One warm spring morning, the four Alden children were outside their home in Greenfield. They loaded two tents, four backpacks, and a first-aid kit into their grandfather’s station wagon.
Their dog, Watch, woke up from his nap and ran to the car wagging his tail.
“No, Watch, I’m afraid you’re staying here.” Fourteen-year-old Henry Alden patted the dog’s soft fur. “We have so much equipment to take. You wouldn’t even have room to stretch.”
“We’re not going to have much room either,” Henry’s six-year-old brother, Benny, said as he raced Watch back to the house. Benny wanted to see what the housekeeper, Mrs. McGregor, was putting in the large waterproof pack. “Mmmm, fresh homemade bread.” Benny sniffed the open bag with delight.
“Are you sure we’ll have enough food to last a whole week?” Benny asked his two older sisters, Jessie and Violet. They were carrying a bag of cooking utensils between them.
“Don’t worry, Benny,” his oldest sister, Jessie, answered. Jessie was twelve and very responsible.
Ten-year-old Violet added a drawing pad and some pencils to her backpack, which was already in the back of the car. “I know we shouldn’t take too many things on a canoe,”Violet said apologetically to Henry.
“Don’t worry, Violet. Your sketch pad hardly weighs anything, and we know how much you like to draw.” Henry smiled at his sister.
“Are you almost ready?” the children’s grandfather asked as he walked out of the house. “I told Aunt Jane we would meet her at Ernie’s Sporting Goods Store in Silver Falls at nine o’clock. I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
“We’re just checking to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything,” Jessie answered.
Grandfather smiled fondly at his four grandchildren. He would miss them while they went canoeing and backpacking for a week with their Aunt Jane. But he wouldn’t worry about them.
His grandchildren were used to looking after themselves. After their parents died, they had lived on their own in a boxcar until he found them and gave them a home.
Mrs. McGregor helped Jessie and Violet put the last bag in the car. Then she waved good-bye. Watch ran from one child to another before he obediently followed Mrs. McGregor back to the house.
The Aldens arrived in Silver Falls in plenty of time to meet Aunt Jane. Grandfather parked the station wagon right on bustling Main Street. Silver Falls was an old New England town right next to Elmford, where Aunt Jane lived. Large maple and oak trees shaded the low storefront buildings.
“Look, isn’t that Aunt Jane’s car?” Jessie asked, pointing to a blue convertible.
“Yes,” Grandfather answered. “She must already be in Ernie’s store.”
Ernie’s Sporting Goods Store was in a big old sandstone building just off Main Street. The Aldens walked through a room filled with bicycles and fishing poles. They found Ernie setting up a sailboat display in the boat room.
“So, today’s the big day.” Ernie smiled at the children. “Just think, in a few hours, you’ll all be paddling on Timberwolf Lake.”
“Not me, I’m afraid,” Grandfather answered his good friend. “I’m getting a little too old for long canoe trips. The children are going with their Aunt Jane.”
“I know. She stopped in the store earlier this morning, but left to pick up something. She said it was a surprise.” Ernie winked at the children. “She should be back soon.”
Ernie had been helping Aunt Jane and the children plan their trip for more than a month now. He had also taken the children out for little canoe trips to give them some lessons. Henry and Jessie had learned very quickly. Aunt Jane was already an experienced canoeist.
Ernie advised the Aldens on the sleeping bags, lightweight canoes, life preservers, and paddles they would need to rent for their trip.
“Why do we need two canoes?” Benny asked.
“It’s not safe for more than four people to be in a canoe,” Violet answered.
“Whose canoe will I be in?” Benny wanted to know.
“Well, to start, I thought maybe you and Jessie could be in Aunt Jane’s canoe,” Henry answered. “I’ll take Violet in mine. We can always change later in the trip.”
“I’m sure any boat would be glad to have you as a passenger, Benny,” Ernie said, rumpling Benny’s hair.
“See, Benny, here’s where we’ll be going,” Henry said, unfolding one of his many maps and holding it out to show his brother. “Grandfather will drive all of us to this park,” Henry continued, pointing to Wolverine State Park. “We’ll unload all the canoeing equipment there and get right on Timberwolf Lake.”
“Timberwolf Lake,” Benny repeated.
