S4 E7 Joe's Observation Skills Sharpen in Chapter 6 of The Hardy Boys The Tower Treasure

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Good evening and welcome to the Comforting Voice podcast. I'm your host, Shasta Ray, and I'm joined by Murray the Cockatiel. We are coming to you live pre-recorded from my bedroom this time. I'm just trying to find different temporary recording spaces, so we'll see how this goes. It worked out pretty good the last two times, I think. So anyway, I hope you have had a wonderful week. I hope if you're trying new things, it's to your liking and working out well for you, whatever that may be. Welcome to everybody who is new. We have had so many of you joining the fun. The Join the Fun Challenge has been amazing so far. We have added four countries and over 70 cities to our listener base in just over a month time. So thank you for everyone who's participating in the Join the Fun Challenge. For anyone who does not know what that is, tell the others. That's it. If you are in a conversation or you see a post on social media, if somebody out there that you interact with or you see online or on a post or something is looking for easy listening, low-key content, there you go. The website is very easy to remember, comfortingvoice.com. We are in all major podcast apps, and it's always a free listen. So there you go. Now if you don't have anyone to tell, but you're listening in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, what you can do is give us a like, leave us a friendly, positive comment, and what that does is signals the algorithms that people are listening to the show and liking the show, enjoying the show, and it starts showing us randomly and organically to more people, and it makes us a lot more easily visible when people are looking for this kind of show. So it does a lot more than you realize. Just a couple flicks of your thumb will literally do more than paid advertising for this podcast. And for those of you if you've told other people or you've mentioned the website, thank you so much. It means the world to us. And of course, it is so fun to see those numbers changing and growing. And I gotta say, I am really impressed with how many people are getting into Humpty Dumpty. Those have been so fun to put together and all the history and all of the stuff that I have found on Lewis Carroll and Through the Looking Glass, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, all that sort of thing. And I I wasn't sure how that would be received. You guys love a good Humpty Dumpty episode. So that has made that even more fun for me. So let's just take a minute to run through your sleep prep really quick, and then we'll get going on tonight's chapter. Are you comfortable? Are you kicked back? Do you got your feet up? Are you ready to go to sleep? Whatever you're here for, whether you're here to doze off or you're just taking a break, you're hanging out for a bit, get cozy, get comfortable, get your pillow all squished up into that perfect shape, and make sure you've got everything you need so you don't have to fidget and look for it later. If you need a beverage, glass of water, anything like that, sleep mask, teddy bear, whatever you need. Make sure it's at your fingertips. And don't forget to have that listening device set at that perfect volume. And when you're ready, engage in a really good productive stretch. Reach that stretch into your arms, hands, and fingers, your legs, feet and toes, and then wiggle those fingers and toes, and then let go of that stretch, and your body will just go into instant relaxation mode. Oh my gosh, it feels amazing. Follow that up with our weird little deep breath of air. Take your index finger, doesn't matter which one, and put it on the bridge of your nose, right between your eyes. And you don't want to press, but just put very, very light pressure so you can feel it. You can move your finger in a circle, you can tap very, very gently. And while you're doing that, inhale to about the count of four, hold it to about the count of three, top it off with another quick little inhale, hold it for another count or two, and then exhale very slowly to about the count of six or eight while you're touching or tapping right between your eyes, right where your bridge of your nose kind of dips down. And between the stretch and that weird little pressure point between your eyes with that deep breath of air, you should be ready to doze off instantly. It is the best thing. I've been trying this myself, and I don't really remember much after the deep breath of air, to be honest with you. I fall asleep really quick with that sequence. So give it a try, and you can do that every night too, um, not just while we're hanging out together. All right, are you ready for chapter six? So last week the fellas and their friend Chet were having some fun with one of the locals, and they were playing a harmless little prank, but they still had not found their friend's car. Their dad had given