The Melted Coins Read Online Free

heal.”
    â€œBut what about Lendo Wallace?” Frank pressed. “What has he got against you?”
    Rod said that in the past year, rare and valuable medicine masks, some of them very old, had been disappearing from the homes of various members of the tribe.
    â€œOur longhouse was even raided once and some of the ancient false faces taken,” he remarked.
    â€œWhat’s the longhouse?” Chet asked.
    â€œOur community building, where we meet for ceremonies and dances.” Rod frowned. “Without the medicine faces, we can’t hold our ceremonies.”
    â€œHow does Wallace fit into all this?” asked Joe.
    â€œHe’s the leader of the False Face Society. Some of us think he ought to be more concerned about these thefts, and I’ve told him so. I’m afraid he didn’t like that.”
    Jimerson rubbed his chin thoughtfully and added, “He doesn’t seem to worry about the thefts. Maybe he’s possessed by an evil spirit himself, because all this happened after Spoon Mouth was stolen.”
    â€œThis case seems to be even more complicated than we at first thought,” Frank said. “Spoon Mouth was stolen, you said?”
    â€œI know it’s confusing to an outsider,” Rod said. “Just be patient; I’ll explain.”
    As the three listened intently, he told them that Spoon Mouth was a flat golden replica of a Spoon Mouth false face. Taking a pencil and a pad which lay beside the telephone, he drew a queer-looking face, with a mouth like a figure eight lying on its side.
    Joe chuckled. “That boy is well-named. Each end of his mouth is round as a spoon!”
    â€œRight. With his protruding lips he’s quite a scary sight,” Rod said. “He was found by my tribe during the French and Indian Wars.”
    â€œWhen was that?” Chet remarked, scratching his head.
    â€œThey went on for seventy-four years until 1763. The relic was found near the end. Some of the tribe believed it to be a protector of the Five Nations.”
    â€œYou lost me again,” Chet said.
    Rod smiled. “There used to be Five Nations in the Iroquois federation. The Senecas were one of them. Later there were six. My ancestors thought the relic had been blessed by Orinda, the Life Spirit, because after its discovery the Indians were extremely successful in battle.”
    â€œI don’t know much about the Iroquois,” Joe said.
    â€œThat’s right,” Frank agreed. “Mostly we hear about the Western Indians.”
    â€œThere are still plenty of us in the East,” Rod said. He added that many of his tribe were employed as ironworkers, both in Cleveland and New York City.
    â€œThat’s probably because you’re so fearless,” Chet said.
    Jimerson smiled. “Oh, I wouldn’t say we’re fearless. But some of us don’t mind heights.”
    â€œDid you want my father to find out who stole the false faces?” Frank spoke up.
    â€œYes. They are tremendously important to our tribe.”
    â€œWell, he’s on another case, but he sent us to look into this matter. And I think we should start out by learning more about this fellow Lendo Wallace and the False Face Society.”
    Rod referred the boys to his mother, who lived on the Yellow Springs Reservation. “She knows all about everybody,” he said. “Perhaps my kid brother is there, too. He’s been working in Buffalo lately.”
    â€œOkay, Rod. We’ll go there tomorrow,” Frank promised.
    â€œGood. Once we get Spoon Mouth back, I think things will go much better with the tribe,” Rod said. Looking directly at Chet, he added, “If you see my mother, ask for her specialty, corn soup.”
    Chet grinned. “How did you know I like to eat?”
    â€œJust guessed.” Rod then mentioned a fee for the boys’ sleuthing services, but Frank waved him off. “Don’t worry about that now,” he