HIGH-VOLTAGE
ELECTRICAL WIRE!
DON'T TOUCH OR YOU'LL GET ELECTROCUTED!
34
Earl Unger looked down at the sign, written in crayon in a child's handwriting. The kid was pretending that the yarn was high-voltage wire. Unger couldn't help smiling.
"Hey, Jernigan," he yelled to his partner, who was around the corner behind the house. "I think this is going to be fun. It's been a long time since I was a kid. I forgot how extraordinarily stupid they are."
In the backyard, Jernigan laughed. "You be careful," he called back. "Sometimes they wet their pants when they get scared."
"Right." Unger reached down and used the wire cutters to cut the yarn.
He didn't notice the thin copper wire leading from the extension cord.
ZAP! A huge blue spark burst around the wire cutters.
Unger's eyes bulged.
Thwack! The shock knocked him back and doubled him over.
Up in the attic, Alex smiled. That took care of Unger for a moment. Next he checked out Jernigan on the back terrace.
Burton Jernigan knew he might have to wait for a while. He noticed a metal lawn chair in the backyard and decided to sit. He was still chuckling about the kid as he dusted the snow off the seat and eased himself down into the chain
Little did he know that under the snow the chair was connected to the car battery by the jumper cables.
Jernigan sat. Suddenly sparks started flying.
"Yeeeeeoooooow!" He let out a scream.
Bang! The ammo in his belt discharged, launching him out of the chair.
Wham! He flew face first into the wall.
As Peter Beaupre crossed the street toward Alex's house, he couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Earl Unger was doubled over in the driveway. His face was twitching, and the seat of his camouflage pants had been blown open by some kind of electric shock.
Around the corner of the house, Jernigan was on his hands and knees, looking dazed, and whimpering. Smoke was seeping out of holes in his camouflage outfit, and his mittens were smoldering.
Beaupre picked up his pace and hurried toward the house. He had to find out what was going on.
35
Knowing he'd bought a few seconds, Alex ran down to the basement and used a funnel to fill a balloon with water. He checked his watch when he was finished. It was about time for the burglars to make their next move. He went back up to the living room, pulled a footstool up to the front door, and watched through the peephole.
Unger had recovered from his shock. He was now standing halfway down the front walk. Suddenly he started to run toward the house, trying to build up speed before he jumped over the yarn Alex had strung between the ski poles.
Unger jumped. He cleared the yarn between the ski poles . . . and landed on the welcome mat with the marbles underneath.
"Whooops!" Unger flew up in the air.
Wham! He landed so hard on his back that inside the house Alex felt the floor shake.
Now Beaupre came running up the porch steps. Inside the house, Alex stayed by the front door watching through the peephole and listening. Beaupre looked down at Unger, who was lying on the porch, groaning.
"Mr. Unger'" he said. "What are you doing?"
"The kid's got the place booby-trapped," Unger groaned. "Don't touch the yarn. It's wired."
Through the peephole, Alex watched Beaupre cross the porch and pull the extension cord out of the plug. Then he went down the steps and knocked the ski poles aside.
Alex pressed his lips into a hard, straight line. Darn! That was one of his best tricks!
Beaupre returned to the porch and kicked the marbles away. "Have you tried the door?" he asked Unger.
"Not yet," Unger said.
"Let me point something out to you," said Beaupre.
On the other side of the door, Alex knew Beaupre had spotted the barbells he'd placed on the roof. Both Beaupre and Unger stepped out of the way so the barbells wouldn't fall on them.
Then Beaupre pointed at the fishing line Alex had tied to the door knocker. It must have looked obvious to them that the fishing line was the trip cord for the
ELECTRICAL WIRE!
DON'T TOUCH OR YOU'LL GET ELECTROCUTED!
34
Earl Unger looked down at the sign, written in crayon in a child's handwriting. The kid was pretending that the yarn was high-voltage wire. Unger couldn't help smiling.
"Hey, Jernigan," he yelled to his partner, who was around the corner behind the house. "I think this is going to be fun. It's been a long time since I was a kid. I forgot how extraordinarily stupid they are."
In the backyard, Jernigan laughed. "You be careful," he called back. "Sometimes they wet their pants when they get scared."
"Right." Unger reached down and used the wire cutters to cut the yarn.
He didn't notice the thin copper wire leading from the extension cord.
ZAP! A huge blue spark burst around the wire cutters.
Unger's eyes bulged.
Thwack! The shock knocked him back and doubled him over.
Up in the attic, Alex smiled. That took care of Unger for a moment. Next he checked out Jernigan on the back terrace.
Burton Jernigan knew he might have to wait for a while. He noticed a metal lawn chair in the backyard and decided to sit. He was still chuckling about the kid as he dusted the snow off the seat and eased himself down into the chain
Little did he know that under the snow the chair was connected to the car battery by the jumper cables.
Jernigan sat. Suddenly sparks started flying.
"Yeeeeeoooooow!" He let out a scream.
Bang! The ammo in his belt discharged, launching him out of the chair.
Wham! He flew face first into the wall.
As Peter Beaupre crossed the street toward Alex's house, he couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Earl Unger was doubled over in the driveway. His face was twitching, and the seat of his camouflage pants had been blown open by some kind of electric shock.
Around the corner of the house, Jernigan was on his hands and knees, looking dazed, and whimpering. Smoke was seeping out of holes in his camouflage outfit, and his mittens were smoldering.
Beaupre picked up his pace and hurried toward the house. He had to find out what was going on.
35
Knowing he'd bought a few seconds, Alex ran down to the basement and used a funnel to fill a balloon with water. He checked his watch when he was finished. It was about time for the burglars to make their next move. He went back up to the living room, pulled a footstool up to the front door, and watched through the peephole.
Unger had recovered from his shock. He was now standing halfway down the front walk. Suddenly he started to run toward the house, trying to build up speed before he jumped over the yarn Alex had strung between the ski poles.
Unger jumped. He cleared the yarn between the ski poles . . . and landed on the welcome mat with the marbles underneath.
"Whooops!" Unger flew up in the air.
Wham! He landed so hard on his back that inside the house Alex felt the floor shake.
Now Beaupre came running up the porch steps. Inside the house, Alex stayed by the front door watching through the peephole and listening. Beaupre looked down at Unger, who was lying on the porch, groaning.
"Mr. Unger'" he said. "What are you doing?"
"The kid's got the place booby-trapped," Unger groaned. "Don't touch the yarn. It's wired."
Through the peephole, Alex watched Beaupre cross the porch and pull the extension cord out of the plug. Then he went down the steps and knocked the ski poles aside.
Alex pressed his lips into a hard, straight line. Darn! That was one of his best tricks!
Beaupre returned to the porch and kicked the marbles away. "Have you tried the door?" he asked Unger.
"Not yet," Unger said.
"Let me point something out to you," said Beaupre.
On the other side of the door, Alex knew Beaupre had spotted the barbells he'd placed on the roof. Both Beaupre and Unger stepped out of the way so the barbells wouldn't fall on them.
Then Beaupre pointed at the fishing line Alex had tied to the door knocker. It must have looked obvious to them that the fishing line was the trip cord for the
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