The Mystery Of The Nervous Lion Part 4

Eastland shrugged. "Let's say that being attacked by a bad-tempered lion doesn't do anybody any good."

Jim Hall's lips tightened. "Now, hold on there. We still don't know for certain George did it."

"Who else could do a job like that? Wait till you see-"

"I'm going to do that right now," Jim Hall snapped. "Just as soon as I lock George in the house."

As he lowered the tail-board, a horn sounded. A, small old lorry came bouncing around the turn.

"It's Doc Dawson," Mike Hall whispered to the boys.

The driver braked to a skidding halt and jumped out. He was tall and thin. Under his grizzled moustache jutted the stub of an unlit cigar. He hurried towards the group with long strides, carrying a black leather medical bag.

The visitor stopped as he saw the lion in the van. Ignoring Eastland, he addressed Jim Hail in a gruff voice. "Got here as fast as I could, Jim, after Mike's call. What's that about George being hurt?"

"Flesh wound on his leg, Doc," Jim answered. "Somebody let George out while Mike and I were away. We rounded him up north of the bunkhouse."

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"It looks like somebody cut him with a knife or machete, Doc," Mike Hall put in.

The angular vet turned to Mike, frowning. "Who could have done that to old George? I'd better have a look. Hold him steady for me, will you, Jim?"

The vet leaned forward as Jim Hall held the lion's mane. "Let's have a look, Georgie, boy," the vet said softly.

He slipped off the handkerchief bandage and lifted the lion's leg. The animal whimpered.

"Come on, George," the vet said. "I won't hurt you. Been taking care of you since you were a baby."

After a cursory glance, Dawson dropped the leg. "Superficial cut, Jim, but nasty.

I'd better take him back to the dispensary for a better look. We don't want to risk an infection."

"Right," Jim Hall said. "You're going with Doc Dawson, George," he informed the lion, guiding him down the slanted tail-board.

As the vet started for his truck, the irate film producer stepped in his way. "What's going on?" he bellowed. "Where you taking that lion? We hired him for the movie. He starts work tomorrow morning at eight sharp."

Doc Dawson stopped to light his stub of cigar and blew smoke in Eastland's face.

"That lion will be ready to work when I say he is. His leg may be better by tomorrow morning, and then again it may not. My job is to keep George healthy. I don't care two cents for your crummy movie. Now get out of my way, mister, or I'll walk right over you!"

Jupe and his companions quietly watched the drama. At the sudden vehemence in the vet's voice, Eastland paled and backed off. Dawson opened the rear door of his truck. Jim Hall brought George forward, patted the lion's flank, and raised his hand.

"Up you go, Georgie."

Obediently, the lion leaped into the truck. Hall closed the door and Dawson drove off. The lion pressed against the open-mesh sides of the truck, looking sad, a whimpering sound in its throat.

Eastland stepped forward again. "I'm telling you now, Hall, that lion better be ready," he threatened. "Now do you want to see what he did to Rock Randall, or not?"

Without a word, Jim Hall followed the film producer into his station wagon. He waved to Mike as the driver spun the long car around, calling as he caught Jupe's eye, "Sorry, fellows-I'll see you later."

Jupe watched thoughtfully until the station wagon disappeared into the jungle.

"That sounds like a bad scene, if it's true," he said.

"If what's true?" Mike Hall snapped. "My Uncle Jim's story or Mr. Eastland's?"

Jupe shrugged. "I'm not disputing your uncle's word, Mike. But you have to admit he looked worried."

"I'm sorry, Jupe," Mike said, his voice breaking. "I didn't mean to flare up at you.

But anything that concerns my uncle, concerns me, too. I-well, I'm living with him because my parents were killed in a car accident. He's my father's brother, and my only family now - except for Cal."

"Cal?" asked Bob.

"Who's he?" Pete put in.

