was then dammed to make a reservoir.”

Pete groaned. “What can we expect to find here after a hundred years, Jupe?”

“I don’t know, Second,” Jupiter admitted. “But I’m certain Angus Gunn wanted Laura to look here. Maybe there was a newspaper once. Perhaps we can find some old issues around.”

“Maybe there’s even an old morgue,” said Bob, referring to the clipping files that newspapers maintain.

“I hope we don’t end up in a different kind morgue!” Pete said flatly.

“Come on,” Jupiter said.

They cycled on down to the edge of the old ghost town — and stopped! A locked gate faced them. The entire ghost town was circled by a high fence!

“It’s all fenced in!” Cluny cried. “And those signs painted on the buildings look new! You think someone’s living here again?”

“I… don’t know,” Jupiter said.

The boys waited a minute, straining to hear any signs of life in the town. But Powder Gulch remained ominously silent.

“I guess we’ll have to climb the fence, fellows,” Jupe said at last.

Dropping their bikes, the boys quietly started to climb. Moments later they stood on the other side looking up the dusty street.

“Pete, you and Bob look through the buildings on the left side of the street,” Jupiter decided nervously. “Cluny and I will take the jail and livery stable on the right, and go on to the mine. See if you can find anything about Angus Gunn and sluice timber.”

Bob and Pete nodded, and went first to the general store. They tiptoed inside and stopped, amazed. The store looked exactly as it must have a hundred years ago! The shelves were full of goods. Barrels of dried apples and flour, hardware, and leather harness crowded the low, dim room. Old-fashioned guns that shone like new hung on the walls. The long counter was clean and polished!

“Maybe someone is living here again!” Bob exclaimed softly.

“B-but… not someone from today,” Pete stammered. “Everything here looks like a hundred years ago. A store for… for ghosts!”