twenty seconds he was shoving an open bottle under Smelly Nellie’s wonderful nose. She breathed deeply.
“Thanks,” she sighed. “It’s the only thing to clear the passages.”
“What snarled the sneezer?” asked Encyclopedia.
“Did you ever stand close to ambergris?” asked Smelly Nellie. “It’s worse than being scorekeeper at a skunk fight.”
She laid twenty-five cents on the gas can beside Encyclopedia.
“I want you to get back my ambergris,” she said. “Bugs Meany stole it!”
“Give Bugs a free hand, and he’ll stick it right into your pocket,” said Encyclopedia.
Bugs Meany was the leader of a gang of tough older boys. Encyclopedia had often been hired to stop their stealing and cheating.
“Let’s go speak with Bugs,” said Encyclopedia.
The two children took the Number 7 bus. During the ride, Smelly Nellie told her story.
She had found the ambergris washed up on the beach at Lighthouse Point that morning while she was smelling for clams.
“Bugs Meany and his Tigers were skin diving offshore,” she said. “I asked them to help me get the stuff home.”
The Tigers had laughed and told her to go chase herself. So Smelly Nellie had to tell them the truth. A company in New York City was paying five dollars an ounce for ambergris.
“I found a lump that must weigh fifty pounds,” she said.
Encyclopedia whistled and did some figuring: sixteen times fifty times five—four thousand dollars!
“That’s enough money to buy a car,” he said.
“Bugs Meany thought the same,” said Smelly Nellie. “When he heard what ambergris is worth, he asked me if I thought he’d look good in a sports car. Then he told me to scram.”
The Tigers were lying on their backs, holding their noses and moaning.
The bus halted at the last stop, and the children got off. They walked along the beach toward Lighthouse Point.
After about a mile, Smelly Nellie gave a cry and pinched her nose. Encyclopedia took the warning and did likewise.
Another few steps brought them around a bend. They saw the lighthouse and the Tigers.
The Tigers had done no more than beach their boat. They were lying on their backs, holding their noses and groaning.
The lump of ambergris was still on the wet sand at the high-tide line. It looked like a ball of dark-gray wax.
“The Tigers haven’t got away with the stuff yet,” said Smelly Nellie gleefully. “The smell flattened ’em!”
Bugs Meany was the first to see Smelly Nellie and the boy detective. He shouted the alarm and sat up weakly.
“Beat it,” he growled at Encyclopedia. “Or I’ll yank your tongue so hard your ears will roll up like window shades.”
Encyclopedia was used to Bugs’s greeting. “The ambergris belongs to Smelly Nellie,” he said. “She found the lump this morning.”
“Me and my Tigers found the lump on the bottom of the ocean while we were skin diving,” retorted Bugs.
“Then how did it get on the beach?” demanded Encyclopedia.
“We rolled it under the water,” replied Bugs Meany. “Then we waited for the tide to go out so we could lift it into the boat.”
“Y-you horse’s neck!” cried Smelly Nellie. “You’re lying!”
“And I can prove it,” added Encyclopedia.
HOW?
(Turn to page 88 for the solution to The Case of Smelly Nellie.)
The Case of the Flying Submarine
The only thing Bugs Meany wanted for Christmas was a chance to get even with Encyclopedia.
Bugs hated being outsmarted by the boy detective. He longed to screw Encyclopedia’s head around so people would talk in front of his face behind his back.
But every time Bugs got such ideas, he remembered Sally Kimball, Encyclopedia’s junior partner. Sally was the prettiest girl in the fifth grade and the best athlete.
She was also the only one—boy or girl—un—der twelve whom Bugs feared. Every time he had mixed with her, she had left him on the ground to cool.
Because of Sally, Bugs never tried to push Encyclopedia around. He never
“Thanks,” she sighed. “It’s the only thing to clear the passages.”
“What snarled the sneezer?” asked Encyclopedia.
“Did you ever stand close to ambergris?” asked Smelly Nellie. “It’s worse than being scorekeeper at a skunk fight.”
She laid twenty-five cents on the gas can beside Encyclopedia.
“I want you to get back my ambergris,” she said. “Bugs Meany stole it!”
“Give Bugs a free hand, and he’ll stick it right into your pocket,” said Encyclopedia.
Bugs Meany was the leader of a gang of tough older boys. Encyclopedia had often been hired to stop their stealing and cheating.
“Let’s go speak with Bugs,” said Encyclopedia.
The two children took the Number 7 bus. During the ride, Smelly Nellie told her story.
She had found the ambergris washed up on the beach at Lighthouse Point that morning while she was smelling for clams.
“Bugs Meany and his Tigers were skin diving offshore,” she said. “I asked them to help me get the stuff home.”
The Tigers had laughed and told her to go chase herself. So Smelly Nellie had to tell them the truth. A company in New York City was paying five dollars an ounce for ambergris.
“I found a lump that must weigh fifty pounds,” she said.
Encyclopedia whistled and did some figuring: sixteen times fifty times five—four thousand dollars!
“That’s enough money to buy a car,” he said.
“Bugs Meany thought the same,” said Smelly Nellie. “When he heard what ambergris is worth, he asked me if I thought he’d look good in a sports car. Then he told me to scram.”
The Tigers were lying on their backs, holding their noses and moaning.
The bus halted at the last stop, and the children got off. They walked along the beach toward Lighthouse Point.
After about a mile, Smelly Nellie gave a cry and pinched her nose. Encyclopedia took the warning and did likewise.
Another few steps brought them around a bend. They saw the lighthouse and the Tigers.
The Tigers had done no more than beach their boat. They were lying on their backs, holding their noses and groaning.
The lump of ambergris was still on the wet sand at the high-tide line. It looked like a ball of dark-gray wax.
“The Tigers haven’t got away with the stuff yet,” said Smelly Nellie gleefully. “The smell flattened ’em!”
Bugs Meany was the first to see Smelly Nellie and the boy detective. He shouted the alarm and sat up weakly.
“Beat it,” he growled at Encyclopedia. “Or I’ll yank your tongue so hard your ears will roll up like window shades.”
Encyclopedia was used to Bugs’s greeting. “The ambergris belongs to Smelly Nellie,” he said. “She found the lump this morning.”
“Me and my Tigers found the lump on the bottom of the ocean while we were skin diving,” retorted Bugs.
“Then how did it get on the beach?” demanded Encyclopedia.
“We rolled it under the water,” replied Bugs Meany. “Then we waited for the tide to go out so we could lift it into the boat.”
“Y-you horse’s neck!” cried Smelly Nellie. “You’re lying!”
“And I can prove it,” added Encyclopedia.
HOW?
(Turn to page 88 for the solution to The Case of Smelly Nellie.)
The Case of the Flying Submarine
The only thing Bugs Meany wanted for Christmas was a chance to get even with Encyclopedia.
Bugs hated being outsmarted by the boy detective. He longed to screw Encyclopedia’s head around so people would talk in front of his face behind his back.
But every time Bugs got such ideas, he remembered Sally Kimball, Encyclopedia’s junior partner. Sally was the prettiest girl in the fifth grade and the best athlete.
She was also the only one—boy or girl—un—der twelve whom Bugs feared. Every time he had mixed with her, she had left him on the ground to cool.
Because of Sally, Bugs never tried to push Encyclopedia around. He never
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