Read Online Boxcar Children 61 - Growling Bear Mystery by Charles Tang, Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online
Authors: Charles Tang, Gertrude Chandler Warner
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Jessie cried.
“Nope, it found me,” Oz said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure how. I don’t suppose any of you children stuck this map in my mailbox here at the inn?”
“No way,” Henry said. “We haven’t seen that map since the day we arrived at Yellowstone. All we have is this beat-up copy that landed in the Dumpster.” Henry pulled out the Aldens’ copy of the map to show Oz.
“Good!” Oz told the children. “Now we have two maps. We’re going to need them for our hike tomorrow.”
“What hike?” Violet asked.
“Our hike to the lost cabin,” Oz said. “It’s about time we found that place. I’m taking the day off from the store. I’ll meet you bright and early.”
CHAPTER 10
A Secret in the Snow
A t six A.M. the next morning, it was early, but it wasn’t bright the way Oz had expected. Jessie woke up first, as she often did. The room looked strange—dim and more quiet than usual.
She tiptoed to the window. “Snow!” she whispered, forgetting that everyone was asleep.
The word snow was magic to Benny. Suddenly he was as wide awake as if it were the middle of the day.
“Snow?” he said.
By this time, the other children were awake, too. They joined Jessie by the window. Sure enough, flakes of snow were falling over everything.
“It can’t be snowing,” Violet said. “It’s July.”
“But it is snowing,” Jessie said, smiling at the thought of summer snow. “The guidebook says it can snow almost any time of the year in Yellowstone.”
“That means snowflakes for breakfast,” Benny said. “We just have to stick our tongues out. Can we go outside before it melts? I never saw snow in the summer.”
“I’m already getting my socks on,” Jessie said.
In no time flat, all four Aldens were outside the Old Faithful Inn. They stuck their tongues out to catch the snowflakes. And the children drew their initials in the few inches of snow on the ground.
“Now I need hot chocolate,” Benny declared after a while. “And hot waffles, too. Let’s go inside for breakfast.”
“Hey, Aldens,” the children heard when they entered the lobby. “I hope you folks will be ready for our hike in half an hour.”
The children turned around. Across the lobby stood Mr. Alden and Oz Elkhorn, bundled head to toe in parkas, hats, and mittens. Next to them were several sets of snowshoes.
“Are those for our hike?” Benny asked.
“They sure are,” Oz said. “This is going to be a real treat. A snow hike in July. I arranged it with the weatherman, just for the Alden family,” he said, winking at Mr. Alden. “I’m told there’s already a foot of snow on the upper trails.”
Snowplows made their way up and down the mountains just as if it were the middle of winter.
“See,” Oz told the children from the driver’s seat of his truck, “in Yellowstone we’re always ready for any kind of weather. We keep our snow tires on all year long.”
Awhile later, Oz pulled into the Continental Divide lookout area. “Hmmm. Some hikers are already here,” he said when he noticed a snow-covered car and truck parked at the end of the lot. “Judging by all the snow on them, it looks as if they’ve been here awhile.”
Indeed, Oz and the Aldens spotted snowshoe prints in the trails as well. Soon they, too, were deep in the woods.
“Snow hiking goes fast. No bumps,” Benny said. “It’s easier to see everything better. Like bears and stuff,” he added.
“Somebody must have been pretty determined to get out here this early,” Oz said later. “I thought we’d have caught up with these hikers by now. Whoever’s out here must be moving like antelopes through these trails. These tracks seem to be heading in the same direction as we want to go.”
The six hikers set off on the trail again. After a while, the snow tapered off. In the distance, everyone could see the sun begin to peek out between the clouds.
When the sky finally cleared, Oz pointed down to the valley. “Here, Benny.
“Nope, it found me,” Oz said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure how. I don’t suppose any of you children stuck this map in my mailbox here at the inn?”
“No way,” Henry said. “We haven’t seen that map since the day we arrived at Yellowstone. All we have is this beat-up copy that landed in the Dumpster.” Henry pulled out the Aldens’ copy of the map to show Oz.
“Good!” Oz told the children. “Now we have two maps. We’re going to need them for our hike tomorrow.”
“What hike?” Violet asked.
“Our hike to the lost cabin,” Oz said. “It’s about time we found that place. I’m taking the day off from the store. I’ll meet you bright and early.”
CHAPTER 10
A Secret in the Snow
A t six A.M. the next morning, it was early, but it wasn’t bright the way Oz had expected. Jessie woke up first, as she often did. The room looked strange—dim and more quiet than usual.
She tiptoed to the window. “Snow!” she whispered, forgetting that everyone was asleep.
The word snow was magic to Benny. Suddenly he was as wide awake as if it were the middle of the day.
“Snow?” he said.
By this time, the other children were awake, too. They joined Jessie by the window. Sure enough, flakes of snow were falling over everything.
“It can’t be snowing,” Violet said. “It’s July.”
“But it is snowing,” Jessie said, smiling at the thought of summer snow. “The guidebook says it can snow almost any time of the year in Yellowstone.”
“That means snowflakes for breakfast,” Benny said. “We just have to stick our tongues out. Can we go outside before it melts? I never saw snow in the summer.”
“I’m already getting my socks on,” Jessie said.
In no time flat, all four Aldens were outside the Old Faithful Inn. They stuck their tongues out to catch the snowflakes. And the children drew their initials in the few inches of snow on the ground.
“Now I need hot chocolate,” Benny declared after a while. “And hot waffles, too. Let’s go inside for breakfast.”
“Hey, Aldens,” the children heard when they entered the lobby. “I hope you folks will be ready for our hike in half an hour.”
The children turned around. Across the lobby stood Mr. Alden and Oz Elkhorn, bundled head to toe in parkas, hats, and mittens. Next to them were several sets of snowshoes.
“Are those for our hike?” Benny asked.
“They sure are,” Oz said. “This is going to be a real treat. A snow hike in July. I arranged it with the weatherman, just for the Alden family,” he said, winking at Mr. Alden. “I’m told there’s already a foot of snow on the upper trails.”
Snowplows made their way up and down the mountains just as if it were the middle of winter.
“See,” Oz told the children from the driver’s seat of his truck, “in Yellowstone we’re always ready for any kind of weather. We keep our snow tires on all year long.”
Awhile later, Oz pulled into the Continental Divide lookout area. “Hmmm. Some hikers are already here,” he said when he noticed a snow-covered car and truck parked at the end of the lot. “Judging by all the snow on them, it looks as if they’ve been here awhile.”
Indeed, Oz and the Aldens spotted snowshoe prints in the trails as well. Soon they, too, were deep in the woods.
“Snow hiking goes fast. No bumps,” Benny said. “It’s easier to see everything better. Like bears and stuff,” he added.
“Somebody must have been pretty determined to get out here this early,” Oz said later. “I thought we’d have caught up with these hikers by now. Whoever’s out here must be moving like antelopes through these trails. These tracks seem to be heading in the same direction as we want to go.”
The six hikers set off on the trail again. After a while, the snow tapered off. In the distance, everyone could see the sun begin to peek out between the clouds.
When the sky finally cleared, Oz pointed down to the valley. “Here, Benny.
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