Next morning, Henry had the fire going by the time the others woke up. They were all surprised.
“If we had something to put the frying pan on, we could have pancakes for breakfast,” Jessie said.
“We do have something,” Henry told her.
Resting on two stacks of stones, a metal grill spanned the fire.
“Watch and I went looking for our lantern this morning,” Henry explained. “I thought some animal might have carried it off and dropped it somewhere. Instead, we found the grill at an empty campsite.”
Violet said, “Now you can have your coffee, Grandfather.” Then she and Benny skipped off to fill the coffee pot with water from the pump.
Jessie went to make the pancake batter. The mix wasn’t in the box. She looked all over for it. Finally, she returned to the others. “I can’t find the pancake mix,” she told them.
“Are you sure we bought some?” Henry asked her.
“Yes,” Jessie answered. “It was in the box with the cereal.”
“Maybe Benny moved it when he was looking for the honey,” Mr. Alden suggested.
“I looked in both boxes. I even looked in the cooler,” Jessie said. “It’s not anywhere.”
Returning with the coffee pot, Violet asked, “What’s missing now?”
“The pancake mix,” Jessie told her.
“Oh, no,” Benny said. “Not the pancake mix!”
“Something strange is going on,” Mr. Alden said thoughtfully.
“There’s probably a simple explanation for everything that’s happened,” Henry said.
“A raccoon could have taken the pancake mix,” Jessie said, “and knocked the honey out of the box.”
“He might even have carried the lantern off somewhere,” Violet added.
“That could explain the light,” Benny put in. “Maybe he was running with the lantern and the light was bouncing all over the place.”
“That could make it look like two lights when it was only one,” Henry said.
“And who turned the lantern on?” Grandfather asked.
“Raccoons are very smart,” Benny answered.
“Smart enough to play music?” Mr. Alden asked.
“There wasn’t any music last night,” Violet said.
“No,” Mr. Alden said, “but I don’t think we’ve heard the last of it.”
Everyone was silent thinking about that.
Finally, Henry said, “I don’t think we’re in any danger.”
“No, I don’t think we are,” Grandfather agreed, “but I’m not sure we should stay.”
“Oh, please, let’s not go home yet, Grandfather,” Benny pleaded.
Mr. Alden looked from one to the other. “Do you all want to stay?”
“Oh, yes!” the children all said at once.
“All right,” Mr. Alden said at last. “But I’m going to hike back to the store for another lantern.”
“We could do that,” Henry offered.
“Thank you, Henry,” Mr. Alden said, “but the walk would do me good, and I’d like to talk to Doris. You stay here and enjoy the woods.”
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, Henry packed some trail mix and fruit and a thermos of coffee for Mr. Alden.
“How nice of you to pack me a lunch,”Grandfather told him, “but I’ll only be gone a little while.”
“You’d better take it, Grandfather,” Benny said. “Hiking makes a person very hungry.”
Mr. Alden started toward the trail. Watch looked confused. He didn’t seem to know whether to go with him or to stay with the children.
Mr. Alden laughed. “You stay here, Watch. I’ll be back soon.”
Watch wagged his tail. He seemed to understand.
The children decided to play hide and seek in the pine grove. Henry covered his eyes and began to count. Everyone else ran to hide. Watch followed Jessie. She found the perfect hiding place under an outcrop of sandstone.
“Shhh,” she warned Watch.
The dog sat quietly beside her.
Still, Henry found them. He found Benny and Violet, too.
“So who wants to be It now?” Henry asked.
“It’s too hot to play,” Benny said. “Let’s go wading instead.”
They took off their shoes and socks and rolled up their jeans. The children laughed and splashed in the cool stream for a long time. Then they dried off in the sun.
“Let’s make stew for supper,” Jessie suggested. “Grandfather will be hungry after his long hike.”
Jessie got the fire going.
Benny took the stew pot to the pump to fill it with water.
Henry and Violet cut up the vegetables and chunks of beef.
By the time the stew was simmering, the sky was dark with clouds.
“It looks like we’re in for a storm,” Henry observed.
“I hope Grandfather gets back soon,” Jessie said.
Lightning flashed in the distance. After several seconds, a low rumble sounded. An hour later, the first big drops of rain fell on their camp.
But Grandfather Alden had not returned. |