Chapter 3

Thursday, December 28

Trixie was very busy during the day. She had gone horseback riding with Honey first thing in the morning and found out that Tansy didn’t have any idea about what someone might want at her house. Mrs. Belden had quite a few projects she wanted completed before they went to dinner at the Wheelers’. So Trixie was unable to talk to Honey for the rest of the day. Brian and Mart were just as busy. Finally, it was five o’clock, and Mrs. Belden had declared that their work was satisfactory, and that Trixie, Brian and Mart could clean up and go on up to the Manor House.

Trixie put on a pretty dress, dusted her cheeks with a little powder, added a touch of lipstick and took extra care in combing out her hair. She met Brian and Mart at the foot of the stairs. They looked very nice dressed up. Since it was so cold and wet out, Brian had decided to drive everyone. Brian had already gone out to start up his car, so that it would be warm inside.

When they arrived at the Manor House, they found that Dan, Sirene and Diana had already arrived. Everyone was in the formal living room. There were four strangers there when they entered the room. Jim and Honey noticed as soon as Trixie, Brian and Mart walked in. They walked over to them and brought them over to be introduced to the strangers.

The first man was tall and slender, but powerfully built. He had long, jet-black hair that was tied back and penetrating deep green eyes. He had a narrow face with high-cheek bones. His name was Silvenus Marcellus. There was something about the man that drew everyone’s eyes to him. He had a deep, mesmerizing voice. He was polite and serious.

The second man they were introduced to was Silvenus’s brother, Kern. He wasn’t as tall as his brother, but had a bulky muscular build. He had short blonde hair with light blue eyes. He had the face of an Adonis. He smiled charmingly at them as they were introduced to him.

Next to him stood two young men, identical twins. They were very handsome, looking a lot like Kern, their father, only not as powerfully built. Their names were Roman and Remus. They were seventeen years old.

The two young men commandeered the attention of Honey, Trixie, Sirene and Diana, while their father, Kern, talked exclusively to Mrs. Wheeler, leaving the boys out of the conversations.

"You have to try to forgive my brother and nephews," Silvenus told the Bob-White males. "Unfortunately, they can’t refuse giving attention to beautiful women, and this room is full of them. But I’m pleased to meet all of you. Matt has often talked about you. He’s very proud of your accomplishments. I understand that all of you have done charity work for UNICEF. That’s one of the charities that I’m very involved with."

Just then, Celia came in and announced that dinner was ready. As always, the cook had provided a marvelous meal. After dinner, they retired back to the living room, where they were asked to take a seat. It appeared that Silvenus Marcellus wanted to speak with the Bob-Whites and Sirene.

"I’ve asked Matt if I could speak to you about asking for your help to obtain a book," Silvenus began.

The Bob-Whites sat up a little straighter after hearing that, each one thinking about the break-in at Tansy’s the day before.

"I collect old books. It has come to my attention that the Book of Be’al might be owned by a friend of yours. I would like to be introduced to her, so that I might make an offer for the book. Her name is Roiya Gifford," Silvenus explained.

"Excuse me, but what is the Book of Be’al?" Honey asked politely.

"It’s a book about Druids," Silvenus answered.

"How can we help? Why don’t you just ask Roiya?" Trixie asked.

"I have sent letters of inquiry and tried to call her, but she hasn’t responded. Since I was going to be here to look over Nightrider, I thought I might give it a try in person. I asked Matt for directions to her house. That’s when he told me that you were friends with her niece. So I was hoping you could set up a meeting for me. I’m thinking that if you tell her that I’m a friend of the family, she might be willing to see me," Silvenus said. "I’m willing to pay Miss Gifford handsomely for the book. Of course, if you can help me with this, there will be a finder’s reward for all of you."

The Bob-Whites looked at each other. Jim spoke up. "We can introduce you to Tansy, her niece, but I’m afraid that’s all we can do. Whether Tansy will introduce you to her aunt is up to her. Roiya is a very private person and doesn’t like strangers."

"That’s all that I’m asking for," Silvenus said with a smile.