them a quick little conversation on being observant and developing their observation skills as detectives, so he gave them a little bit of good advice in the form of good natured conversation, and he gave them some possible insights as to what may be going on with the fellow that stole their friend's car. Is that you, Rex? Come on. And the giant dog has joined the temporary studio. Murray is scurrying up to my shoulder right now, he's all freaked out. And um Rex. And if the giant dog starts snoring too loudly, I'll I'll get down on those editing skills for you. Okay. So we are reading The Hardy Boys, The Tower Treasure. This was written by Franklin W. Dixon, and tonight we are reading chapter six titled Tire Tracks. The next day was Saturday, and immediately after breakfast, the Hardy Boys asked their mother to make up a lunch for them, as they intended to spend a day in the woods with a number of their friends. Mrs. Hardy quickly made up a generous package of sandwiches, not forgetting to slip in several big slices of the boys' favorite cake, and the boys started out in the bright morning sunshine, with the whole holiday before them. They met with the other boys, half a dozen in all, on the road at the outskirts of town, and so, whistling and chattering and telling jokes, the group trudged along the dusty highway. Once in a while they would explore along fences for berry bushes, and occasionally a friendly scuffle would start to end with both laughing contestants covered with dust. When they reached the crossroads, Chet had not yet appeared, so they rested in the shade of the trees until at length the chubby youth came panting along the road, his lunch under his arm. If I only had my roadster, I wouldn't be late, he said as he came up to them. I've been so used to it that I've forgotten how long it takes to walk this far. Well, are we all set? asked Frank. Everyone's here. Where are we going? What do you say to Willow Grove? All those in favor say I demanded Chet. And there was a chorus of I from the crowd. It's unanimous, Chet decided. Willow Grove it shall be. Let's go. Willow Grove was about a mile further on. It was some distance in from the road and was on the banks of Willow River from which it got its name. It was an ideal place for a picnic, and as it was somewhat early in the season, it was hardly likely that other parties from the city would be in the grove that day. Frank told the other boys about Chet's adventure with the auto horn, and the story was greeted with shouts of laughter, which were redoubled when Chet told how he had later jumped down from the wagon and run along behind, shouting to Lem Billers to give him a ride. It was a shame, he confessed. The poor old chap reined his horses and made me come up and sit on the seat beside him. He asked me if I had walked very far, and then told me all about his argument with the policeman and the chauffeur. I could hardly keep a straight face. When the boys reached the lane that led in toward Willow Grove from the main road, they broke into a run and raced into the woods, shouting and yelling like wild teen boys. Once in the friendly shade of the trees, they capered about in the joy of their Saturday freedom. Chet took charge of the lunches and stored them in a convenient clearing, and then began the rush for the river. The day passed in the usual fashion of such days. They swam, they ate, they loafed about under the trees, they played games at imminent risk of life and limb, they explored the woods, and otherwise enjoyed themselves with all the happy energy of healthy teen boys. Joe Hardy, who was an amateur naturalist in his way, went roaming off by himself during the afternoon while the other boys were enjoying their third swim of the day and went deeper into the woods. He poked about in the undergrowth, examining various flowers and plants that came to his attention, but discovered no specimens that he had not seen before. He was just at the point of going back to the other kids when he saw before him a small clearing. It was a part of the grove in which he had never been, so he ploughed on through the bushes until he found himself in a clearing that appeared to be part of an abandoned roadway. It was in a low lying part of the grove, and the ground was wet. At one point it was muddy, and in this mud Joe saw something that aroused his curiosity. Tire tracks. There's been an automobile here, he muttered to himself. I wonder how on earth a car could get this far into the woods. Then he remembered his father's remarks on the value of developing his powers of observation, so he went over closer and examined the marks in the mud. That's a strange tread, he thought. I've never seen a tire mark quite like that before. He gazed at it until he was sure that if he ever saw a similar tire tread again, he would recognize it. That just goes to prove Dad was right, said Joe. I've probably seen auto tires like that often, but I've never noticed the markings, and now that I do notice