"Cal Hall is my other uncle. He's a big game hunter and explorer in Africa," Mike explained. "He sends Jim animals for Jungle Land. If Jim gets them young enough, like with George, he can train them easily. He puts the others on exhibit here and hopes to train them all some day. But it's a lot harder to do once they're full grown."

"How come Jay Eastland acts so nasty?" Pete asked. "What's he got against your Uncle Jim?"

"Nothing I know of," Mike said. "He's worried about his movie getting done on schedule. And before he leased Jungle Land, he wanted an agreement it would be safe working here, with the animals around. Jim guaranteed it would."

"What happens if your uncle guessed wrong-and there's an accident?" Bob asked.

"Jim would lose a lot of money. He had to put up a bond of fifty thousand dollars as a guarantee. He signed over Jungle Land as security for the bond. So he could lose everything. He's losing money already because tourists aren't allowed in when we rent out for a movie. They might disrupt things."

Jupiter listened carefully. "I a.s.sume, though, that your uncle will make a considerable amount of money if the movie goes through on schedule, without any accidents. Correct?"

"Yes," Mike admitted. "I don't know the exact amount but it's so much a day.

And George gets paid five hundred dollars when he works. Trained animals are rented for a lot of money-just like movie stars."

"Has George had any accidents before?" asked Jupe. "Has he ever attacked anybody?"

"No," Mike said. "Never. He's a very gentle animal and well-trained. That is-"

he bit his lip "-until lately, anyway. Recently he's been acting up."

Bob, in charge of Records and Research, had his little memo book open. "We still have no information about that," he said. "How has George been acting? What's he doing now that he didn't do before? Maybe that might give us a hint, Mike, about what's making him nervous."

"Well, he's not himself. He's on edge. He stays in the house with us but lately he hasn't slept well. Almost every night, he's up and growling, walking around, trying to get out. Jim can't get him to go back to sleep, and he doesn't take orders as he used to. He's getting so hard to handle now I'm afraid he's not the good-natured, well-trained animal he used to be."

"It could be something outside is exciting him," Jupe said. "Are any animals here allowed to roam loose at night?"

Mike shook his head. "We have deer in a compound but they can't get out. We have horses that are used in a lot of Westerns. They're kept in a corral. We've got two elephants down by the lake but they're in their own compound, too, and stay there.

We've got racc.o.o.ns, monkeys, birds, dogs, chickens, and a lot of other animals-but they're all penned up at night and accounted for."

"Nevertheless," Jupe said, "something or somebody is making George nervous."

"Nervous enough, maybe, to attack that actor, Rock Randall," said Pete. "Though maybe he asked for it. I remember hearing he's a pretty nasty guy."

"He'd have to be pretty stupid as well as nasty to start up with George," Bob said.

"George didn't look too friendly and gentle when we ran into him. Maybe it was because he got that cut on his leg. Maybe not."

"We can't say anything for sure yet, fellows," Jupe said. "We can't blame George for Randall's accident until Jim comes back and tells us what happened. Maybe it was another kind of accident. One that none of the animals here were-"

Mike clapped his hands suddenly. "The gorilla!" he cried.

"What gorilla?" Pete asked.

"Do you have a gorilla here, too?" Bob said.

"Not yet-but we're expecting one. Part of a new shipment from my Uncle Cal.

Maybe it got here already, and got loose-and attacked Rock Randall!"

Jupe held his hand up. "a.s.suming it already got here how could it escape?

Wouldn't it be in a locked cage?"

Mike nodded. "You're right. I'm acting as nervous as George, myself. Jim didn't say anything about the gorilla arriving, and he'd know. Besides, if it was here, there's no way it could get out of its cage unless-unless-"

"Unless what, Mike?" asked Bob.

The young boy licked his lips. "Unless somebody who didn't like my Uncle Jim opened its cage and let it out!"

Chapter 8.

A Tough Customer IT WAS STILL early afternoon and The Three Investigators were on their way back to The Jones Salvage Yard with Konrad. Their time had run out before Jim Hall returned. The boys left Mike with the promise that they would return at the earliest opportunity.

