“Because the person who hung it here forgot to notice that there is a name on the lower left rib,” replied Ted, pointing. “There is some white chalk over it, but if you look closely you’ll see the name of Doctor Hemple. I don’t know anything about skeletons, but this one has evidently been in this state a long time.”
“I’ll be hanged!” cried Buck. “What do you suppose anyone did that for?”
“I imagine that it is all part of what has been going on right along,” Ted answered. “Somebody thought this would scare us. But I guess they thought we haven’t any eyes or brains! Look at the rope which is holding it up! It is an old one, and somewhat weather-beaten, but not as much as it would be if this was the skeleton of a man who had either hung himself or been hanged in the woods. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if whoever hung it here wanted us to believe that it was the skeleton of some British soldier!”
“Looks like somebody is trying to impress us with the history of the place,” smiled Buck.
“Looks more to me as though someone was trying to impress us with the fact that we aren’t welcome around here,” grumbled Ted. “But this act won’t get them anywhere. If that rope was supposed to have hung there all these years while the skin dropped off and all trace of the clothing disappeared, all I have to say is that it is a mighty fine piece of rope, that is all!”
“It certainly was well thought out otherwise,” remarked Buck, as the boys fell to talking it over among themselves. “The head lying on the ground half upside down looks for all the world as though the skull fell off and has never been touched.”
“That skull has been touched, though,” said Ted, examining it. “It has been cut with some surgical tool. Well, that was just a lot of time wasted on the part of someone.”
“But it is a real skeleton, isn’t it, Ted?” Drummer asked.
“Oh, yes, it is real enough, all right, but it belongs in some doctor’s study and has been there for a long time. I never heard of a Doctor Hemple, but we’ll try and find out if there is anyone around here with that name.”
“What are you going to do with it?” Buck asked. Ted considered, but shrugged his shoulders.