The Mystery of the Blinking Eye

to think I was so dumb—” Trixie couldn’t finish.
    “Now, now, Trixie,” Mr. Wheeler counseled, “let’s forget it and all have a good time. Let the police take it from now on. I’m glad I have the idol now, instead of Trixie’s carrying it around.”
    He reached into his pocket and brought it out. Suddenly someone passing jostled his arm. The statue fell to the ground. Frantic, he bent to retrieve it, then came up red-faced. “Who grabbed it from me?” He glared at Dan, next to him. “Was it you... for a joke?”
    “What do you mean?” Dan looked bewildered. “I don’t have it. When I bent over after it fell, I saw you pick it up. At least an arm—holy cow! Does anyone have it?”
    In a second they were all down on the stone floor hunting about.
    “I saw an arm reach for it,” Mr. Wheeler insisted. “I felt someone push me. Where is the blasted statue?”
    Neighboring diners and passersby—men, women, and children—most of them not even realizing what they were after, went down on their knees to help. The maître d’hôtel, quickly summoned, didn’t like the commotion and said so.
    “Ladies and gentlemen...” he began, then softened his voice as Mr. Wheeler pressed a bill into his hand. “Is there something I can do to help?”
    “Not a thing!” Mr. Wheeler said tersely. “Trixie, come with me to telephone to the lieutenant at the police station. Jim, tell them to hold back my order, please. We’ll be back in a minute.”
    “Please tell them to hold mine back, too,” Trixie whispered to Jim.
    “It was Blinky, of course,” Trixie told Mr. Wheeler sadly. “It’s fantastic the way he’s appeared and disappeared.”
    “Like a greased monkey,” Mr. Wheeler agreed. “No one could ever believe it. He’s so short he can slide in and out of a crowd like a snake. It finally paid off, didn’t it, Trixie? Blinky and his pals have the statue now. I doubt if even the police will ever get it back.”
    “Don’t say that! Honey and I will get it back, if we have to hunt it down the rest of our lives!”
    “I don’t think you’d be that foolish. If it’s gone, it’s gone. We might just as well accept it.”
    “It makes me furious.” Trixie frowned fiercely. “We’ve never lost a case before. If I hadn’t muffed this one! I can’t bear not knowing why they wanted that statue. Now it’s gone. Jeepers, Mr. Wheeler, I’ve just got to find out—”
    “Here’s the telephone. I’ll call the police. I know the number. I should know it by this time. Calm down, Trixie. We’re doing the only thing I know to try to get your statue back.”

    When they rejoined the group at the table, everyone tried to talk at once.
    “I just made the report to the police. Trixie will tell you about it,” Mr. Wheeler said.
    “Hurry up!” Honey begged. “Were they excited when you told them the latest?”
    “You bet they were!” Trixie’s eyes shone. “There are some representatives of the Peruvian police here on the trail of international jewel thieves. They’re sure Blinky, Big Tony, and Pedro are the ringleaders!”
    “Gee!” Bob exclaimed, all ears. “What’s going to be the next move?”
    “That’s up to the police,” Mr. Wheeler said.
    “I guess it is,” Trixie agreed. “The whole thing is queer, though.”
    “Of course it’s queer, but do you mean something in particular? As if I didn’t already know you do, without asking. You always mean something in particular when you use that tone of voice. What gives?” Mart asked curiously.
    “I think I know what Trixie is talking about,” Honey said thoughtfully. “It’s that prophecy again, isn’t it?”
    “Yes.” Trixie hunted for the paper, found it, and spread it on the table. “It says here—”
    “Read it out loud,” Bob begged. “From the first. Maybe it’ll give us a lead on what’s going to happen next.”
    “I won’t have time before they bring our food. I hope this works out before you have to leave.”
    “At least read the next few lines—the ones after ‘foolish girl.’ ”
    “That’s me, Bob. Well, here it is... Jeepers! Listen!

“Great-headed man does prostrate lie,
A bright stone in his blinking eye.

    “Heavens, what do you think of that? I thought ‘great-headed man’ meant that cab driver in the park at first. Then I thought it meant Blinky. But he doesn’t ‘prostrate lie.’ At least, if he does, I certainly don’t know about it.”
    Honey jumped to her feet, so excited she