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Authors: Julie Campbell
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Trixie, “and they must have stayed quite a while, judging from the number of cigarettes they smoked.”
“Like overnight, maybe?” asked Mart.
“By Jupiter, you’re right!” cried Peter. “And they probably pulled the sail bags down to sleep on. First I thought it might have been some of the little kids from school who think it’s pretty smart to smoke. They know this place and might have come over to sneak a smoke, but they wouldn’t stay a whole night.”
“It looks as though someone wanted a real hideaway,” Trixie said thoughtfully. “I wonder who.”
“I guess we’ll have to put a padlock on the door. We’ve never locked up anything around here before. The only way to get off the island is by ferry, so it doesn’t make a very good place for burglars to operate,” Peter commented. “Abe would have them before they could even buy their ferry tickets. They wouldn’t have a chance.”
“Couldn’t anyone come and go in his own boat?” Diana asked as they went downstairs.
“Oh, I suppose they could,” Peter answered, “but it isn’t very likely. The mainland is much easier for a professional thief.”
“Well, it certainly looks as though someone were prowling around here—someone who had no business to, professional or not,” Trixie said solemnly.
“It’s a funny coincidence that it should happen just after we found the letter, isn’t it?” Honey commented.
“I wonder if it is coincidence,” Trixie said, half to herself. “Let’s look through this part of the shed and see if we come up with any leads,” she suggested as she started systematically to examine the room.
The others joined in, but, despite an intensive search, nothing seemed to be missing or out of place. There was no sign of the chart’s having been hidden there, either. No floorboards showed the slightest sign of having been tampered with, and even though they explored the old fireplace brick by brick, it revealed nothing unusual.
“Gosh,” exclaimed Trixie, who had stuck her head inside one of the little ovens, “there’s nothing in here but spider webs!” She shook her blond curls, which were covered with dust and soot, and brushed the cobwebs from her face. “I don’t think this is the place Ed meant at all. Oh, I’m so disappointed. Instead of finding the chart, all we came up with is evidence of an intruder whom we don’t really want to be bothered with at all!”
“Oh, let’s forget it. How about a swim to cool off? Last one in’s a monkey’s cousin!” yelled Peter as he dashed in the direction of the beach, with the others in close pursuit. They hurriedly put on their suits, which they had left in the bathhouse, and raced down to the water’s edge. Peter was about to dive into the water when Trixie, who had managed to come abreast of him, grabbed him and pointed to a single sail out in the bay.
“Well, look who’s out for a sail. That’s Cap trying out his new Lightning. He’s a top-notch sailor and a great guy,” said Peter warmly.
“Gee, what a beautiful boat!” exclaimed Jim. “And he’s sailing it all alone, isn’t he?”
“That’s one of the good things about a Lightning. One person can easily manage it, but in a race you have to have three people—the skipper, the spinnaker man, and a crewman who handles the mains’l.”
“They must be awfully roomy boats to carry three people,” commented Diana.
“Oh, they’ll hold even more than that,” Peter replied. “They’re nineteen feet long and quite beamy, and—I’ll tell you what,” he said suddenly. “If we get the gazebo fairly well cleared out this afternoon, I’ll ask Cap to take his boat, and I’ll take mine, and we’ll go for a sail tomorrow. How about going out to the abandoned lighthouse?”
“How perfect!” cried Honey. “Let’s take a quick dip and then get back to work so we’ll finish up for sure this afternoon. I’ve never been in a sailboat in my whole life, and I’m dying to
“Like overnight, maybe?” asked Mart.
“By Jupiter, you’re right!” cried Peter. “And they probably pulled the sail bags down to sleep on. First I thought it might have been some of the little kids from school who think it’s pretty smart to smoke. They know this place and might have come over to sneak a smoke, but they wouldn’t stay a whole night.”
“It looks as though someone wanted a real hideaway,” Trixie said thoughtfully. “I wonder who.”
“I guess we’ll have to put a padlock on the door. We’ve never locked up anything around here before. The only way to get off the island is by ferry, so it doesn’t make a very good place for burglars to operate,” Peter commented. “Abe would have them before they could even buy their ferry tickets. They wouldn’t have a chance.”
“Couldn’t anyone come and go in his own boat?” Diana asked as they went downstairs.
“Oh, I suppose they could,” Peter answered, “but it isn’t very likely. The mainland is much easier for a professional thief.”
“Well, it certainly looks as though someone were prowling around here—someone who had no business to, professional or not,” Trixie said solemnly.
“It’s a funny coincidence that it should happen just after we found the letter, isn’t it?” Honey commented.
“I wonder if it is coincidence,” Trixie said, half to herself. “Let’s look through this part of the shed and see if we come up with any leads,” she suggested as she started systematically to examine the room.
The others joined in, but, despite an intensive search, nothing seemed to be missing or out of place. There was no sign of the chart’s having been hidden there, either. No floorboards showed the slightest sign of having been tampered with, and even though they explored the old fireplace brick by brick, it revealed nothing unusual.
“Gosh,” exclaimed Trixie, who had stuck her head inside one of the little ovens, “there’s nothing in here but spider webs!” She shook her blond curls, which were covered with dust and soot, and brushed the cobwebs from her face. “I don’t think this is the place Ed meant at all. Oh, I’m so disappointed. Instead of finding the chart, all we came up with is evidence of an intruder whom we don’t really want to be bothered with at all!”
“Oh, let’s forget it. How about a swim to cool off? Last one in’s a monkey’s cousin!” yelled Peter as he dashed in the direction of the beach, with the others in close pursuit. They hurriedly put on their suits, which they had left in the bathhouse, and raced down to the water’s edge. Peter was about to dive into the water when Trixie, who had managed to come abreast of him, grabbed him and pointed to a single sail out in the bay.
“Well, look who’s out for a sail. That’s Cap trying out his new Lightning. He’s a top-notch sailor and a great guy,” said Peter warmly.
“Gee, what a beautiful boat!” exclaimed Jim. “And he’s sailing it all alone, isn’t he?”
“That’s one of the good things about a Lightning. One person can easily manage it, but in a race you have to have three people—the skipper, the spinnaker man, and a crewman who handles the mains’l.”
“They must be awfully roomy boats to carry three people,” commented Diana.
“Oh, they’ll hold even more than that,” Peter replied. “They’re nineteen feet long and quite beamy, and—I’ll tell you what,” he said suddenly. “If we get the gazebo fairly well cleared out this afternoon, I’ll ask Cap to take his boat, and I’ll take mine, and we’ll go for a sail tomorrow. How about going out to the abandoned lighthouse?”
“How perfect!” cried Honey. “Let’s take a quick dip and then get back to work so we’ll finish up for sure this afternoon. I’ve never been in a sailboat in my whole life, and I’m dying to
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