Screeching Owls

Not a bad story this. The boys and Chet Morton are on holiday in Pennsylvania checking up on a friend of their father's while Fenton himself is on a case involving truck hijackers. They reach his cabin to find him missing and dark talk about a witch that stalks the local area stealing dogs and screeching at night. 

The local geography makes it tough to follow, a large depression in the earth called Black Hollow overgrown and with a hidden shack supposedly used by abolitionists as part of the underground railroad funneling slaves out to a new life in the north. 

A few run ins with the Donner family and a mute boy called Simon who proves to be of immense help. Before the inevitable conclusion that the boys and their father are working on the same case from different angles. 

Quite a few nice bits to think over. The Screech owls, used as a signal here, are familiar to Americans whereas the Barn owl which was also used as a signal is also known in Europe. There is a nice nod to inclusion with the acceptance of Simon the mute boy. which is done well even.

Anyway UK version here and Original here.

Final note on this. The original US artwork has a nightmarish looking Barn Owl on the cover. Whereas the version I have in the UK looks to be a Great Grey Owl or a Puma.