"That is, if Tansy wants to talk to you," Trixie added. "I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t feel right to introduce her to you without telling her why you want to meet her."

"Mmm…very loyal to your friends, I see and protective," Silvenus said in his deep voice. "I’ll just have to hope that she’s willing to talk to me."

"That’s enough talk about a dusty old book!" Kern said scornfully "I rather these delightful young ladies tell us what is there to do around here. My sons and I are looking to having a few fun, relaxing few days."

Silvenus looked over at his brother with contempt. Trixie, sitting across the room with Jim, saw that look and wondered what the tension between the two brothers was all about. Silvenus caught Trixie’s eyes, mesmerizing her, drawing her into his deep green gaze. Trixie felt a compulsion to walk over to him. She had actually stood and started walking towards him, when Jim took a hold of her hand.

"Trixie," Jim whispered in her ear. He had noticed that Silvenus had been staring at Trixie, and that Trixie had her eyes fixed on Silvenus. Jim didn’t like it. He felt that there was danger around, but he didn’t know where it was coming from.

Trixie was startled, like she had just awoken, and looked over to Jim. She looked into Jim’s green eyes and saw concern.

"What’s the matter?" Trixie asked quietly.

"I’m not sure, but I don’t like the way Mr. Marcellus was staring at you," Jim said. "I’m not sure I trust him or his brother. I know that I don’t like the twins."

Trixie looked over to where Roman and Remus were demanding all of Honey and Diana’s attention. Kern Marcellus was hovering over Sirene, keeping Dan from her side.

"I see what you mean. I hope Brian, Dan and Mart don’t lose their tempers," Trixie said. "I agree with you. I don’t trust any of them. Don’t you think it’s suspicious that Silvenus is here, wanting a book the day after Tansy’s place had been searched? And I would also like to know exactly how valuable this book is."

"For once, I’m in agreement with you. I think Mr. Silvenus Marcellus would do anything to get his way," Jim said. "But remember, he’s also here to see Nightrider. He’s thinking about investing into our race horse."

"I don’t know, Jim. For some reason, I think that Nightrider is his excuse to come out here. I feel that he’s really after this book. I’m not sure why his brother and nephews are here, but I do know that they are conceited twerps. There’s something sneaky about them," Trixie said.

"What makes you think they’re sneaky?" Jim asked.

"Oh, they didn’t say anything out right, but the way they act, reminds me of Di’s fake Uncle Monty, Montague Wilson. They say one thing, but you can tell that they mean something else. I know Sirene doesn’t like Kern Silvenus. Look at her now; she’s as stiff as a board," Trixie said.

"I noticed that Honey and Diana look very bored talking to the twins. I think we need to go over and save them," Jim said, frowning as he noticed that the twins seemed to move closer to the two girls.

"Don’t worry. It looks like my brothers have had enough. Both Mart and Brian are heading towards them," Trixie said.

"I see Dan has also reached his limit," Jim said, nodding towards where Sirene and Kern Marcellus were standing. He could see Dan moving to stand next to Sirene.

"Probably just as well. By the look on Sirene’s face, she’s about ready to put that guy in his place," Trixie added.

Jim smiled. "It would be somewhat amusing to see his face if she did. But I guess Mother wouldn’t appreciate it."

"Just how important is Silvenus Marcellus to your father?" Trixie asked.

"I’m not sure. I know that he’s wealthier than Dad is, and that they have stock in some of the same companies, but I don’t think Dad has any direct business dealings with him," Jim answered.

Just then Honey and Brian came over to where Jim and Trixie were standing.

"Whew! Can you believe those two?" Honey asked. "They may be handsome, but they have to be the most conceited guys I’ve ever met. And it took your brother long enough to come save me!"

"I just didn’t want to be impolite and keep you to myself. I believe the proper social behavior is for us to mingle," Brian said, grinning.

"Huh! I happen to know better, Brian Belden," Honey said. "You and Mart overheard Diana and I say how handsome we thought they were when you first came in. So you purposely left us with them."

