Everyone listened very carefully. Sure enough, there was a whooshing, gurgling sound nearby, so the Aldens headed in that direction.

  “See, an underground stream!” Jessie whispered when they found water. “Let’s walk along this ledge and see where it goes.”

  Henry led everyone alongside the stream. The Aldens hadn’t gone far when they heard men’s voices shouting in the distance.

  “This is your dumbest idea ever,” Ed Lyme said to Randall Pitt. “I’m not getting into that thing. I can’t swim.”

  Mr. Pitt was blowing up a large raft with an air pump.

  “Hey, what are you kids doing here?” Mr. Lyme shouted when he saw the Aldens standing there.

  “It’s us, Mr. Lyme,” Henry explained. “Even though you tried to scare us, we decided to explore these caves anyway.”

  “What are you staring at?” Mr. Pitt asked when he noticed Henry staring at his head.

  “So you’re the one who broke into our cabin and stole my headlamp. I can see the initials I marked on it—H.A. And that’s not all you stole. Nelly Stoner said a raft was taken from the Dragon’s Mouth Cavern a couple of days ago.”

  Mr. Pitt kicked the raft to one side and took the headlamp off his head. “What are you talking about, kid?”

  Mr. Lyme shifted from one foot to the other. “Come on, Randy. We need to talk. In private, without four pairs of ears listening in.”

  Then the two men moved several feet away so the Aldens wouldn’t hear them.

  Henry and Jessie didn’t waste any time. “Come on,” Jessie whispered to Benny and Violet. “Hop on the raft. First, let’s put on these life jackets.”

  With barely a splash, the four children climbed onto the raft. Henry pushed off with the oars and quickly began rowing.

  The next thing the Aldens heard was a lot of yelling. “Hey! They took our raft!” Mr. Pitt screamed.

  “Hey! They took our raft,” the cave walls echoed back.

  “Go after it!” Mr. Lyme shouted at Mr. Pitt.

  But it was too late. The Aldens were soon floating along the current of a small stream.

  CHAPTER 10

  Back in the Dragon’s Mouth

  Hey, I know where we are,” Benny cried when the raft drifted into a huge, well-lit space. “We’re in the Dragon’s Mouth Cavern again!”

  Henry rowed over to the wooden steps where the empty tour boat was tied up, and everyone got off the raft.

  “I think we should call the police,” Jessie said when they made their way to the elevator. “Those men took this raft and Henry’s headlamp.”

  Henry pressed the elevator button, and the children stepped inside. When the doors opened into the gift shop, everyone headed for the ticket booth where Mr. Alden was waiting.

  “Grandfather!” Violet cried. “You’re back.”

  “And you’re back, children,” Mrs. Stoner said, happy to see the Aldens. “I was getting worried about your being in the caves so late. Mr. Howe and I were almost about to go out looking for you since it was getting dark.”

  “You never would have found us,” Benny said. “Never, ever. Somebody stole our tape markers so nobody could find us. Then the entrance was all stuffed with rocks and things. And a big rock, too! Even Henry couldn’t push it out of the way.”

  “Whoa! Slow down, Benny,” Grandfather said. “I see a thing or two happened while I was away.”

  “Can we call the police first?” Jessie asked Mrs. Stoner. “We found the people who took your raft. They’re still in the caves. I think they were on your tour the other day.”

  After a quick call to meet the police near the cave, everyone piled into Mr. Alden’s station wagon. Mrs. Stoner gave directions while Benny brought Grandfather up to date on all the excitement. When Mr. Alden pulled up to the cave, a police car was already there, parked next to Mr. Pitt’s old green car.

  “You folks seem to know these caves better than we do,” one of the two officers said. “Can you lead the way down?”

  “Just follow us,” Henry said.

  One by one the children slipped into the cave entrance. The two officers followed right behind.

  “If we just go in a little, the cave branches off in three directions,” Jessie explained. “If we wait there, the men have to come out one of those tunnels if they plan to go back to their car again.”

  The police and the Aldens didn’t have to wait long. They soon heard the sound of heavy steps squishing through the muddy cave.

  “Stop!” one of the officers said when Mr. Pitt and Mr. Lyme came into the tunnel.

  “What is this all about?” Mr. Pitt demanded.

  “It’s about a stolen raft,” the police officer began.

  “And Henry’s missing headlamp, too,” Benny added.

  Mr. Pitt tried to run in the other direction, but one of the police officers grabbed him first. “Stay where you are. You have some explaining to do, Randall Pitt.”

  “You know him?” Henry asked.

  “Both of them,” the officer answered. “They’re a couple of petty criminals who can’t stay out of trouble. They just finished six months’ time in the county jail. I see they’re up to their old tricks again.”

  Mr. Pitt’s partner kicked at the ground. “I told you not to take that headlamp. A lot of good it did us. We never found the money, anyway.”

  “What money is he talking about?” the police officer asked Mr. Pitt.

  “The money from the Rockville Union Bank robbery ten years ago,” Mr. Pitt answered. “We overheard one of the robbers at the jail say he hid it down in these caves.”

  The two police officers started laughing and couldn’t stop.

  “What’s so funny?” Benny asked.

  One of the officers finally stopped laughing. “What’s so funny is that the money they’re talking about was fake—worthless. The bank gave the thieves counterfeit money. It was worth less than a pile of old newspapers! Now I’m going to put you two back where you came from—only this time for stealing a raft and a headlamp. That’s pretty funny, too! But most of all, you should be ashamed of yourselves for trying to scare these kids.”

  Mr. Pitt and his partner weren’t laughing a bit. Instead they argued with each other all the way out of the cave. When the police car pulled away, the Aldens could still hear the two men bickering in the back seat.

