Mystery of the Lost Mine (6 page)

“That cactus,” she whispered back. “It looks like a person!”

“I wonder if it’s the prowler,” Henry said. “Watching us. Two of our suspects are right here, Mr. Clark and Tom. That leaves Mr. Tobias.”

“And Janine,” Violet said, reminding him the mysterious stranger could be a woman. “Maybe it’s just a person-shaped cactus.”

“You could be right. The night plays tricks on our eyes.” But the more Henry stared at the “cactus,” the more he was certain it was human.

Across the circle, Mr. Clark let out a big yawn. “Well, I think it’s about time to head on back to the bunkhouse.”

“I agree,” said Grandfather. “We all have another busy day tomorrow.”

Very busy, thought Jessie. Time was running out. They would have to find Jake.

Mrs. Clark came over. “Oh, your little brother fell asleep. He’s so cute. Here, let me help you with him.”

“That’s okay,” Jessie said, shaking Benny awake. “We’re fine.”

But Mrs. Clark insisted on taking Benny’s arm and helping him to his feet.

After a while, the cool desert air woke Benny up completely. He reached into his pocket to touch his lucky rock.

The pocket was empty.

“My rock!” he exclaimed. “I can’t find it!”

“Not your lucky rock?” Jessie cried. “Oh, Benny!”

Benny turned all his pockets inside out. “It’s missing!”

“You mean that shiny rock?” said Mrs. Clark. “Oh, it’s probably back at the trailer. Or the restaurant. You could have left it anywhere.”

“No, I didn’t,” Benny insisted. “I put it in my pocket before we left for the hike. And now it’s gone!”

It was too dark to search the area. Grandfather and the others were waiting for him.

Benny slipped his hand nervously into Jessie’s. He didn’t trust Mrs. Clark.

When he first showed her his gold rock, she had eyed it enviously. It was obvious she liked pretty things from all the shiny jewelry she wore.

Could Mrs. Clark have stolen his lucky rock?

“O
ne more day,” Grandfather announced at breakfast the next morning. “Gerald and I have only one more day of work, then his cabin will be finished. We’ll spend tomorrow relaxing, and then we’ll head back home Saturday.”

Henry and Jessie looked at each other. One more day. That’s all they had to find Jake.

A beep outside indicated Gerald was there to pick up Grandfather. He left in the battered orange Jeep.

The restaurant wasn’t very busy this morning. Mr. Tobias was never at breakfast, and the Clarks, sitting at their regular table, seemed unusually quiet. Jessie noticed that Mrs. Clark wasn’t wearing any of her flashy jewelry. Mr. Clark looked as if he hadn’t slept.

Even more odd, Tom didn’t come in to greet the guests.

“He’d better be fixing the pool filter,” Janine said, when Henry asked about Tom. “I’ve been after him over a week.”

Luis breezed in. “Has Jake been in yet?” he asked anxiously.

Violet shook her head. “We haven’t seen him.”

Jessie told Luis that they were only staying until Saturday.

“We want to look for Jake,” Henry added. “We’re afraid something has happened to him, especially since he got that threatening note.”

Luis agreed. “It’s still pretty early. I’m sure our horses will be available.”

They split up to pack food and water for the expedition.

At Mountain Shadows Stables, Rex seemed glad to see them.

“Benny,” he said, “Ginger has been pining away for you. Now she’ll perk up.”

In no time he had the horses saddled and ready to go.

“Here, Ginger,” Benny crooned to the pony. “I brought you some sugar.” He felt in his pocket for the sugar cube he saved from breakfast. His fingers missed the warm, familiar shape of his lucky rock.

Violet sensed her brother’s sadness. “Maybe you’ll find another rock like the one you lost,” she said.

“Maybe.” Benny knew they wouldn’t have much time to search for lucky rocks, not if they had to look for Jake.

They followed the Peralta Canyon Trail. When the trail ended, they left their horses securely tied and watered them.

“Let’s try another way to Weaver’s Needle,” Luis said, referring to Violet’s map drawings. “Maybe this time we’ll find Jake’s camp.”

It was a long, hot climb. The Aldens and Luis stopped often to gulp from their canteens.

Benny scampered ahead of the others. He had a strong feeling there was something important just beyond that next group of boulders.

Suddenly Benny shrieked. “Hey, I found it!”

Jessie looked back at Violet. “Do you think he’s found the mine?”

“Knowing Benny,” said Violet, “a lost mine wouldn’t stay lost for long.”

But they were wrong.

Just beyond an outcropping of rock, a campsite was nestled in a small canyon. A sleeping bag lay unrolled in the dirt. Pans and a tin coffeepot were scattered about.

Luis hopped down from the rock and looked around.

“I bet this is Jake’s camp,” he said. “This is a good location—not too far from Weaver’s Needle, yet hidden.”

“I’m surprised Jake would leave such a mess,” Violet said.

“He didn’t.” Henry plucked a scrap of fabric from the edge of a rock. “See this? It matches the sleeping bag. I bet Jake tucks his bedroll behind this rock.”

Luis nodded. “To protect it from the weather. You’re right, Henry. And this flat rock could be where he stores his supplies.”

“There,” Benny pointed to the ground. Nearly hidden by a rock was Jake’s old felt hat.

“Either Jake left in a big hurry,” Jessie mused, “or somebody wrecked his camp. On purpose.”

Henry felt the ashes of an old fire. “Cold,” he said. “If it’s Jake’s camp, he hasn’t built a fire in a while.” He pointed to the ground. “See these footprints? They were made by a man a lot bigger than Jake.”

Violet examined the dust-filled outlines. “They look like they were made by someone with new boots. See how sharp the lines are? Jake’s boots were old and worn. I’ll bet these prints were made by the person who ruined Jake’s camp.”