"Now that doesn’t make any sense. Why would I leave you with a handsome guy?" Brian said with a smile.

"That is a very good question. I would like to know the answer myself. Especially since your brother left me with that conceited jerk, even after I told him after dinner to stay by me," Diana said as she came up behind Brian with Mart following her.

"Excuse me, Miss Lynch, but it’s not my fault that Mrs. Wheeler called me over to talk to her for a few minutes. What was I supposed to do? Just ignore my hostess?" Mart said defensively.

"Oh, what did Mother want?" Honey asked.

"Apparently, Mr. Silvenus Marcellus is an amateur herbalist. She wanted to know if I knew anything about the subject," Mart answered.

"Is that why you had Brian come over?" Honey asked. "Because I know Brian knows a lot about that subject."

"Actually, it was your mother who wanted me there. She needed an interpreter, because she couldn’t understand half of what Mart was telling her," Brian said, teasing his brother.

‘Somehow, I think Mother found out more about herbs than she ever wanted to know," Jim said, grinning.

"Silvenus is going to retire now, and Kern and his sons are going out. I believe they decided to drive into the City tonight and won’t be back until tomorrow. So everyone is free for the rest of the evening. I want to thank all of you for being here. I know that Kern and his sons aren’t very entertaining company, but all of you handled it very well," Mrs. Wheeler told them as she walked up to them. "It seems that Kern and his sons arrived unexpectedly at Silvenus’ home on Long Island. Unfortunately, your father felt he had to invite them."

They looked behind her and noticed that Mr. Wheeler and Silvenus Marcellus were walking out of the room, and that Kern and the twins had already left.

Sirene and Dan walked over to where the rest of the Bob-Whites were standing. Mrs. Wheeler smiled at Dan and Sirene as she walked away from the group.

"I’ve met plenty of guys like that. They’re the type that think just because they’re handsome and rich that no girl can resist them. So all of you girls make sure you don’t get caught alone with them, and if you do, keep your defenses up," Sirene told them.

"I take it you didn’t like their auras," Dan stated.

"No, I didn’t. Kern and the twins are dark brown, almost black," Sirene said.

"How about Silvenus Marcellus?" Trixie asked.

" His aura was a blur, so I couldn’t get a focus on it. This is another first for me," Sirene admitted. " So, I don’t have a clue. I don’t think he’s a slime ball or creep like his brother and nephews, but I do think he’s very powerful and knows how to get what he wants."

"He definitely has something. He’s almost mesmerizing. He has the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard," Diana said.

"And those eyes. I mean it’s not like we don’t see green eyes around here, but his are different," Honey added.

‘Almost like you can fall in them," Trixie said.

"Oh, brother! Do you have to fall for every guy you meet?" Mart said, exasperated at Diana.

"The only eyes you should be falling into are mine, Miss Belden," Jim said at the same time.

"Well, excuse me, Mister Did-you-notice-her-eyes, isn’t that one of the first things you said about Sirene?" Diana shot back. "Just because I can appreciate that Mr. Marcellus has a beautiful voice doesn’t mean that I fell for him."

"I guess I just must have a thing for green eyes," Trixie said, grinning, with a twinkle in her eyes. "But, in all seriousness, it did feel like he was hypnotizing me. I know that sounds strange, but that’s the way it felt."

"Maybe we should let him meet Tansy. She might be able to pick up something on him. I think it’s sort of weird that he showed up, looking for a book a day after her place was searched," Sirene said.

"Jim and I were talking about that. I would really like to know exactly when they first came into Sleepyside," Trixie said.

"You’re thinking that they came ahead and tried to steal the book?" Honey asked.

"Well, it wouldn’t be the first time a crook came in ahead and scouted out the situation," Trixie said.

"Then again, it could be pure coincidence," Brian said.

They all looked at him.

"Brian, I’ve only been here for a few months, but from what I’ve been told and from my own observations, Trixie and coincidence don’t go together," Sirene said dryly.

Brian sighed. "I guess it was just wishful thinking. Heaven forbid that we have a vacation of any type without a mystery."