one in particular it seems strange to me. But I wonder what an automobile was doing here and how it came to get here in the first place. However, he gave the matter little further thought and retraced his steps back through the woods until he returned to the other boys, who were getting dressed after their swim. Hey, I thought automobiles weren't allowed in Willow Grove, he casually said to Chet Morton. They aren't. You have to park just inside the fence. Well, somebody brought a car right down to the grove. They couldn't. There's no road. Well, there's sort of a clearing over there, said Joe, motioning in the direction from which he had just returned. It looks as if it had been a road at one time. Oh, that's probably Old Creek Road. It hasn't been used for years. Well, it was just used this week. I saw the marks of an automobile tire over there not ten minutes ago, and it was a mighty peculiar tread too, like this. And Joe commenced to draw a replica of the design in the sand, using a thin stick of wood as a pencil. Chet Morton stared. Why, there's only one car in the city that has tires like that, he exclaimed. Whose car? Mine exclaimed Chet, springing to his feet. Where's this road you found? Joe Hardy quickly led the way and all the other boys came trooping along behind, the whole band thrown into a state of great excitement by this unexpected discovery. They all knew that Chet's car was of an unusual make, and that the tires were distinctive. When they reached the clearing and Chet had examined the imprint in the mud, he exclaimed There's no mistake about it. My car's been here. No other car in the city has a tread like that. Well, maybe the car's still around here, suggested Frank quickly. For all we can tell, the thief may have abandoned it and picked this road as a good place to hide it. It would be an ideal place, agreed Chet. This road leads off the main highway and it isn't often used. Let's take a look around. The boys quickly scattered, some taking one side of the road, the rest taking the other. For a while the search continued without success, but at last Frank and Chet, who were following the abandoned road further down, gave a simultaneous cry. Here's a bypath. In front of them was a narrow roadway, overgrown with weeds and low bushes that almost hid it from view. It led from the abandoned road into the very depths of the woods. Without hesitation the two boys plunged into it. The narrow roadway widened out further on, then wound around a heavy clump of trees and came to end in a wide clearing. And in the clearing stood Chet Morton's lost roadster. My car yelled Chet in delight. His shout was heard by all the other boys, and the sound of snapping twigs and crackling branches told Frank and Chet that the others were losing no time in reaching the scene. Chet's delight was boundless. He examined the car in minute care in every particular while the other boys crowded about. At last he straightened up with a smile of satisfaction. She hasn't been damaged a bit. She's all ready to run. The thief just hid the old bus here and made a getaway. Come on, guys, we don't need to walk back home today. We ride. He clamoured into the car, and in a few seconds the engine roared. There was sufficient room in the clearing to permit him to turn the roadster about, and when he swung the car around and headed up the bypath, the boys gave a cheer and clambered on board. Lurching and swaying, the roadster reached the abandoned road, and from there it was an easy run to the main highway. In spite of the fact that it had been left in the bush for probably a week, the roadster was in perfect condition and the engine ran smoothly. Joe was given the seat of honor beside the driver because he had discovered the tire marks that led to the recovery of the car, and the other boys distributed themselves as best they could. They clung to the running boards, hung precariously to the back, and one of the boys even straddled the hood. In this manner, the triumphant procession returned to Bayport. But as the cheering lads came down the main street, they noticed that there was an air of excitement in the town. People were standing on the street corners in little groups talking earnestly, and when the boys spied Detective Smuth of the police force striding along with a pretentious frown, they called out to him, What's on your mind today, Detective? Chet got his car back. I've got something more important than stolen cars to worry about, declared Detective Smuth. The Tower Mansion has been robbed. Oh my! The plot thickens, but Chet got his car back. Are you happy about that? That was so fun. I am glad he got his car back. Okay, well that's all I've got for you tonight. We will be back Friday with chapter 7. And don't forget, for a while on Tuesdays, we are doing some fan favorites and some podcast host favorites too. So we will catch you back on Tuesday night. I hope your weekend is off to a good start. And until Tuesday, sleep tight, good night, and bye bye.