Snowbound Mystery

  “Barbara,” said Mr. Nelson, “please get the tuna for Miss Alden. It’s on your side.”

  Barbara Nelson seemed glad to do this. As she turned her back, she said, “You people look around the store. You may see something else you need.”

  “I know what you need,” said Puggsy. “You need some buns.”

  “Oh, yes!” said Mr. Nelson. “Puggsy’s right. They are very good. Very good indeed. But—”

  “But what?” asked Benny.

  “Well, nothing. I just could make them better than I do. My father and grandfather were both bakers. They made the best buns in the world.”

  “You like to cook, don’t you?” asked Jessie. She liked it, too, and she noticed how Mr. Nelson smiled when he talked about it.

  Mrs. Nelson answered for him. Mr. Nelson seemed to be dreaming about something. “Yes, Tom loves to cook. He’s a born baker. He is never so happy as when he is making bread, pies, cookies, and cake. Buns are what he most likes to bake.”

  “I like to bake, too,” said Puggsy.

  His mother laughed. “Yes, he really does. He can make nice round buns all by himself.”

  Puggsy took Benny’s hand. “I like you, Benny,” he said. “You’re so nice. You ought to buy some of my mother’s beef stew. It goes good with buns.”

  “Goes well with buns, Puggsy,” said his mother.

  “Well, it means just the same,” said Puggsy. “My father’s buns have raisins in them. And my mother’s stew has onions in it.”

  “Let’s try them both,” said Henry. “The stew and the buns. Jessie’s the cook, so she can decide.”

  “Yes, let’s have some stew and buns,” agreed Jessie.

  “I’m sure you will like the stew,” said Mrs. Nelson. “I put it up in glass jars. You’ll need a quart.”

  When Benny saw the onions and tiny carrots, he said, “I think we need two quarts, Jessie.”

  “Yes, maybe we do. The Aldens are all good eaters. We are going to make a fire tonight in the fireplace, and we’ll heat the stew on our oilstove.”

  “Do you have plenty of wood for the fireplace?” asked Mr. Nelson. “When we were there the last time, we left quite a big pile.”

  “Yes, we are grateful for it,” said Henry. “When we do go home for good, we will leave some, too.”

  “It’s a good cabin,” said Barbara. “We like it so much. Now, don’t you want a bag for these glass jars?”

  “No, we have our knapsacks,” said Violet. “Oh, there’s the sunflower seed! We want a bag of that, too. And look at the big red apples, Jessie!”

  Jessie said, “Apples are good for dessert. They don’t have to be cooked. We’ll take a dozen.”

  “What a load you have,” said Mr. Nelson.

  “Well, there are four of us,” said Henry.

  “Please don’t go, Benny,” said Puggsy.

  “I’m sorry. We have to go,” said Benny. “We have to make a bird feeder.”

  Mrs. Nelson put her hand gently on her little boy’s head. She said, “Don’t tease them. They have a long walk back to the cabin. Now, I have put the buns in this little basket with a handle. You don’t need to bring it back. I have several. The heavy things will hurt the soft buns.”

  “You are so kind, Mrs. Nelson,” said Jessie. “We’ll come again soon.”

  When the Aldens were out of sight of the store, Benny said suddenly, “Let’s stop here a minute and talk. The only thing I can think of is Mrs. Nelson stopping Puggsy when he said, ‘We look and look.’”

  Henry nodded. “Right, Ben. There is some mystery here, I’m sure of it.”

  “Me, too,” said Jessie. “It is strange, isn’t it? They are such friendly people. But I am sure they are hiding something.”

  Violet said, “I think so, too.”

  “Well,” said Benny, “if you all agree with me that something is wrong, we can go along to our cabin. Then we’ll have lots of time to talk. We have two and a half miles to walk.”

  It was rather late when they reached the cabin.

  “It seems to take longer to get home,” said Benny.

  “It does seem like home,” Violet said, going in.

  Jessie said, “We always feel at home in our new places, don’t we? Just think of the many places where we have lived! And we enjoyed them all.”

  “That’s because we were all together,” said Benny. “Let’s have supper.”