“Maybe that person is here right now,” Benny said in a hushed tone. “Hiding from us.”

The thought of the boot-heeled stranger watching them made Jessie nervous. “Do you suppose this person did something to Jake?”

“I think we should go back to the campground and call the authorities,” Henry said decisively. “Jake could be seriously hurt.”

They all agreed this was the right thing to do. After hiking back to their horses, they rode to the stables.

“Come back real soon,” Rex said as they left Mountain Shadows.

When they got back to the trailer park, a strong wind began to gust, kicking up swirls of dust.

“Ow!” cried Benny, shielding his bare legs with his hands. “That sand stings!”

They headed for the restaurant. Janine Crawford rushed out, her dark brows drawn together in fury.

“Skipped out!” she exclaimed. “Skipped out without paying their bill!”

“Who?” asked Henry.

“The Clarks, that’s who!” Janine gestured in the direction of Block D. Sure enough, the fancy RV was missing. “Owed four weeks of hookup plus a huge bill for food!”

“Did they go up into the mountains?” Violet asked. Maybe the fresh bootprint belonged to Mr. Clark.

“How should I know?” Janine said. “And do you think Tom was around to warn me they were skipping out?”

“Tom’s missing, too?” Jessie wondered if Tom left with the Clarks.

Janine went back into the restaurant, still ranting.

Luis stared at the Aldens. “This is weird. The Clarks, Tom,
and
Jake are all missing. And nobody knows anything!”

Henry gazed at the silver Airstream. “Maybe somebody does. Let’s go ask Mr. Tobias if he saw the Clarks leave.”

But when he knocked on the trailer door, there was no reply.

“Mr. Tobias?” Benny called. “Are you in there?”

Still no response.

“He must be in there,” Luis said. “He never goes anywhere. And his car is still attached to the trailer.”

“I guess he’s asleep,” Violet suggested. She turned her head as the wind whipped dust into her face. “Look!”

A shiny black car pulled up to the main office. A man in a white shirt and striped tie got out and strode to the door. When he saw the office was empty, he walked over to the restaurant.

The Aldens went inside the restaurant, where the man was questioning Janine.

“I told you, I don’t know where they are,” Janine insisted, furiously wiping the counter with a rag. “If I did, I’d have the law on them. They could be anywhere.”

“Well, you won’t mind if I look around the campground,” the man told her.

“Suit yourself.”

Outside, the man stalked around the campground, peering into trailer windows.

“He’s sure suspicious,” Benny said. “Does he think the Clarks are hiding in another trailer?”

“I wonder why he wants Mr. and Mrs. Clark,” Jessie said.

“Let’s look for Tom,” Henry said. “Maybe he knows what’s going on around this camp.”

Luis pointed to a low building behind the recreation center. “That’s the bunkhouse. Maybe he’s in his room.”

The wind storm grew worse as they crossed the parking lot. The door to the bunkhouse banged open and shut like a broken shutter.

“I guess Tom forgot to lock the door this morning,” Henry said. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled, “Tom! Are you in there?”

The wind was so strong, his words could barely be heard. Tumbleweeds rolled across the parking lot.

Litter and food wrappers flew out of the bunkhouse door. Inside, they could see socks, boots, and newspapers scattered on the floor.

“Guess Tom isn’t very neat,” Benny observed.

“That looks like a Spanish—English dictionary,” Luis said, pointing to a small book lying near the doorway.

The wind kicked up another strong gust. Benny stooped to pull off a sheet of paper that had plastered itself to his leg. He stared at the paper, his mouth in an “o.”

“What is it?” Henry said.

Benny held up the paper so they could all see the holes slashed in it. The sheet was an advertisement, with letters roughly cut out.

Violet gasped. “This must be where Jake’s threatening note came from!”

“And he used the dictionary to translate his message into Spanish,” Jessie added. “Why would Tom Parker send old Jake a warning note?”

Other papers fluttered from the open doorway. Before the wind snatched it away, Jessie planted her foot on a photograph.

“Luis! Isn’t this one of your maps?”

Luis grabbed two more escaping sheets. “So are these! What were my map pictures doing in Tom’s room?”

Violet trapped a piece of wind-blown paper against the wall. She flattened the sheet with the palm of her hand, then studied the paper.

“I think this will answer a lot of questions,” she said.

T
he others gathered around Violet.

“It’s a letter from Tom,” she said. “It’s to somebody named Frank. See? It’s signed Tom Parker.’ ”

Violet squinted at the messy handwriting. “ ‘My great-uncle Jake,’ ” she began, then gasped. “ ‘My great-uncle Jake, the prospector, has no idea who I am . . . can’t wait to get my hands on his mine. Then I’ll have a new address—Easy Street.’ ”

Her eyes huge, she glanced up from the page. “Tom is Jake’s great-nephew. And Jake doesn’t know it!”

“Where’s Easy Street?” Benny asked. “Maybe that’s where Tom is now.”

“It’s an expression,” Jessie answered. “It means he’ll have plenty of money.”

“This sounds like trouble,” Henry said. “First we find that advertisement with the letters cut out—”

“—just like Jake’s warning note,” Luis broke in. “And now this letter.” His tone became serious. “If Tom wants Jake’s mine, then that means Jake has found the Lost Dutchman’s mine!”

“But where is Jake?” Jessie asked. “Did Tom go to his great-uncle’s camp? Was he the man who left the footprints—and the man we saw on the rocks—” Her words trailed off. She was really afraid something bad had happened to Jake.

“We need to find Tom,” Henry said firmly. “Tom is the key.”

“He’s sure not here,” Benny said, peering into the deserted bunkhouse. “Let’s go back to the restaurant and see if he’s there. Besides,” he added, “I could use a piece of apple pie right about now.”