Encyclopedia Brown and the case of the midnight visitor Read Online Free

ever seen," remarked Encyclopedia.
    "That dog would scare an alligator," said Sally. "Do you see his teeth?"
    "He must be three parts dragon," answered Encyclopedia.
    Cuthbert spotted the detectives and grinned.
    "We DeVan DeVoes don't need private detectives to guard our house," he announced. "We have Frederick the Great."
    "That's a fancy title for a mutt," said Sally.
    "He's named after the famous king of Prussia," said Cuthbert. "His mother was an African wild dog. His father was an Alaskan wolf."
    "He looks like he was put together in a junkyard," someone in the crowd called.
    Cuthbert stiffened. He glared around. No one moved.
    "Frederick the Great is pure killer," warned Cuthbert. "He fears nothing. He can carry an auto tire in his teeth and

    break wood with his jaws. One word from me, and—"
    A cat meowed.
    Cuthbert's gaze found Nancy Pringle. She was hugging her cat Juno fearfully.
    ''Frederick the Great swallows cats whole," said Cuthbert.
    Juno and Frederick the Great eyed one another.
    The dog bared his teeth. The cat's fur stood on end. Suddenly she hissed, leaped out of Nancy's arms, and landed on Frederick the Great.
    The dog yelped in fright and shook her off. He whirled and fled down the block, with Juno hot on his heels.
    '*You better call him Freddy the Frightened from now on," advised Sally.
    Everyone roared with delight except Cuthbert. He had turned red with anger.
    "That cat," he cried, "is a gone goose if Frederick the Great gets her in the house. He doesn't eat cats outdoors."
    Nancy Pringle let out a wail and ran after the two animals. Cuthbert ran after Nancy.

    Half an hour later Nancy came into the Brown Detective Agency. She put a quarter on the gas can beside Encyclopedia.
    "I want to hire you," she said. '*Cuthbert has Juno and won't give her back!"
    She explained. Juno had chased Frederick the Great into Cuthbert's backyard, which was enclosed by a wire fence. Cuthbert had gone into the yard and shut the gate, keeping Nancy out.
    "Then Cuthbert opened the back door of the house," said Nancy. **The dog raced inside and Juno followed. Cuthbert went inside, too, and slammed the door. I haven't seen Juno since!"
    Sally looked worried. "This could be serious," she said. "Cuthbert is so mad he might hurt Juno."
    The detectives and Nancy hurried to Cuthbert's house. He was standing in the backyard as if waiting for them.
    "We've come for Juno," said Sally. "We know you have her."
    "Your tongue is working overtime," sneered Cuthbert. "I let that stupid cat out the back door to save her life. Frederick

    The dog raced inside and Juno followed. Cuthhert slammed the door behind them.

    Encyclopedia Brown
    the Great is a terror when he defends his house."
    '^Applesauce!" said Nancy. **Where is my Juno?"
    *'She jumped over the fence," said Cuthbert. He pointed to three boxes arranged Uke stairs by the fence. "See for yourselves."
    The detectives and Nancy entered the yard and stepped close to the boxes. Nearby was a large muddy spot. The paw prints of a cat were on each box.
    **I can tell if Juno made the prints," said Nancy. '*She broke the claw on the fifth toe of her left front paw last week."
    "There aren't any claw marks," said Sally.
    "That cat was scared and running fast," said Cuthbert. "Maybe cats don't always run with their claws out."
    "He may be right," admitted Nancy.
    "I still don't think Juno made those prints," said Sally. She stared hard at Cuthbert. "Tell us what you've done with her, or I'll pin your ears back."
    "Easy, Sally," cautioned Encyclopedia.

    Cuthbert was two years older and a head taller.
    "Don't worry," said Cuthbert. *'I've boxed a bit. I belieue I can deal with her like a gentleman and not do her bodily harm."
    Cuthbert, however, didn't fight like a gentleman. In fact, after swinging and missing, he didn't fight at all. Sally knocked him flat with two fast rights to the jaw.
    Encyclopedia stepped over Cuthbert and studied the paw prints on the three boxes.
    Eleven of the