Konrad, already waiting for them outside the Jungle Land gate, looked relieved when they came out. "You look hokay," he said. "I guess maybe you get along all right with that lion inside."

"He sounds a lot tougher than he is, Konrad," Jupe said. "We'll see what happens next time."

The big Bavarian shook his head dubiously. "You coming back here again? You push your luck too much maybe, Jupe."

Jupe smiled. "I don't think so, Konrad. At least, I hope not. Anyway, we're involved in a mystery and we'll have to keep coming back until it's solved."

Konrad only shook his head again and started the lorry, remaining gloomily silent on the trip home.

The boys resumed their conversation.

"We have one possible suspect anyway," Bob said. "Hank Morton. He has a motive for letting George out-to get even for being fired. I'd suspect Jay Eastland, too, but what could his motive be? I don't see that he gains anything by delaying his movie. Usually they try to get them done on time, don't they, Pete?"

"Sure," Pete replied. "I've heard it from my dad often. Film companies have a limited budget and a tight schedule, as a rule. Especially so when they're working on location, like Mr. Eastland is now at Jungle Land. What do you think, Jupe?"

"I'm not certain yet what to think," their stocky leader said slowly. "It could be an act of revenge on Hank Morton's part. Or something to do with Jim Hall's putting up his whole operation as security for his animals' good behaviour while the movie is being shot. He stands to lose an awful lot if anything goes wrong. Too much, if you ask m."

"Anyway, that's not what we came out for," Pete said. "It was because of a nervous lion, remember? Nothing anybody's said so far deals with that. We still don't know what's making George nervous."

"That's true," Jupe admitted. "And for all we know, the lion getting out of the house and then being wounded could have been purely accidental. He could have jumped out of a window, or the wind might have blown a door open. He could have cut his leg any number of ways. His nervousness is something else."

"Maybe what they need there is a good animal psychologist instead of a vet," said Bob.

Konrad interrupted their speculations by announcing their arrival at the salvage yard with a warning blast of his horn.

Jupe looked up surprised. "Thanks, Konrad. You made good time."

"I go back that way again for more pickup stuff tomorrow," Konrad said. "In case you fellows still got business with that lion."

"Swell, Konrad," said Jupe. "I'll let you know if we're going."

The boys jumped out of the cab as Konrad continued to the far end of the junkyard. Jupe started towards Headquarters, then stopped abruptly, an astonished look on his face.

"They're gone!" he cried.

"What's gone?" Pete asked.

"The bars!" Jupe exclaimed. "That whole stack we unloaded from the lorry yesterday morning. All gone! Uncle t.i.tus must have made a fast deal."

Bob scratched his head, puzzled. "Who would want to buy a lorryload of rusty iron bars?"

Jupe shrugged. "I don't know. But it's the kind of luck my uncle always has."

Bob looked over Jupe's shoulder and groaned. "Uh-oh! Here comes your aunt, Jupe. She's got that look in her eye that means work!"

Jupiter turned to face his aunt. "Were you looking for us, Aunt Mathilda?"

"Indeed I was," his aunt said. "Where were you boys? A customer came and bought up all those iron bars, and there wasn't a soul around to help him load them."

Jupiter explained that Uncle t.i.tus had given them permission to ride with Konrad on his trip to Chatwick. "Wasn't Hans around?" he asked.

"Indeed he wasn't," his aunt replied. "He was off again with your uncle to pick up some more of those bars. Apparently he's found a place that has plenty of them cheap."

Jupe smiled. "All right, Aunt Mathilda. We'll try to be around if that customer returns for more of the same."

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if he did," his aunt said. "So mind you are here tomorrow." As she turned to go, she added over her shoulder, "And by the way, I've fixed up a stack of sandwiches. They're in the office. You and your friends might be hungry."

As the boys started happily off towards the office cabin, Mathilda Jones added, "And when you've finished, Jupiter, you'll have to mind the office. I have to go downtown to do some shopping now. t.i.tus should be back soon."