The old abandoned Bleeker cabin provides hours of fun for Jesse, Matt and Little Turtle. Horses approach. From the safety of the rickety loft, they watch bandits bury a trunk under the floor while boasting of riches from the payroll inside. The boys 'rescue' the trunk, intent on turning it over to the sheriff--until they overhear him say something that proves he's in cahoots with the bandits.
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The boys love their jobs with the traveling circus. Until Matt is accused of stealing the ticket money and locked in jail. Jesse and LT vow to clear him. But there are so many suspects: the beautiful high-wire walker, the Greek speaking circus owner, the bead-laden fortune teller, the enormous animal trainer, and most of all, mean Willie Talbot.
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Every day more of Cattle Creek's men are missing, including Jesse's father and Uncle Isaiah. When Matt goes missing from the search and rescue team, it's up to Jesse and LT to ride into the depths of Echo Valley to try and rescue them.
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Fifteen orphans arrive on the five o'clock train. Immediately things begin disappearing around town, and Jesse fears nasty Mrs. Denton's prediction of trouble by 'those misfits' is coming true. When seven year old Emily disappears, everyone fears she's been abducted by her long-lost uncle. While posses search the roads and byways, Jesse, Matt and LT join in. Soon they learn that Emily's disappearance and the thefts around town are eerily connected.
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Condon's General Store is burning. Too late to save the building and the two people inside: the owner Joe Condon and mean old Frank Howard. Afterward, Jesse learns of the money stolen from the store during the past weeks. Sheriff Benson is sure Joe set fire to his own store to cover the theft. Jesse, Matt, and LT are out to prove his innocence. Trouble is, why do so many businesses sport new things: a hotel sign, a telegraph machine, a brand new leather barber chair. |
