Read Online The Mystery on Cobbett's Island by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Campbell
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go.”
“Whoops! There goes Honey ‘dying.’ She’s getting to be as bad as Trixie,” Brian teased.
Honey chased him into the water, splashing him as she went.
“Let’s race down to the dock at The Moorings and back,” suggested Peter.
“Okay. Any special stroke, or just freestyle?” asked Honey, who was the best swimmer of the Bob-Whites.
“Anything goes except a dog paddle,” Peter told her. “On your mark, get set, go!”
Despite all her best efforts, Honey, who had been ahead at the turning point, was outdistanced by Peter on the return lap. “You’re phenomenal, Peter!” she gasped as she climbed the ladder to the dock. “How do you do it?”
“It’s a tricky little kick I learned last summer,” Peter answered. “Come in again and I’ll show you.” They dived in, and after Honey had mastered the secret, she and Peter swam together in beautiful form. Trixie and the others clapped their hands in admiration as the two returned to the dock, shaking the water from their faces and hair. Then they all hurriedly dressed and ran back to the garden to have lunch beside the lily pool.
The Gazebo ● 7
BY FOUR O’CLOCK the lovely little octagonal gazebo had been freed of the encroaching vines. The original paint had begun to peel in places, but it was not in bad condition. The vines had probably served as protection from the weather, but the steps were quite rotten, and one of the delicate supporting columns was broken off completely. It was a great surprise when they uncovered a weather vane on top of the pointed roof—a copper boat under full sail.
“Isn’t that darling?” sang out Diana, stepping back to admire it. “Do you suppose it works?”
“There isn’t enough wind now to tell,” answered Peter. “A little oil will probably get it going again if it’s stuck.”
While the others were talking about the vane, Trixie and Jim had been looking around the inside of the gazebo to see how much work would really be necessary to get it in shape for the party. Jim was examining the broken column, when he heard the sound of breaking wood and a cry from Trixie, and, turning quickly around, he saw that a floorboard had given way, and one of Trixie’s legs had gone through and was caught in the hole.
As the others came running to see what had happened, Jim, who had caught hold of Trixie so she wouldn’t lose her balance, yelled, “Peter, pull up the board next to this broken one so she can get her leg out. Does it hurt, Trixie?” he asked solicitously.
“Not much,” she answered. “It just stings a little around the ankle, that’s all.”
The board came up more easily than they had expected, and Trixie, stepping gingerly out of the hole, said, “That’s funny. It doesn’t look as though either of those boards had been nailed down.”
“Oh, don’t worry about the floor now,” said Honey, putting an arm around Trixie’s waist and helping her to one of the wide wooden benches built around the inside of the gazebo.
“Take a look at this ankle, Brian,” said Jim as he knelt down in front of Trixie. A spot of blood on her sock was growing bigger, so Brian carefully took off her sneaker and sock. A look of relief came over his face when he saw that the wound was not a deep one but only an abrasion. Peter had already gone to the house for a first aid kit, and on his return, Brian carefully swabbed the wound with antiseptic and put on a sterile bandage.
“Lucky for us we have an almost-doctor in the house,” said Mart. “Are you prepared to handle an emergency appendectomy?”
“Don’t mention it!” chuckled Brian. “Don’t think I haven’t imagined such a situation. ‘Brian Belden saves a child’s life with a penknife.’ Can’t you see the headlines? The only hitch is that no one carries a penknife anymore, so my dream collapses.”
“How long has it been since you’ve had a tetanus shot, Trix?” asked Jim as he was helping Brian put the scissors and extra
“Whoops! There goes Honey ‘dying.’ She’s getting to be as bad as Trixie,” Brian teased.
Honey chased him into the water, splashing him as she went.
“Let’s race down to the dock at The Moorings and back,” suggested Peter.
“Okay. Any special stroke, or just freestyle?” asked Honey, who was the best swimmer of the Bob-Whites.
“Anything goes except a dog paddle,” Peter told her. “On your mark, get set, go!”
Despite all her best efforts, Honey, who had been ahead at the turning point, was outdistanced by Peter on the return lap. “You’re phenomenal, Peter!” she gasped as she climbed the ladder to the dock. “How do you do it?”
“It’s a tricky little kick I learned last summer,” Peter answered. “Come in again and I’ll show you.” They dived in, and after Honey had mastered the secret, she and Peter swam together in beautiful form. Trixie and the others clapped their hands in admiration as the two returned to the dock, shaking the water from their faces and hair. Then they all hurriedly dressed and ran back to the garden to have lunch beside the lily pool.
The Gazebo ● 7
BY FOUR O’CLOCK the lovely little octagonal gazebo had been freed of the encroaching vines. The original paint had begun to peel in places, but it was not in bad condition. The vines had probably served as protection from the weather, but the steps were quite rotten, and one of the delicate supporting columns was broken off completely. It was a great surprise when they uncovered a weather vane on top of the pointed roof—a copper boat under full sail.
“Isn’t that darling?” sang out Diana, stepping back to admire it. “Do you suppose it works?”
“There isn’t enough wind now to tell,” answered Peter. “A little oil will probably get it going again if it’s stuck.”
While the others were talking about the vane, Trixie and Jim had been looking around the inside of the gazebo to see how much work would really be necessary to get it in shape for the party. Jim was examining the broken column, when he heard the sound of breaking wood and a cry from Trixie, and, turning quickly around, he saw that a floorboard had given way, and one of Trixie’s legs had gone through and was caught in the hole.
As the others came running to see what had happened, Jim, who had caught hold of Trixie so she wouldn’t lose her balance, yelled, “Peter, pull up the board next to this broken one so she can get her leg out. Does it hurt, Trixie?” he asked solicitously.
“Not much,” she answered. “It just stings a little around the ankle, that’s all.”
The board came up more easily than they had expected, and Trixie, stepping gingerly out of the hole, said, “That’s funny. It doesn’t look as though either of those boards had been nailed down.”
“Oh, don’t worry about the floor now,” said Honey, putting an arm around Trixie’s waist and helping her to one of the wide wooden benches built around the inside of the gazebo.
“Take a look at this ankle, Brian,” said Jim as he knelt down in front of Trixie. A spot of blood on her sock was growing bigger, so Brian carefully took off her sneaker and sock. A look of relief came over his face when he saw that the wound was not a deep one but only an abrasion. Peter had already gone to the house for a first aid kit, and on his return, Brian carefully swabbed the wound with antiseptic and put on a sterile bandage.
“Lucky for us we have an almost-doctor in the house,” said Mart. “Are you prepared to handle an emergency appendectomy?”
“Don’t mention it!” chuckled Brian. “Don’t think I haven’t imagined such a situation. ‘Brian Belden saves a child’s life with a penknife.’ Can’t you see the headlines? The only hitch is that no one carries a penknife anymore, so my dream collapses.”
“How long has it been since you’ve had a tetanus shot, Trix?” asked Jim as he was helping Brian put the scissors and extra
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