The Legend of the Phantom Highwayman by Tom McCaughren Page A

don’t like the sound of that,’ shuddered Rachel.
    â€˜I wonder if it’s Peppi’s idea of a joke?’ said Tapser.
    â€˜How do you mean?’ asked Cowlick.
    â€˜Well, maybe his coach or caravan or whatever you call it has some dark secret, and by calling himself Pandora and Company he’s really telling everybody about it, knowing they won’t understand.’
    â€˜A funny sort of joke,’ said Rachel. ‘But you could be right. He could be in the business of transporting poteen. Then his Pandora’s Box really would be full of curses, wouldn’t it? For people talk about the curse of drink, don’t they?’
    â€˜Right,’ said Róisín, ‘that settles it. We’ve got to have a look inside his caravan. But where is he?’
    They got up and wandered over to the window. Cowlick pushed himself up on the windowsill and looked in over the frosted part of the glass. ‘Peppi’s inside,’ he announced.
    â€˜Then his caravan must be at the back,’ said Róisín. ‘Come on, now’s as good a time as any.’
    In the yard they found that Peppi had unhitched his horse and given it a nosebag of food. The caravan was parked nearby.
    â€˜You two stay here and keep an eye out for Peppi,’ whispered Róisín. ‘We’ll have a look inside the caravan. Come on, Rachel.’
    â€˜Are you sure you don’t want us to do it?’ asked Tapser.
    â€˜Sure,’ said Róisín, taking the torch from him. ‘Come on, Rachel.’ Seeing her hesitate, she added, ‘Don’t be silly, that story about Pandora was only something the Greeks made up. Hurry.’
    Tapser and Cowlick watched from the back door of the inn as the girls climbed aboard. Rachel positioned herself at the driver’s seat to keep a lookout too, while Róisín made her way inside.
    Closing the door behind her, Róisín switched on her torch. The section behind the driver’s seat, she could see, was Peppi’s living quarters. There was an iron stove, a bunk bed and a small chest of drawers. There was no sign of any bottles, but in one of the drawers she came across a tin box. In spite of her assurance to Rachel about the story of Pandora being made up, her hands trembled as she lifted the box, wondering what was in it. Gingerly she opened the lid a little bit, then a bit more, and when it was opened fully she found, not a swarm of little winged monsters, but something else that made her gasp in disbelief.
    â€˜Rachel,’ she whispered, ‘look at this.’
    Seeing Rachel scramble inside, Tapser and Cowlick rushed over to find out what was happening.
    â€˜Look,’ said Róisín as they put their heads in around the door. She was holding a card up to the light. It was headed: ‘Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise. Investigation Branch.’ And below that was a photograph of Peppi.
    â€˜That means Peppi is a secret agent,’ exclaimed Tapser.
    â€˜That’s right,’ said a voice behind them, and when Róisín shone the torch on the speaker they saw it was Peppi!

5. THE PHANTOM OF HUGH RUA

    For a moment time seemed to stand still. Róisín switched off her torch and Peppi switched on his to see who the intruders were. None of them spoke. What could they say? They had been caught red-handed.
    â€˜Come over here where I can have a better look at you,’ Peppi said, and he led them over to one of the lighted windows of the inn.
    â€˜I’m sorry, Peppi,’ said Tapser, ‘this was all my idea.’
    â€˜And mine,’ said Róisín.
    â€˜We thought you were bringing poteen down from the mountains,’ said Cowlick.
    â€˜Me? Smuggling poteen?’ laughed Peppi. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one else was around, and whispered, ‘So you’re on the track of the poteen smugglers too?’
    â€˜Frankly, Peppi,’ Róisín said,