“No, don’t,” Harry said. I guess it was just because he didn’t exactly want us to be shouting with that thing lying so near us. Anyway, we kind of spoke in whispers—I don’t know why.
I said, “Well, you can see for yourself now that no one could fall as far out from the cliff as this. Grove’s fire is right near the edge, isn’t it? Look where that fire is and look where we are.”
“It’s blamed funny there aren’t any footprints,” Harry said; “he’s right in the trail.”
“It’s a mystery like I told you,” Pee-wee whispered. As we moved nearer I could see how Skinny was clinging tight to Harry.
When we got near the rocks, Pee-wee seemed to get his nerve back—most always that’s the way it is with scouts. Anyway, he has plenty now—that’s one thing.
He was quite a little distance ahead of us and I saw him lean down and hold his torch over that body. Then, all of a sudden, he set up a shout that took me off my feet.
“I’ve solved the mystery! I’ve solved the mystery!” he yelled.
Harry said, “Shh, speak easy. Isn’t he dead?”
“He—he—isn’t even alive—I mean he wasn’t!” our young hero shouted. “Look at him! Feel of him! The mystery is solved!”
It was solved, all right. Pee-wee grabbed hold of one of those sprawling legs and hauled that body out from between the rocks. The way he handled it, I’d say it weighed about five or six pounds. It was just a rag dummy.