  “Oh, Benny! But I guess you’re right,” said Jessie. “We haven’t many dishes. I’ll have to find something for the bird feeder.”

  “No,” said Benny. “Take the little basket with the handle. Hang it on the tree.”

  “Of course!” replied Jessie. She filled it with the sunflower seed. Henry and Benny walked way around the house, because there was no back door. They hung the basket on a low branch of the tree where everyone could see it from the window.

  Jessie and Violet were bending over looking at their cooking dishes. “Here’s a tin saucepan for the stew,” said Jessie. “But it’s the only one. There is no other cooking dish but the frying pan.”

  Violet found one blue bowl, one large white cup, one vegetable dish, and one soup plate.

  “That’s fine, Violet,” said Jessie, laughing. “It’s more fun. We each have a dish of some kind, anyway. We’ll give Benny the big vegetable dish and I’ll take the cup. But I’ll fill mine twice.”

  Henry sat in a chair and rubbed the red apples until they shone. “We’ll have to hurry with supper,” he said. “It’s getting dark.”

  “We’ve got lanterns, Henry,” said Benny.

  “After supper we’ll build a fire in the fireplace,” said Henry. “Then we can sit around the fire and talk, and the fire will keep us warm all night.”

  They sat down at the table and Jessie put a different dish before each one. Near the middle of the table were a dozen buns.

  The stew was delicious. The Aldens talked while they ate.

  “Look what’s on our bird feeder,” said Benny. It was a big gray squirrel.

  “Oh, dear!” said Jessie. “I have heard that squirrels scare away birds.”

  Violet said, “I have heard that squirrels are simply terrible if they get into a house. We’ll have to be careful to keep the door shut.”

  Henry banged on the window, but the squirrel just sat and looked at him.

  “He’s clever, though,” said Benny. “See him sit still, just as if he’s frozen. He doesn’t move at all.”

  Soon the supper was all gone. Only the apples were left. Henry started to build a fire in the fireplace. He used some pine cones, then some small wood, and last of all, two big sticks on top. The fire burned well at once with a fine blaze.

  “Now, let’s talk about the Nelsons,” Henry said. “I think they come here often to hunt for something.”

  “That’s what I think,” said Benny. “That’s what Puggsy said. Only he said ‘look’ instead of ‘hunt.’ It means the same to me.”

  Jessie said, “And his mother tried to stop him. That’s really why we noticed it so much.”

  The Aldens talked and talked as they ate the red apples. When it was really dark outside, Henry put a fire screen up in front of the fire, and they all crawled into their sleeping bags, which were spread on their bunks.

  “Nice and warm, Henry?” asked Benny. “I’m asleep already.”

  Henry didn’t answer. He was already asleep.

  They all slept soundly for a few hours. Then one by one they woke up. There was a funny scratching noise on the roof over their heads. Watch began to bark. Then something ran overhead. Watch ran around wildly, barking and barking.

  Benny said, “Now, what’s that?”

  Henry called out, “Jessie! Violet! Are you girls all right? Don’t be afraid!”

  “What’s the matter?” called Jessie.

  “I don’t know yet,” said Henry. “But we’ll find out.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Attic Guests

  The Aldens got up. It was cold a
nd dark. Not much light came in from the window, and the fire in the fireplace was almost gone.

  Henry looked up at the ceiling. He listened. “That must be a squirrel,” he said.

  “One squirrel?” asked Benny. “It sounds like a dozen!”

  “Oh, dear,” said Jessie. “I’ve been told the only way to get rid of squirrels when they get in a house is to kill them.”

  “We won’t do that,” said Violet quickly.

  “Don’t worry, we won’t do that,” Henry said. “But maybe we can scare them away. Watch, you lie down! Bring me one of those shovels, Ben.”

  Benny was nearest the fireplace. He gave a long-handled shovel to his older brother. Henry began to pound on the ceiling with the long handle.

  The noise stopped. Not a sound. After a minute it began again. Watch barked and ran around the rooms. Henry pounded again. The noise stopped.

  “Now we’re in a fine fix!” Henry said. “We can stop the noise, but I don’t want to stand here all night pounding with a shovel.”

