儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon CHAPTER 8 Return of the Hare

During the long tense wait, Sky, Matt, and the Aldens sat near the shed and talked about ballooning.



Suddenly, Violet spotted 1 something across the field. It moved steadily 2 toward them, a cloud of dust swirling 3 in its wake. “Is that a truck?” she asked.



Sky got to her feet. “Looks like it,” she said.



Matt shielded his eyes with his hand. “It’s a pickup 4. There’s a basket in the back.”



“I’ll bet it’s Don Fister,” Benny said.



They hurried toward the oncoming truck and met it where it stopped. Don Fister jumped down from the passenger side. His round face was pinched with anger.



“What happened?” Matt asked.



“Are you all right?” Sky wanted to know.



He waved away their questions. “Help me get my gear,” he said sternly.



Henry and Jessie scrambled 5 into the back of the truck. They began moving equipment toward the tailgate. The others lifted it and set it on the ground. The driver turned the truck around.



“Thanks for everything!” Don called after him as he drove away. Then, he turned toward Sky and Matt. “You want to know what happened? I’ll tell you what happened! I didn’t have a map. That’s what happened.”



Sky was stunned 6. “But I gave everyone a map.”



“And my compass — that was gone, too!”



“Did you have them when you launched?” Matt asked.



“Yes, I had the map and the compass,” Don snapped. “I checked. My crew chief checked. They were in the basket where they belong.”



“Could they have fallen out?” Benny asked.



“The basket was on its side when you were inflating 7 the balloon,” Henry reminded Don. “Maybe they fell out then.”



Don stomped 8 over to the basket. He reached in and pulled out several maps. “I have these. They didn’t . . . fall out. Can you explain that?”



No one could.



Don answered his own question. “Nothing fell out! Someone stole my map and my compass — that’s what happened.”



“But who?” Sky said. “No one would do such a thing.”



Don began to pace. “I was lucky to find that farmer’s field. And lucky he was so helpful. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten back here without him.”



“You could have phoned. Someone would’ve picked you up,” Matt said.



A crowd had gathered. Everyone wanted to know what had happened. Don told and retold his story.



Henry said, “Let’s go sit in the shade.” He started toward the big oak. The other Aldens followed.



“Do you think Don’s right?” Violet asked. “Someone took the map and compass?”



“Yes,” Jessie answered. “Why would one map fall out of the basket and not the others?”



“Someone would have found them if they’d fallen on the ground,” Soo Lee suggested.



“Right,” Henry said. “Someone must have taken them.”



“But who?” Benny asked.



“And when?” Violet said.



They fell silent, each trying to remember what had happened before the balloon went up.



“Pete was a crew member,” Jessie said at last.



Henry nodded. “He could have removed the map and compass at any time.”



“Don and his crew chief checked everything,” Soo Lee reminded them.



Benny nodded. “More than once,” he said.



“Whoever took those things must have done it at the very last minute,” Violet concluded.



“Pete held the basket down,” Jessie remembered.



“Other crew members did that, too,” Henry said.



“Mary England helped,” Soo Lee reminded them.



“Whoever took Don’s things probably launched Brad Golder’s balloon, too,” Henry suggested.



“We’ve got another mystery to solve,” Benny concluded.



The sun was a blazing ball low in the western sky.



“It must be near dinnertime,” Benny said. “Let’s go see if Sky and Matt are ready to go back to the inn.”



The Aldens trooped over to the shed. Sky and Matt were talking to Mary.



“Mary changed more than her stockings,” Soo Lee observed.



Mary was wearing a white dress patterned with small lavender flowers.



“That’s a pretty dress,” Violet said. She liked anything colored with shades of purple.



When she saw the Aldens, Sky excused herself and joined them.



“Is it time to go back to the inn?” Jessie asked.



“Barbara will serve dinner soon,” Sky answered. “But Matt and I are staying here. We have to go over tomorrow’s schedule.”



“You mean you’ll go without dinner?” Benny asked. He couldn’t imagine anyone skipping a meal.



