THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANY
CLEVELAND AND NEW YORK
Falcon Books
are published by THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANY
2231 West 110th Street · Cleveland 2 · Ohio
W 2
COPYRIGHT 1948 BY THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANY
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Contents
[1. The Glories of the Past] 9 [2. The Class of 1933 Trophy] 20 [3. A Mystery Uncovered] 28 [4. A Visit to Mr. Long] 38 [5. The Alumni Dinner] 48 [6. Added Mystery] 57 [7. The Trustees’ Meeting] 65 [8. An Old Score Settled] 73 [9. Terry Engages in an Argument] 83 [10. The Eagles Disappear] 91 [11. The Hunt in the Swamp] 101 [12. The Eagles Are Rescued] 109 [13. The Call for Help] 118 [14. Inside Gates’ House] 128 [15. Arthur Gates’ Letter] 136 [16. News from Inside] 140 [17. Mr. Proctor Gets the Bag] 146 [18. The Published List] 150 [19. A Conversation in the Dark] 158 [20. The Digger in the Garden] 170 [21. The Cup at Last] 177 [22. Direct Action] 185 [23. The Mystery Is Solved] 195 [24. The Alumni Dance] 206
THE MERCER BOYS’
MYSTERY CASE
Chapter 1
The Glories of the Past
A group of pleasant-looking young men, neatly dressed in the spruce, gray uniforms of the cadet corps of Woodcrest Military Institute, stood at ease in one of the halls downstairs in Locke Hall. They were representatives from the various classes, ranging from the senior, or first class, to the third or sophomore class. As yet the two representatives from the fourth or freshman class had not arrived, and it was for these two cadets that the others were waiting.
“A special meeting, huh?” spoke up Cadet Don Mercer, one of the representatives from the third class. “Anybody got any idea what Colonel Morell has in mind?”