  Jessie said, “I guess we’ll have to try to sleep and let the squirrels play.”

  But Henry still stood looking up at the ceiling in the boys’ bedroom. It was made of wide boards and was not plastered.

  “Ben, come here,” Henry called. “There’s something funny. The bedrooms have wooden ceilings. But the main room hasn’t any ceiling at all. It’s open to the roof—look, you can see the beams.”

  Benny looked up. The squirrels were still running around. He said, “I think when the cabin was new the bedrooms didn’t have any ceilings. Someone must have had them put in later to make the bedrooms warmer.”

  “That attic space over the bedrooms is all closed in,” Henry said. “I can’t see any trapdoor or any way to get up there from this part of the cabin. The squirrels must get in through some hole in the roof.”

  “They have a fine little home up there, that’s for sure,” said Benny.

  “Tomorrow I’ll go up on the roof and see how it looks,” Henry replied. “Maybe we can scare them out and close the hole. Do you think you can sleep, anybody?”

  “I can if Watch doesn’t keep barking,” said Jessie. “We know what it is now, so we’re not scared.”

  Watch stood wagging his tail and looked up at Jessie. She said, “It’s all right. You can stop barking.”

  It was a strange thing. Watch did stop barking. The squirrels scratched and scratched, but Watch didn’t make a sound. Soon they were all asleep, Watch, squirrels, and all.

  In the morning the Aldens dressed, and Henry built up the fire before they ate breakfast.

  “We’d better go back to the store today and get some advice about squirrels,” said Jessie. “Mr. Nelson must know there are squirrels up in that attic. If he has been here three times, he must have heard them.”

  The Aldens got ready as fast as they could. They took their knapsacks. Henry locked the door and put the key in his pocket.

  Benny said, “Farewell, you squirrels! Come again never!”

  It was a perfect day. It was even more beautiful than the day before. There was not a cloud in the sky. Jessie said, “I don’t think this weather is going to last very long. Grandfather would call this a weather breeder. It means a storm.”

  “It doesn’t look like a storm,” said Benny.

  “No, Benny, that is what a weather breeder is. A beautiful day that doesn’t last. Oh, well, never mind! We can get along even if it rains all the rest of the time.”

  Halfway to the store, Henry stopped suddenly. He grabbed Watch by the collar and pointed with his finger. Everyone looked where he was pointing. It was a deer!

  The beautiful animal stood perfectly still. With soft brown eyes, he looked at the strangers. Then Watch gave a bark, and the deer gave a high jump. There was a pile of rocks in front of him, and he went right over them and disappeared.

  “What a jumper!” said Jessie. “He must have jumped ten feet. And it was uphill, too. Oh, look, there goes another! Look at that jump!”

  “That was the doe,” said Henry. “Her horns aren’t as big.”

  “But she can jump as well as the other one,” said Benny.

  At last they reached the store. They told Mr. Nelson all about the squirrels.

  “Yes,” he said, “I have heard them. Some people might try to poison them. But that wouldn’t work. More squirrels would come. I think your idea of stopping up the hole in the roof is best. Make sure the squirrels are all out, though, before you stop up the hole.”

  Mrs. Nelson said, “Tom could let you take some boards and a hammer and nails, couldn’t you, Tom?”

  “Sure,” said Mr. Nelson.

  Then Jessie told Mrs. Nelson what they wanted to buy. “We want some hamburger and hot dogs for our Benny here, and we want some peanut butter—”

  “I wish I could go too,” said Puggsy. “Can’t I go, Mommy?”

  “No, you can’t.” Mrs. Nelson shook her head. But she was turning red again, and well she might. For Puggsy went on, “If you let me go, I won’t hunt for anything.”

  Tom Nelson laughed, but he was uneasy. He said, “I must tell you that my grandfather built that cabin years ago. I suppose Puggsy thinks it is his cabin.”

  “I’m sure he does,” said Jessie. “It’s all right. Don’t worry about him. He could come with us, but he would have to stay overnight.”

  “Do you know where the spring water in the cabin comes from?” Henry asked Mr. Nelson.

  “Yes, the water runs downhill from the spring. I know it is close to the cabin. You could look for it. I think there’s an old sign.”

