Chapter One
A Trapped Bat
âShut the door!â Stu Duncan said to Johnny Maverick.
âWe need help!â
Johnny had just walked into the dressing room with his hockey equipment. Stu was his best friend. They played for the Howling Timberwolves. The team was getting ready to play the Grizzlies.
âI agree that you need help,â Johnny said to Stu. âA doctor should see if you still have a brain.â
The rest of the players laughed. It looked like Johnny was right.
Stu was standing in the middle of the room. His hockey bag was at his feet. He was holding a hockey stick straight up. He was pushing the butt end of the
stick against the bottom of a plastic bucket. It pressed the top of the bucket against the ceiling.
âIâm standing here for a good reason,â Stu said. âI have trapped a bat under the bucket.â
âA bat?â Johnny said. âA hairy bat? With wings? And fangs?â
âBats donât have fangs,â Stu said.
âYes, they do,â Johnny said. âBig fangs. Dripping with blood. You should see them in my comic books.â
âJohnny,â Stu said, âI hate to break it to you. Itâs like Santa Claus.â
âSanta Claus has fangs in your comic books?â Johnny said. âCool. Can I borrow your comic books?â
âNo,â Stu said, âSanta Claus is not real. Just like the bats in your comic books. Real bats donât have fangs. Now can you help me?â
Johnny put down his hockey bag. âSure.â
âGood,â Stu said. âHold this stick and press it hard against the bucket. Keep the bat trapped while I get Mr. Gregg.â
Mr. Gregg was in charge of the arena. He ran the ice-cleaning machine and cleaned the dressing rooms.
âI can get Mr. Gregg if you like,â Johnny said.
âPlease hold the stick,â Stu said. âLet me get Mr. Gregg. My arms are tired. I donât want the bat to get loose.â
âAll right,â Johnny said. âJust make sure that Mr. Gregg doesnât bring Stinky with him. That would be worse than a bat with fangs.â
Stinky was Mr. Greggâs dog. It was big and fat and slow. Everyone in the town of Howling knew about Stinky. They knew there was a good reason that Stinky was called Stinky.
âI want to live,â Stu said. âIâll make sure Stinky does not come into the dressing room with Mr. Gregg. Now will you hold this bucket for me?â
Johnny took the stick.
Stu stepped away.
âHey,â Johnny said. He looked up at the bucket. âThis is heavy!â
Stu did not answer. He pulled his own hockey bag away from Johnny. He moved Johnnyâs hockey bag closer to Johnnyâs feet.
âThis bucket is heavy!â Johnny said again. âIt must be a really big bat!â
âThe bucket is filled with water,â Stu said. He laughed. âDonât let go or you will get wet! And you will get your hockey bag wet too!â
Everyone else laughed too.
âWater?â Johnny said. He pushed the hockey stick hard against the bottom of the bucket. He did not want to get wet. He did not want to get his hockey bag wet. âYou played a trick on me.â
âItâs a good trick. But it wasnât my idea. It was Tomâs.â
Tom Morgan was another friend. Johnny had once made him wear a dress to a hockey game, but that was another story.
âTomâs idea?â Johnny said.
Tom was in the corner of the room. He grinned.
âYes, Johnny,â Tom said, âweâve played this trick on everyone. They all had turns holding the stick. Stu was the guy who came in just before you did.â
âGreat,â Johnny said. The bucket was heavy. He didnât want all the water to drop on him. He kept pushing hard against the bottom of the bucket. âIâm the last guy.â
âNo,â Tom said, âyou are the second last guy. Remember? While Coach Smith
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