Jim grinned. "Cheer up, old chap. That’s what keeps us young."

"Then, we’re the youngest teenagers in history," Brian retorted. "Don’t forget that Mr. Wheeler invited Mr. Marcellus to look at Nightrider a couple days ago. So why would he break into Tansy’s house the day before he arrives?"

 

"Brian Belden, you know that that want to find out if the Marcelluses have anything to do with the break-in at Tansy’s just as much as the rest of us," Honey declared. "I can’t answer your question, but I have a feeling that the Marcelluses are involved with the break-in somehow."

"I didn’t say that I wouldn’t help, but it would be nice to have a vacation where we just enjoy ourselves without having to worry about criminals," Brian said.

Sirene smiled. "How about if we plan for a vacation down to Dunnellon, Florida?. My family belongs to a club down there, and they have nice cabins we can stay at. If we go in early June, right after school gets out, it will be beautiful. Dunnellon is a real quiet, small town. I can guarantee that there will be no mystery to interrupt your vacation."

"She doesn’t know our Trixie very well. I can almost guarantee that something interesting will happen," Dan said, laughing.

"So what would we do down there?" Diana asked

"Oh, there’s lots of things. We can go tubing down the Rainbow River or take a boat out on the Withlacoochee River, where you can see alligators in the wild. Orlando is only two hours away, so we could spend a day there, plus there’s Cedar Key and Homosassa Springs, diving, and snorkeling," Sirene said.

"That sounds like fun! If we start planning for it now, I’m sure we could all go," Honey said excitedly.

"Can you imagine an actually planned trip? Honey’s right. If we plan it now and get our parents’ permission, then everyone will know not to schedule anything for that time," Trixie added.

"Sounds like a plan to me. This also will give us time to save up a lot of spending cash," Dan said.

The rest of the Bob-Whites agreed that it sounded great, and they would discuss it with their parents and guardians and make plans for the second week in June.

"Well, since that’s decided, what are we going to do about Tansy?" Trixie asked, getting everyone back on the subject of Tansy meeting Silvenus Marcellus.

"I think we’ll approach her about introducing him to her tomorrow while riding," Honey said.

"I’m afraid that Dan, Sirene, Diana and I will not be available to give you our assistance. We’ve already been drafted to help Sirene’s grandparents take down their Christmas decorations first thing tomorrow. But we can meet in the afternoon," Mart told them.

"Oh, why don’t they just come over after lunch? I’m sure we’ll be done by then, and Nana would love to have them over. We can meet in the basement. It’s very warm down there. That is if you want to. I know that this is really a Bob-White thing, so if you would rather meet privately somewhere else, just say so. I’ll understand," Sirene offered.

"Don’t be silly. You were included in this invitation, so of course you’re involved. I think meeting at your place is a great idea," Trixie said.

So it was decided that Brian, Jim, Trixie and Honey would ride in the morning with Tansy and meet with the rest of the Bob-Whites at Sirene’s house.

 

Chapter 4

Friday, December 29

It was a crisp, cold day, but the sun was shining. Snow was lying on the ground, but not too deeply. Brian and Trixie arrived at the stables to find Honey, Jim and Tansy already there. They had all of the horses saddled and ready for them.

"You’ve been busy beavers this morning, haven’t you?" Trixie said. "I know that we’re not late, because Brian made sure that I got up in time."

"Actually, it was Regan and Tansy that saddled all the horses," Jim remarked. "Tansy apparently is an early riser like Regan."

"Well, thank you, Tansy and Regan. It’s always nice to have such a pleasant surprise," Brian said, smiling at both Tansy and Regan as the Bob-Whites mounted the horses.

"Well, all of you be careful. It’s slick out there. Don’t let your horses get overheated or too cold. I’ll be working with Nightrider this morning, so stay out of trouble," Regan said, face stern, but eyes twinkling.

Tansy reached up and gave him a small kiss. "Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on things and keep them out of trouble."

"My question is who’s going to keep you out of trouble?" Regan said, helping her to mount Lady.

Tansy just gave him a saucy grin and followed the others out of the stables.

