Mystery of the Chinese Ring

Excerpt from Chapter 1: Biff Brewster was suddenly awake wide awake. The gray light of dawn outlined the window of his first-floor bedroom. Something or someone was outside. He felt sure of it. Something had prodded him out of his deep sleep with startling suddenness. For a moment he lay still, eyes on the window, his ears sharply tuned for the slightest sound. He knew, of course, that he might have been awakened by a stray dog, or a night-prowling cat. But he didn t think so. Very carefully, Biff slipped out of his bed. Bare-footed, he padded noiselessly toward the window, taking care to remain outside the dim shaft of early light coming through. He moved to one side of the window and peered out cautiously. He detected a slight movement beneath a gnarled apple tree about thirty feet away. Then suddenly, swiftly, a figure emerged from behind the protection of the tree s drooping limbs. The figure came at a run toward the window. It was a man, small and slight of build. He was wearing blue jeans and a sweat shirt. On the shirt s front there was an athletic letter Biff couldn t make it out cut from luminous cloth, making it glow faintly in the dawn s light.