“Yes, and we’re also going to canoe on Catfish Lake.” Henry pointed on the map. “Then we’ll meet Grandfather in a town called White Pine.”
Henry and Benny were very busy looking at the map. They did not notice the tall blonde woman in her late twenties who was listening to every word they said. The woman wore turquoise designer jeans, jade earrings, and an expensive jacket. She seemed nervous when Ernie came up to ask her if she wanted to rent a canoe.
“No, I certainly do not need any canoeing equipment. I’ve been canoeing for years and have just bought myself a brand-new canoe.” She sounded smug.
“Besides,” the woman continued, “I don’t believe in renting outdoor equipment.” She looked pointedly at the rented canoes the Aldens had picked out. “You never know what you’re getting when you rent.”
“What a snob,” Jessie whispered to Henry. Henry nodded.
“But there is something I do need.” The tall blonde woman beckoned to Ernie. “I need a topographic map of Royal National Park.”
“Topo … what?” Benny whispered loudly to Jessie.
“It’s a map that shows you the shape of the land—the hills, valleys—” Jessie began.
“You really can’t go canoeing without one,” the woman interrupted. “It also shows you where waterfalls and rapids are.”
“I’ll go find a sales clerk in our map department who can help you,” Ernie told the woman politely.
As soon as Ernie had left, the woman turned to the Aldens. She extended her hand to Jessie. “I’m Angela Tripp,” she said.
“I’m Jessie Alden.” Jessie shook her hand. “And these are my brothers, Henry and Benny, and my sister, Violet.”
“I couldn’t help overhearing your canoeing plans,” Angela said. “I’m surprised you would want to canoe on Timberwolf Lake this time of year. There are such bad thunderstorms up there now.”
“Really? The late spring is supposed to be a very good time to go canoeing,” Henry answered.
“If it does rain a lot, we have waterproof tents and rainwear with us,” Jessie added. She was always very practical.
Angela sighed. “Well, I suppose you know that wolves live near Timberwolf Lake. That’s how it got its name.”
“Wolves,” Benny repeated. His eyes grew rounder.
“Yes,” Angela said. “And you know wolves hunt at night.”
Henry cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure there are no wolves in that part of New England,” he said.
“Well, you’ll be very far from people up there. No one will be able to help you if you are attacked by a wild animal,” Angela snapped. She did not even try to look friendly anymore. When the salesman came to help her buy a map, she turned away from the Aldens and did not say another word to them.
“She’s not very nice,” Benny said, after Angela Tripp left the store.
“I don’t understand why she was trying to scare you like that,” Grandfather said, when the children told Ernie and him about their conversation with Angela.
“You certainly won’t have to worry about wolves,” Ernie said, shaking his head.
“There haven’t been wild wolves in that part of New England for over a hundred years,” Grandfather said firmly. “I used to canoe on Timberwolf Lake as a boy. The weather up there isn’t any worse than it is down here,” he added.
“I can’t help thinking she might have had a reason for not wanting us to go on our canoe trip,” Violet said quietly.
“Maybe we’ll have a mystery to solve,” Benny said just as Aunt Jane walked in the store with her husband, Andy Bean.
Uncle Andy and Aunt Jane gave each of the children a great big bear hug. “We did a little last-minute shopping for the trip,” Aunt Jane said. She smiled at her nieces and nephews. She always enjoyed being with them. They would be good company while her husband was away on a business trip.
“Can we open them now?” Benny asked, looking at the wrapped presents Uncle Andy had handed each of the children.
“Certainly,” Aunt Jane said. She led them to a shady courtyard outside the back of the store. The Aldens all sat at a large picnic table and opened their presents.
“Yum,” Benny said happily. His gift was a bag of trail mix—nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate bits.
Henry received a Swiss army knife. It had a can opener, a bottle opener, and several other tools all folded up inside it.
Jessie received a compass.
Violet opened her present last. She pulled a tin camping cup out of its box. “Thank you, Aunt Jane,” she said, smiling.
When all the excitement over the presents had died down, Aunt Jane turned to Jessie. “Now, what’s all this I heard you saying about a mystery?” she asked.
As the children told their aunt all about Angela, Henry began to frown. He was worried about Angela. Who was she? he wondered. And why was she trying to scare them? |