  “That’s a pretty good mystery you solved,” Grandfather Alden said after his grandchildren explained about Mr. Pitt and Mr. Lyme.

  “Finally,” Benny said, giving Grandfather and Nelly Stoner a big smile. “But we can’t leave Rockville until we solve another one. What was Miss Hollowell doing down in the caves?”

  “And why didn’t she want anyone else around?” Jessie asked.

  Nelly Stoner smiled back. “I think that mystery is solved, too,” she said. She handed Jessie a newspaper and pointed to a picture of Crystal Hollowell.

  Jessie read what it said under the photo:

  Rock expert Dr. Crystal Hollowell, a scientist from the Western College of Mines, has just reported a major discovery of silver inside local limestone caves. This is the first time this type of rock has been uncovered in this area.

  “When I saw the picture, I figured out why her name seemed familiar,” Nelly Stoner said. “She’s a geologist who helped develop a new way to locate silver. I read about this in some of my journals, but I didn’t make the connection to this young woman.”

  “I bet she was the one who blocked off the tunnel with the rock that said ‘Keep Out,’ ” Violet said.

  “And look, she’s wearing heeled boots in the picture,” Benny added, using his sharp eyes. “I bet the footprints near that rock belonged to her and her helper.”

  Nelly Stoner opened the newspaper and turned to one of the inside pages with a longer story. “This article says that she was afraid a rival would find the special rock. After she and her assistant blocked the tunnel inside the caves, they pushed one big rock outside another cave entrance so no one could get
in.”

  “Or out,” Henry said. “I guess she wasn’t really trying to trap anybody on purpose—just keep them away.”

  “My, my,” Mr. Alden said. “You must have had quite a fright being walled in. I’d like to take a look at the place.”

  A short ride later, the children led their grandfather to the sinkhole cave by the side of the road. Mr. Howe was already there, helping a work crew fence in the entrance.

  “Hello, Aldens,” Mr. Howe said. “I suppose you heard that Crystal Hollowell discovered some valuable rocks on my property. With her new methods, she and some other rock experts—and I hope Nelly here—are going to go through and see if there’s enough silver in these caves to go after. Meanwhile, it’s off-limits to everyone but my guests.”

  “Does that mean us?” Benny wanted to know. “We want to show Grandfather how we got trapped inside this great big dark cave, but we weren’t even scared.”

  Mr. Howe patted Benny’s head. “Go right in, young fella. You just have to get some of those smaller rocks out of the way. Dr. Hollowell blocked up the entrance until she could get some other rock experts here.”

  Benny dug out some rocks from the opening and dropped them to the ground. “Ouch!” he said, when one of the rocks landed on his toe. He started to toss the heavy rock to the side when the sunlight hit it just right. At that moment, the rock sent out a rainbow of lights.

  “Well, Benny,” Jessie said, taking a closer look at the rock. “You discovered something, too.”

  “Miss Hollowell found a little bit of silver. But look what I found,” Benny said, jumping up and down. “A real Rockville diamond!”

  About the Author

  GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.

  Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.

  When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.

  While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.

  Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.

  The Boxcar Children Mysteries

  THE BOXCAR CHILDREN

  SURPRISE ISLAND

  THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY RANCH

  MIKE’S MYSTERY

  BLUE BAY MYSTERY

  THE WOODSHED MYSTERY

  THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY

  MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY

  SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY

  CABOOSE MYSTERY

  HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY

  SNOWBOUND MYSTERY

  TREE HOUSE MYSTERY

  BICYCLE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY IN THE SAND

  MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL

  BUS STATION MYSTERY

  BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY

  THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY

  THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY

  THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING

  THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO

  THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY GIRL

  THE MYSTERY CRUISE

  THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST

  MYSTERY IN THE SNOW

  THE PIZZA MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY HORSE

  THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW

  THE CASTLE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL

  THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC

  THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT

  THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN

  THE MYSTERY ON STAGE

  THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC

  THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK

  THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON

  THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE

  THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR

  THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN

  THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE

  THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY

  THE HURRICANE MYSTERY

  THE PET SHOP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE

  THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO

  THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO

  THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY

  THE SOCCER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC

  THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER

  THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL

  THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY

  THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY

  THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY

  THE PANTHER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS

  THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY

  THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY

  THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP

  THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN

  THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL

  THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK

  THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY

  THE POISON FROG MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE

  THE HOME RUN MYSTERY

  THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES

  THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME

  THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE

  THE HOCKEY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL

  THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY

  THE COPYCAT MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE

  THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE

  THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY

  THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP

  THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT

  THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY

  THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY

  THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY

  THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY

  THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE

  THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY

  THE RADIO MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST

  THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR

  THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE

  THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES

  THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT

  THE GAME STORE MYSTERY

  T
HE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN

  THE VANISHING PASSENGER

  THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY

  THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE

  THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY

  THE SECRET OF THE MASK

  THE SEATTLE PUZZLE

  THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW

  THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND

  A HORSE NAMED DRAGON

  THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE

  THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES

  THE SPY GAME

  THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY

  THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY

  SUPERSTAR WATCH

  THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  copyright © 1995 by Albert Whitman & Company

  978-1-4532-1344-5

  This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media

  180 Varick Street

  New York, NY 10014

  www.openroadmedia.com

 


 

  Gertrude Chandler Warner, The Mystery in the Cave

 


 

 
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