They rode along the trails that lead to Mr. Maypenny’s cabin. They stopped and talked to Mr. Maypenny for a short time, then they continued on their ride. Jim told Tansy about their meeting with Silvenus Marcellus.

"He must be the man that was at the breakfast table this morning," Tansy stated.

"So, you did meet him already?" Honey inquired.

"No, I started to go into the room, but he was there. I don’t like being around strangers, so I left and went and had breakfast with Regan," Tansy explained. "I don’t think we have a book about druids. I’ve read everything we have and I would have remembered a book about druids."

"Maybe your aunt has it hidden away and just hasn’t shown it to you yet," Trixie suggested.

"That could be. There are a lot of things my aunt doesn’t tell me," Tansy admitted.

"So, the book very well could exist, and your aunt may have it," Trixie said, thinking out loud.

There was silence as they rode along. Everyone could tell Trixie was deep in thought.

"I know this might sound strange, but is there anyway your aunt could have known about Silvenus Marcellus coming?" Trixie asked.

"Oh, she did know about him!" Tansy said excitedly. "I remember now. I told her that the Wheelers were having company. I told her the name, because it was such an unusual name, and Aunt Roiya loves to collect strange and unusual names. Come to think of it, she did look rather pale when I told her the name of the person coming. But I didn’t think anything about it at that time."

"But surely, your aunt wouldn’t leave without telling you," Honey said.

"No, she never has left without leaving me a note before," Tansy answered. "Aunt Roiya keeps to herself, but she’s always insisted on what she calls ‘civilized manners’, meaning that you always tell the person you live with where you’re going and when you plan on being back. You always answer letters written to you, send thank you notes, things like that."

"I understand, from what Regan told us, you didn’t see any signs that she came back to the house when you went over there yesterday," Brian said.

"That’s right. Even the note we left was still there," Tansy confirmed. "I know that she knows Regan’s phone number, because I gave it to her last month."

Honey smiled. "You can’t expect her to remember a phone number you gave her last month. Phone numbers are pretty hard to remember unless you call them all the time. I don’t think your aunt has been calling Regan a lot."

"Aunt Roiya has a photographic memory. She remembers everything she sees," Tansy stated.

"So, are you going to meet with Mr. Marcellus?" Trixie asked.

"I guess I should, especially if he’s a guest at the Manor House. It would be rude not meet him, since I’m staying there also," Tansy said. "If I understand everything you told me, you also would like me to see if I can pick up any emotions from him, am I right?"

"Not that Brian or I take any of that stuff seriously, but Sirene seems to think it might help," Jim said.

"It can’t hurt either. All we could decide on last night is that Mr. Marcellus’ brother and nephews are conceited creeps. But he’s hard to get a handle on," Brian added.

"Well, since it is sort of strange that he’s shown up, looking to buy a book from my aunt the day after our house was broken into, I’m willing to give it a try," Tansy said as they rode out of the woods towards the corral.

They took care of the horses and tack and went outside to watch Regan. They could tell that Nightrider was giving Regan a hard time.

"Regan, do you want me to come in and see if I can calm him down?" Tansy asked.

"Why don’t you and Jim both get in here?" Regan suggested. "Maybe between the three of us, we can get him settled."

Jim and Tansy entered the corral area. Regan began to dismount off the skittish horse when a gunshot went off. Nightrider reared, throwing Regan through the air. He flew across the corral, landing hard against the fencing, hitting his head against one of the posts and dropped, unconscious, to the ground. Brian entered the corral at the same time that Tansy started to run towards Regan. Nightrider reared again, his front legs kicking out, nearly swiping her. Tansy dodged the horse’s hooves and lost her balance, falling close to where Regan lay. She crawled over and used her body to shield him.. Nightrider was between Brian and the couple, so he could not get to them to help. Jim whistled, calling Nightrider to him. The horse stayed focused on the couple that lay helpless on the ground. Trixie and Honey ran to the outside of the fence where Regan was and tried to scare the horse away. That just seemed to aggravate him more. He started snorting and pawing the ground, just missing Tansy and Regan.

