Jim Hall whistled softly and gestured with his hand. The lion made a purring sound, then looked off into the distance, its long tail flicking restlessly.
Rock Randall and Sue Stone took their positions beneath the ledge. Eastland nodded. A man leaped forward. “Ready for action,” he shouted. “Quiet on the set.”
As all eyes focused on the impending action, Jupe caught his companions’ attention and jerked his head to the side. He moved off quietly. Bob and Pete hesitated a moment, and then reluctantly followed.
“You picked a fine time to leave the set,” Pete muttered when they were out of sight of the movie company. “Just when we finally had a chance to watch George act.”
Jupe shrugged. “George’s act is what I am depending on. I hope he has everybody’s attention. That gives us a chance to do some investigating on our own.”
“Where?” asked Bob.
Jupe pointed ahead in the direction of Jim Hall’s house. “Diamond country,” he said.
Cautiously, the boys approached the white house. “The new cages are around the other side,” Jupe whispered. “I want to look them over first. It’s quite likely that other cages besides George’s are used for smuggling. We’ll have to move quietly and make certain that we’re not observed.”
Bob looked surprised. “Observed by whom, Jupe? Everybody was around the movie set.”
“Not everybody,” Jupe said mysteriously.
Following Jupiter’s example, Bob and Pete waited at the corner of the Hall house, listening. Then, they quickly moved round to the side, crouching low under the windows.
The two cages were separated by the length of the house. They approached the first one and peered in. “We’re in luck,” Bob said. “The gorilla’s asleep.”
The dark, shaggy form was huddled in a corner.
“What’s so great about it?” Pete asked. “Are we going into its cage to look for smuggled diamonds?”
Jupiter moved slowly around the cage, examining it closely. “If diamonds are being smuggled in with these cages from Africa, how would it be done? Creating a false top or bottom seems a logical way, doesn’t it?”
“Well, yes — ” Bob agreed. “But can you tell just by looking?”
“No, it wouldn’t be that obvious. The outside of this cage looks normal, the usual wood-frame roofing over the bars. But that seems too easy to get at. I’ve an idea the inside would be the more likely place. But for us to examine that thoroughly, the gorilla would have to be out of its cage.”
Pete sighed with relief. “Thank goodness! I was afraid you’d want us to get in there with him.”
Jupiter had already turned away. “Let’s check the panther’s cage,” the stocky boy murmured. “Possibly we can detect someth — ” He stopped suddenly and caught his breath.
Bob turned, puzzled. “What’s wrong, Jupe?”
“Stay still!” Jupe hissed. “Don’t make any sudden moves, and don’t run!”
“What’s going on?” asked Pete.
“Look straight ahead,” Jupe said shakily. “The black panther’s cage is open — and he’s not in it!”
The boys stared at the empty cage. Prickly chills went down their spines and turned their legs to jelly. Then, horrified, they heard the sound they were dreading. A savage, spitting snarl behind them!
Jupiter gulped. He stood at a slight angle from Bob and Pete, and his quick sideways glance was enough to shake him further.
“H-he’s up in the tree about twenty feet behind us,” he whispered. “We may have to take a chance and separate. Now when I count three — ”
Jupe’s voice faltered as he saw the tall grass ahead of him ripple. He gasped as it parted and he caught the glint of a rifle barrel. Incredibly, he saw the rifle slowly rise.
A harsh voice directed, “Don’t anybody move!”
The boys held their breath as a man stepped slowly out. They recognized the grizzled vet, Doc Dawson.
The grey eyes of the vet squinted. He took a slow step forward, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Suddenly there was an unearthly, ear-splitting scream behind them. In the same instant, the gun went off.
The boys ducked as a great, soaring shape smacked to the ground with a sickening thud a few feet past them. The black body twitched once and was still.
Doc Dawson stepped forward, looking both angry and discouraged. His dusty boot kicked at the long, outstretched claws of the panther.
“Lucky for all concerned I’m a pretty good shot,” he said.
Pete let his breath out. “Is he — is he —?”
“Yep, he’s dead as nails, sonny. That was a real bullet. Never thought I’d have to kill one of Jim’s animals.” The vet shook his head ruefully.
Jupe tried to take his eyes off the spreading red stain. “Thanks, Dr Dawson,” he said, swallowing hard. Then, “How did he get out?”
The vet shook his head. “It’s my fault, I reckon. I needed to check him over, so I gave him a tranquillising shot. I stepped away for a few minutes while I was waiting for the drug to take effect. Next thing I knew he was on his feet and out of his cage. For some reason, the drug didn’t work. I ran back to the jeep to get my gun — the one I use for killer hawks.”
“Do you think somebody let the panther out?” asked Jupe.
“Who’d do a crazy fool thing like that?” countered the vet. “Anybody who tried that’d likely get mauled. No, I expect the cage door just wasn’t locked properly.”
“Might that drug you used have been tampered with? Weakened somehow by somebody?”
The vet looked shrewdly at Jupiter. “It could have happened that way, son. I leave my medical kit around a lot. Never saw no reason to distrust anybody here.” He shook his head. “It sure beats me. Appears as if somebody sure has it in for Jim Hall. The shame of it is he’s such a real nice fellow.”
Pete leaned over the panther. “I guess you had to shoot to kill then, didn’t you?”
“That’s right, son. That baby might look like an overgrown pussy cat to you boys, but take it from me he was a real mean killer. If he’d got away, there’s no telling what might have happened.” He cocked his head and addressed the boys in a sharper tone. “What are you boys doing up this way, anyhow? Jim told me you’d be over at the movie set today watching George acting in the movie.”
“We were there,” Jupe started lamely, “but then — we thought we’d look around.”
Dawson eyed Jupe and Bob and Pete in turn. “Jim told me you fellers were investigators.” He smiled thinly. “Find out anything yet?”
Jupe shook his head. “No, sir. We’re still confused.”
“Can’t say I blame you,” the vet said. “Lots of confusing things happening round here lately. Things that don’t make no sense at all. Want to hear one of the most confusing things about it?”
The boys looked at him questioningly.
Doc Dawson put a small cigar in his mouth, spat, put a match to it, inhaled smoke, and spat again. Then he levelled the thin cigar at them. “I’ll tell you, then,” he said. “Every time you kids show up here, another animal breaks loose. Think it over. Am I right?”
The boys looked at one another.
Dawson broke the spell by laughing sourly. “I’m right,” he said.
He kicked at the body of the black panther. “I’ll be right back for this baby,” he said. “In the meantime, boys, I got some good advice for you — ”
“What’s that, sir?” asked Bob.
“Watch yourselves at all times,” the vet said curtly.
He turned on his heels and walked away. In a moment he had disappeared into the tall, waving grass.
16
Iron Bars
As soon as Doc Dawson walked away from the dead panther, Jupiter led the other investigators down the hill to the fence by the salvage yard. The boys looked over at the huge spread of scrap iron, covering several acres. Workmen could be seen here and there.