Culpepper's Cannon Read Online Free Page A

want to, sir.”
    â€œYes, if I want to. I thought so. I don’t think I want to. Too gruesome.” He shuddered and dabbed at his forehead. He looked at Amos. “Now why don’t you tell us about this?” He unfolded a piece of notebook paper and laid it on the table in front of him. “Your friend was carrying this when we arrested him. Unfortunately, he escaped.” He dabbed at his forehead again. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?”
    â€œOh, no, sir.”
    â€œGood. That’s a good boy. It’s so nice to deal with good boys.” He tapped the paper with his finger. “Now what about this?”
    Amos leaned over and read the paper. It was in Dunc’s handwriting. “I got through, Amos,” it read, “and I’m assuming you did, too. Pretty neat, huh? I’m going to have a look around. Try to meet up with me half a football field west of the monument in the middle of the plaza. If I can’t meet you there, I’ll leave a note. Dunc. P.S. Did you notice the pulsing light when you went through? I wonder what it means? Keep your eyes open for something valuable. Like money.”
    Right
, Amos thought.
I should look for money. They’re going to blow me away, and I should look for money
.
    â€œWhat,” asked the captain, “is a football field?”
    â€œIt’s a field you play a game called football on,” Amos answered. “You wouldn’t know anything about it.”
    â€œThen why don’t you explain it to me? How long is a football field?”
    â€œOne hundred y—”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œMiles. One hundred miles.”
    The captain’s eyes popped wide open.“My goodness,” he said, “that must be quite a game. You play that in Pennsylvania?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œI’ve never heard of it.”
    â€œIt’s rather new,” Amos said.
    â€œI imagine.” The captain leaned over his desk and peered at Amos through his little round lenses. “You wouldn’t be lying to me, now would you?”
    Amos mustered up a shocked expression on his face. “No, sir.”
    The captain settled back in his chair. “Good. It’s so nice to deal with boys who don’t lie. Lying makes everything so difficult.” He nodded his head at Bremish. “Prepare a party to intercept the other spy, Sergeant. Give them the fastest horses, and send them west.”
    â€œWould you like me to lead it, sir?”
    â€œNo, no, I don’t think so. I’d just be lost without you here.”
    â€œYes, sir.” Sergeant Bremish saluted and left the tent.
    â€œNow,” the captain said, “why don’t you tell me about these things?” He pointed to the contents of Amos’s pockets, which hadbeen emptied on the desk. Sergeant Bremish had taken them out when they had first come into the tent.
    â€œAnd what is this?” the captain asked.
    â€œIt’s a Superball, sir.”
    â€œA Superball? And what is a Superball?”
    â€œIt’s just a ball, a toy. You bounce it. Go ahead—try it.”
    â€œYou don’t mind?”
    â€œNo, of course not.”
    The captain picked up the ball and looked at it. He looked back at Amos. “This isn’t a trick, is it? It won’t blow up when I drop it?”
    â€œNo, sir, it’s just a ball.”
    â€œAnd you’re not lying?”
    â€œNo, sir.”
    â€œOf course not. You’re a good boy.” He dropped the ball, and it bounced almost all the way back up to his hand again. “Delightful,” he said. He bounced it harder, and it touched the canvas on the ceiling. He clapped his hands and smiled happily.
    â€œYou can keep it if you want, sir,” Amos said.
    â€œYou don’t mind? I mean, it is yours.”
    â€œI don’t mind. You’re going to shoot me anyway, remember?”
    â€œOh, that’s right.” He wrinkled up his