"Jim, use your gift. Just send a command to him with your mind," Tansy yelled. "Please, just try. Concentrate on sending a calming message to him. Please!"

Jim stood still for a moment, focusing on the horse. All of a sudden, Nightrider turned and calmly walked to Jim!

Brian hurried over to Regan. Jim took Nightrider by the reins and led him out of the corral. Jim’s face was pale, and he looked tired. Trixie followed him to the stables, while Honey went to check on Regan.

Regan stirred as Brian bent over him. Regan opened his eyes and tried to move.

"No, don’t move. You took a bad fall. Just lie still for a few minutes," Brian said softly and soothingly. Brian checked Regan over, looking for broken bones.

"How does your head feel? Any double vision or nausea? " he asked Regan.

"Hurts like hell, yes and yes," Regan answered.

"I think you should go to the hospital. I think you just have a concussion, but you should be checked out," Brian said.

"Oh, he’s going to the hospital, even if I have to drag him there," Tansy declared. "I’ve never been so scared in my life."

"What happened? All I remember is that when I was dismounting, I thought I heard a gunshot, but before I could notice where it came from, I felt Nightrider rear and then everything went black," Regan said gruffly.

Just then, they saw Tom driving the station wagon across the lawn up to the corral.

"Jim called from the stables and told us what happened. I thought it would be easier to bring the station wagon to you instead of the other way around," Tom said, getting out of the vehicle. "Is he all right?"

"No immediate danger from what I can tell, but he does need to go to the hospital. It was a pretty bad fall," Brian said. "I think it’s safe to move him."

"Hey, buddy. Nailor is going to be furious that you drove over his grass," Regan said with a weak grin.

"I’ll handle Nailor. Don’t you worry about it. Let’s get you to the hospital," Tom said.

Tom and Brian managed to get Regan into the station wagon. Tansy climbed in. Jim and Trixie were just coming out of the stables as Tom was pulling away.

"I’ve already called the police," Jim stated. "That was definitely a rifle shot."

"Yes, it was. The problem is, I’m not sure where it came from," Brian said.

"As much I hate to admit it, I think we need to let the police investigate this one," Honey said. "If they can find the bullet, maybe they can determine where it came from."

"Honey’s right. They might be able to tell from the way the bullet is lying on or in the ground, what angle and direction it was shot from We might mess the entire scene up if we go looking," Trixie added.

"If Nightrider didn’t tramp it so far into the ground that they’ll never find it, that is," Honey said.

"They have metal detectors, so they’ll be able to find it. But I’m impressed with the way you girls are handling this," Brian said. "There was a time when you would have rushed in there looking for that bullet no matter what."

Trixie grinned. "Well, I’d like to think that we’re capable of learning from past mistakes."

"My question is how did you get Nightrider to calm down?" Honey asked Jim.

Jim shook his head. "I don’t really know. I guess he just settled down after Tansy and Regan stopped moving."

Trixie looked at Jim, her blue eyes focused on his. Jim looked away.

"You’re not going to admit it, are you?" she asked softly.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Jim said, not looking at her. "Brian and I will go call the police and then go down the driveway so that we can show the police where they need to be."

Jim walked away with Brian following him. Trixie shook her head at him.

"Talk about your stubborn people," she said to Honey. "He just won’t admit that he used his special gift to calm and control that horse. I tried to talk to him about it in the stables, but he just closed up."

"Well, it was pretty amazing. I’ve seen a few horses go crazy the way Nightrider did, and you usually have to chase them away or grab hold of the reins and try calming them down that way. Even when you chased them away, they still pawed and snorted. I’ve never seen one just stop and calmly walk to someone like that," Honey said.

"Even if Nightrider did stop because they were laying still, he still would have been trembling and agitated. But he was perfectly calm as if he was never upset to begin with," Trixie pointed out.

Honey sighed. "Well, it doesn’t matter if Jim did do something or not. He’s never going to admit it. You know how he feels about psychics. Do you think he’s going to admit that he may have psychic abilities himself?"