  “Well, here we go,” said Jessie. “Got everything, Henry?”

  “Yes, some good boards and a hammer and nails.”

  “We’ll be down again soon,” said Henry as he went out of the store.

  When the store was out of sight, Jessie said, “Isn’t that the strangest thing?”

  Benny said, “Something is wrong with those Nelsons! They are nice people, too. What’s wrong with them, Henry?”

  “I wish I knew,” answered Henry. “I like Tom Nelson. But he certainly is worried about something.”

  “One sure thing,” said Benny, “if they want to hide anything, they’d better not take Puggsy along!”

  Everyone laughed.

  Jessie exclaimed, “Oh, where’s Watch?”

  They all looked around, but the dog was not there.

  “Watch!” shouted Henry as loud as he could. They listened. Not a sound. Henry put down the hammer and nails and boards he was carrying.

  “He can’t be far away,” said Jessie. “Watch!” she called. Then they all heard a faint whine. Instantly they ran toward the sound.

  “I can hear Watch, but I can’t see him,” Benny called.

  Henry ran toward some bushes. “Easy, old boy, I’m coming,” he called when Watch whined.

  Then Henry stopped and pushed the bushes away. Now he saw why Watch had not come.

  “It’s a hunter’s trap!” shouted Henry. “Watch has caught his hind paw in a trap.”

  Watch lay on the ground trying to lick his hind paw. When he saw Jessie he looked up and wagged his short tail.

  “Hold his foot, Jessie,” Henry said, “and I’ll force the trap open.” He picked up a heavy stick to push the jaws of the trap open.

  In less than a minute Watch was free. He held up his back paw and hopped on three legs.

  But Henry was angry. He said, “Those steel traps are against the law! Somebody is trying to catch a fox, but he’s lost his fox and his trap.”

  Henry picked up the trap and took it with him. He did not want to say anything to worry Jessie and Violet, but he did not like the idea of someone setting traps in the woods. He hoped it was not anyone who used the hunters’ cabin. Indeed, he hoped that there were no strangers at all in the woods. But someone had set a trap.

  Jessie looked at Watch’s paw, but it was not badly hurt.

  They went back to the path, and Benny said, ??
?Henry, I haven’t seen you mad for a long time.”

  “Well, I don’t like this,” Henry said. “I wonder if the Nelsons know there is a trapper around here.” He went back to get the nails and hammer and boards.

  The family went on without talking. Then when they were almost at the cabin Benny saw something near the path. It looked like an old, broken sign. He saw an arrow and the word “Spring.”

  “Look!” said Benny. “Funny thing we didn’t see this sign before. We have been past it three times.”

  Henry stopped. “I guess we were always thinking about something else. I’d like to find that spring. We are almost home, and it won’t take long.”

  Everyone agreed—all but Watch. He was surprised to see his family go back up the hill. He thought he was going home to lunch. But he turned around, too, and trotted along beside Jessie. He did not even hold up his paw now.

  There was a path, but it was a poor one. Henry and Benny were both thinking the same thing, but they did not know it. They were wondering if the spring had anything to do with what the Nelsons wanted to find.

  “Not many people come to look at the spring, I guess,” said Violet. “It isn’t very easy walking.”

  There was something about it that Violet did not like. Maybe it just seemed too lonely.

  “I see it,” said Benny. “See that wooden cover? The spring must be under it.”

  The cover was about a yard square. Henry and Benny lifted it from the front edge.

  “Good,” said Henry. “It stands up by itself.”

  The Aldens bent over to look inside. The sides of the spring were made of flat stones. The water was clear and about two feet deep.

  It was just a spring. There was no mystery about it.

  “This never freezes,” said Henry.

  “Why not?” asked Benny. “How do you know?”

  “Watch it, Ben,” said Henry. “See, the water is running in and out all the time? Probably the water comes from a spring ten feet deep.”

  The Aldens turned to go home, and at that moment it suddenly began to rain. They all ran.

  “These boards are getting wet already!” Henry called as he ran.

  “You can’t fix the roof today,” called Benny.

  “I never thought it would rain,” said Violet.