NEWS IN BRIEF: AN ALARMING RISE IN PICKPOCKETING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE LOCAL AREA. LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP HOLD OF THERE WALLETS.
One day Tintin and his faithful companion Snowy were looking in the local market:
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They were looking around and they came across their old friends: Detectives Thompson and Thomson:
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They asked them what they were doing and they stated that they were looking for the allusive pickpocket and the found a stall selling walking sticks when Thomson discovered his wallet was missing. Tintin paid for them when he found a beautiful old model ship. He looked at the label: THE UNICORN. After purchasing it as a present for a friend he was approached by 2 men:
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The first claimed to be a collected of ships and would be prepared to pay anything for the ship. Tintin refused.
He gave Tintin has card. His name was Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine
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The second didn't give his name but was even more enthusiastic to buy the book.
When he returned to his apartment he went to answer the door as the friend he bought the ship for arrived: Captain Archibald Haddock.
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When they went to look at the ship they found out while chasing a cat Snowy knocked the model ship. Breaking mast and pushing it off the table. Tintin picked it up and reattached mast. Haddock saw the ships name, grabbed Tintin and told him to get to his apartment immediately.
When they got to Haddock's, he showed Tintin a large portrait of his ancestor: Sir Francis Haddock: Captain Of The Unicorn.
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Haddock Then explained the story of the sinking of the unicorn, how haddock was sailing back from the Maldives, with a hold of tobacco and sugarcane. He then saw a ship with the flag of a red skull & crossbones. Meaning a fight to the death. The Ships fired at each other till the unicorn was boarded, it was a riot, the sail was on fire, bodies everywhere and haddock was tied up. He then saw the most ruthless pirate in all the ocean. Red Rackham.
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Rackham then showed Haddock a casket of jewels, gloating about finding them. Haddock then took the quill from his hat and cut himself free from the ropes. He went into the ship's magazine, laid a long gunpowder line, lit it and that is where he encountered Red Rackham. Rackham grabbed her sword and fought Haddock till he stabbed her in the chest. Red Rackham was dead. Captain Francis Haddock took the casket and went to the lifeboats and as he saw the unicorn explode he sailed to a nearby 'island. That was where Captain Haddock's story ended.
Tintin returned to his apartment to find the ship gone and his apartment ransacked. Snowy saw something under the table where the Unicorn was kept. A scroll, a puzzle with missing words and numbers. he then put the scroll in his wallet and took out the card of Sakharine and went to his office. He told Tintin that Sir Francis Haddock made 3 ships each containing a scroll that contained the clue to Red Rackham's Treasure.
As Tintin walked home he encountered The other man from the market, when as they went up to Tintin's Apartment he was shot and in his dying breath pointed to a group of sparrows...
The next day he read in the paper the man's name was Barnaby Dawes and he did in fact survive.
Tintin talked to the Thomsons the next day and they said that they were getting closer to catching the pickpocket and Thompson described his plan: He attached his wallet to chain in his jacket.
They walked down the street when thompson's chain yanked. The man ran off after Tintin tried to grab him, but only got his jacket.
They parted ways and as Tintin saw his apartment, he saw a large crate in his doorway. He was then chloroformed and shoved into the crate. When he awoke he was in an underground room. A voice told Tintin if he didn't hand over the 2 scrolls he stole there would be consequences. Knowing he only had 1 he tied the bedsheets together and wrapped them round a loose pillar, through the sheet over a beam and pulled up the pillar. He shoved It forward breaking the wall. He saw the room inside. A room full of treasures, he hid behind a desk as he heard 2 men come into the room. They followed him but Tintin snuck out the door and ran upstairs and tried to phone Haddock but was attacked by a employ of the mysterious men.
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He knocked out the butler, phoning Haddock and the Thompsons and when the men found him, he ran for the gate were he met up with Haddock and The Thomsons. They ran inside and as one of the men aimed to shoot Tintin, Haddock threw a nearby bottle at him knocking his out as Tintin ran up and pushed the other man. Tintin tied up the men. The Butler came to and tried to punch Tintin as he claimed Tintin intruded the manor. Tintin explained to him what they did and The butler named them as The Bird Brothers:
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When they came to Thomson and Thompson interrogated them and they told them that Barnaby was an employee of theirs who came to warn Tintin after he stole the 2nd scroll. The birds were arrested and as they walked to the police Tintin asked the Thomsons if they caught the pickpocket. They told him that the pickpocket was a kleptomaniac called Aristides Silk.
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He was put in jail for stealing over 300 wallets.
When Tintin came home, he and Captain Haddock finally put the scrolls together and they saw them line up:
"Three brothers joined. Three Unicorns in
company sailing in the noonday sun
will speak
For this from the light that light will
dawn. And then shines forth
20 37 42 N 70 52 15 W
the Eagle's Cross"
Haddock shouted that they were lines of latitude and longitude! Red Rackhams Treasure Will be ours!