"Not unless it’s something that happens all the time. Let’s face it, how many times is he going to have to save someone because a horse is going to trample them?" Trixie responded with a rhetorical question.

 

Meanwhile…

Brian walked quietly next to Jim. They stopped and sat on the front porch where they would be able to see the police when they arrived.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Brian asked.

"Talk about what?" Jim asked evasively.

"Jim, I was standing next to you. Talk to me. Tell me what happened. You know that I’ll never say a word to anyone about this," Brian said encouragingly.

Jim sighed. "I honestly don’t know. I saw Tansy and Regan lying there. Nightrider was rearing, snorting and pawing. I was scared to death that he was going to trample them. Then I saw Trixie and Honey. They were literally standing on the fencing, waving and yelling at Nightrider. I guess they were trying to scare him away, but all I could think of was what if they fell in or what if he charges them and breaks through the fence?. It was my worse nightmare, and I just wanted it to stop. Then, all of a sudden, I formed this picture in my mind, a picture of Nightrider stopping and calmly walking away."

"Which is exactly what he did," Brian remarked. "It was strange, but I actually saw and felt this enormous energy coming from you. I’m beginning to wonder if there is any truth to this psychic stuff."

"I don’t know. I was so sure before we met Sirene that all that stuff was just a bunch of hocus pocus, but lately it seems that every time we turn around, something strange and unexplainable happens," Jim said.

"Or maybe this stuff has always been happening around us, and we’ve been too blind to see it," Brian suggested.

"Mmm…if you think of it as a form of energy that connects to the part of the brain that most people don’t use, then I guess it is possible," Jim said thoughtfully.

"I guess that makes sense. We only use ten percent of our brain. So let’s suppose that there are people who are able to use part of the other ninety percent. Since we know there are many forms of energy, I guess it wouldn’t be too farfetched to consider that that part of the brain might tap into a certain form of energy and produce unusual results," Brian said, picking up on Jim’s train of thought.

Jim laughed. "I believe that was the way Sirene explained it to us. But we just weren’t listening. Look, I don’t know if I actually stopped that horse or not. But, it was a strange experience, and I did feel a certain power come over me when I formed that picture in my mind. I just don’t know what to believe right now."

"Well, I can understand your not wanting to be psychic, especially after the way you’ve stated your disbelief in that sort of thing," Brian said, grinning.

Jim raised his eyebrow at Brian. "Oh, and what about you, my friend? Let’s say that I find out that I do have a special gift that could be considered as a psychic ability. Are you going to believe me or keep me at a distance the way you do Sirene and Tansy?"

Brian looked at Jim thoughtfully. "I guess I would have no choice but to add my name to the believer list. Because I’m positive that you would never claim to be something you’re not."

Jim smiled at Brian. "Thanks. I’m glad to know that whatever comes from this experience, that I’ll have you as a friend."

Brian shrugged. "That’s what best friends are for. So, how do we find out if you have a gift or not?"

"Oh, so now you can’t wait to do an scientific experiment on me now, can you?" Jim said, grinning.

"Do you know any other way to do it? Can you honestly say that, now that there is a possibility of you having a special gift, you’re not going to explore it?"

"No, I guess eventually I would want to know exactly what it is I do and how do I do it," Jim said ruefully.

"Since that’s settled, it seems to me that the best way to do this is scientifically and who better to do it with than with your best friend?"

"Okay, let’s do it. But I want this to be kept a secret. I’m not ready to talk to anyone else about this, not even Trixie," Jim said.

"I can understand that. Believe me, if it were me, I wouldn’t want to tell Honey until I knew exactly how strange I am," Brian said in all seriousness.

"But, Brian, my sister already knows how strange you are, and it doesn’t seem to bother her," Jim said teasingly.

Brian just looked at his friend with a blank face, but a twinkle in his eyes. "I can’t wait to see how you’re going to keep my sister from finding out what we’re up to. You know that she’s going to nag you about what happened today."

"No, she won’t. If I tell her that I don’t want to talk about it, she’ll respect that. Of course, that won’t stop her from talking to Honey about it," Jim acknowledged. "Here’s the police. I guess we better show them where they need to go."

Both guys got up and walked over to the driveway where the police car had stopped. They explained briefly what had happened and showed them where it had taken place. The two girls were still standing by the corral, when Sergeant Spider Webster got out of the police car.

He came up to them, followed by Jim and Brian. "Let’s hear what happened."

Trixie told him what she had seen first, then Honey. Jim and Brian had already explained to him their version.

After writing down their statement, Spider walked over and looked into the corral. He noticed the top of one of the boards had splintered as if something had grazed it.

"I could use some help, if you’re willing," he said, knowing full well that Trixie and Honey would jump at the chance.

"Just tell us what you want us to do," Brian said for the group.

"First of all, I want everyone to be very careful where you step. I need you to show me, without stepping into the area, where the horse was when the shot was fired," Spider told them.

They all entered the corral. They walked over until they were a few feet from where they judged the horse to have been standing. The snow was dirty, and there was turf turned up where Nightrider had pawed.

"Okay, spread out about two feet from each other and walking a straight line, look for any signs of a hole or unusual pattern. Make sure you check very carefully before taking a step forward. If you find anything, call out to me, then stay put until I can come over to you," Spider explained.

All four of the young people nodded their heads to show that they understood what he had told them. Everyone was quiet while they carefully searched.

"I found something!" Brian said.

Everyone froze, while Spider carefully walked over to where Brian was standing. He looked down, then carefully bent down and brushed off some snow.

"Brian, stay where you are. I need to go back to my car and get my kit. I’ll be right back. The rest of you, keep looking in your assigned area."

Spider was back within a few minutes. He took a picture of the area. Then he put on gloves and took a long handled instrument out of his kit. He then proceeded to pull a bullet out of the ground. He then bagged and tagged it. He then instructed Brian to continue searching the area. Soon, the search was done, and only the one bullet was found.

Just then, they could hear the phone in the stables ringing. Jim ran to get it. It was Tom calling from the hospital. Regan had a concussion and was bruised up, but nothing was broken, and he had no internal damage was done. The hospital, however, had decided to keep him overnight for observation. Tom and Tansy were going to stay a while longer with him, then would drive home. Jim told Tom to assure Regan that they would take care of the horses and for him to rest up.

Jim went back out to where everyone else was standing. Spider had finished up his investigation for the time being. Jim told everyone about Regan’s condition.

"I’m glad to hear that he’s not too seriously hurt. There could have been some serious damage done to his spinal cord. I’m going to have to go to the hospital and talk to him though. You said that Tansy would still be there for a while?" Spider said.

"That’s what Tom told me," Jim answered.

"Okay, I’ll run out there and see if I can catch her before she comes back here. From what I can tell, it looks like the shot came from the woods. At the angle that it hit the board and entered the ground, I would say probably from a tree. For now, I want you all to be very careful. Don’t go into those woods alone. As a matter of fact, until we find out what happened here, I would prefer that none of you travel alone. Get the word out to Mr. Maypenny and Dan. If anyone is trespassing in those woods, one of them will find out about it. Call me if anything else happens or if they find anything out of the ordinary," Spider instructed before leaving them.

"We still have to tell Mother and Dad what happened. I believe they went with Mr. Marcellus to the country club," Honey said with a sigh.

"Oh, gosh! I forgot, but we’re supposed to be meeting Sirene and the rest of the Bob-Whites at her house after lunch, and it’s almost lunch time now!. I don’t know what to do. Should we call over there and tell them or just wait until we go over there?" Trixie said.

"There’s nothing they can do now. I think we need to tell our parents and have Jim get hold of his parents first. Then, we can decide what to do after that. They may not want us to go anywhere. So we might have to have them come to us and tell them what happened then," Brian suggested.

"Okay, I’ll get a hold of Dad, and Honey and I’ll have lunch, then call you at your house and tell you what’s happening," Jim said.

So it was decided that Brian and Trixie would go home, talk to Mrs. Belden and wait for Jim’s call.