“Matt’ll drive into town and pick up something,” Sky told him.



“We can get a ride back to the inn with Pete,” Henry suggested.



Coming up beside them, Mary said, “Pete went on ahead. I’m dining at the inn; I’ll be happy to take you.”



“Thank you,” the Aldens said.



They followed Mary to her car.



Inside, Benny said, “It’s awful hot in here. How do you open the windows?”



“I never open the windows,” Mary responded. “They let in too much dust and dirt.” She pushed a button. “I always use the air-conditioning.”



Barbara had vegetables and dip awaiting them in the parlor 9.



Benny dug right in. “This is good,” he said.



“Don’t eat too much,” Barbara told him. “I wouldn’t want you to spoil your appetite for dinner.”



Henry chuckled 10. “No chance of that, is there, Benny?”



“I can always eat,” Benny assured Barbara.



Pete came in from the kitchen. He nodded at Mary. “Hello, Mary,” he said. “I didn’t know you were coming to dinner.”



“There are many things you don’t know,” Mary replied. Her tone was sharp.



Barbara glanced at the clock on the mantel. “I wonder what’s keeping Hollis,” she said.



Pete smiled at the Aldens. “How’d you like your first day of ballooning?”



“It was exciting,” Henry answered.



“First there was a runaway 11 balloon,” Soo Lee said.



“And then Don Fister’s balloon disappeared,” Violet added.



“And the Hare and Hounds game was ruined because Don Fister was the hare,” Benny said.



Pete grinned. “That was one rabbit we couldn’t pull out of the hat,” he joked.



The Aldens laughed. Barbara and Mary did not.



A tense silence followed.



After a while, Jessie said, “The lunch Pete brought to the port was very good. Did you make it, Barbara?”



Barbara looked pleased. “Yes, I did make it.”



“It was delicious,” Benny put in. “I had some of everything.”



“We like picnics,” Soo Lee added.



Henry told them all about living in the boxcar and the picnics they had enjoyed there. “Today reminded us of those times,” he concluded.



“All that was missing was our blue tablecloth 12 and my pink cup,” Benny said.



Jessie explained how they had come to own those things.



Barbara seemed very interested. “Blue tablecloth and pink cup,” she murmured as though she were storing information in her memory.



Hollis McKnight arrived, and they all went into the dining room.



Looking at the table, Benny’s eyes grew large. “Oh, boy,” he said. “Roasted chicken! My favorite!”



Jessie said, “Oh, Benny, everything’s your favorite.”



This time, even Barbara and Mary laughed.



During dinner, Mary and Hollis did most of the talking. They told stories about Lloyd’s Landing — its early history and development.



“It sounds as if Lloyd’s Landing hasn’t changed much over the years,” Henry commented.



“Exactly,” Mary responded. “Our grandparents — Barbara’s and mine — wanted a quiet, peaceful place. We’ve all tried to honor their wishes.”



“Sometimes, things can be too peaceful,” Hollis said.



Mary shot him a withering 13 glance. Then, she said, “I’m sorry to eat and run, but I must go.” She thanked Barbara for the dinner and headed for the door.



“Will we see you tomorrow at the rally?” Pete asked.



The Aldens were sure she heard him; yet, she didn’t respond.



After a strawberry shortcake dessert, Hollis McKnight looked at his watch. “I have to get back to the paper,” he said. “Put it to bed.”



Benny imagined him tucking a newspaper into a small bed. He giggled 14. “That’s funny,” he said. “A newspaper going to bed.”



Hollis laughed heartily 15. “It is a strange expression,” he admitted. “It means going to press.”



After he had gone, Barbara began clearing the table. Violet and Soo Lee gathered the silverware. When they took it into the kitchen, Barbara was on the phone.



Her face reddened and she put down the receiver. “Line’s busy,” she said.



“May we help you with the dishes?” Violet asked.



“No, thank you, dear,” Barbara answered.



Pete suggested they go outside to sit on the porch. “It’s nice this time of night.”



Henry and Benny sat on a wooden swing. Violet, Jessie, and Soo Lee settled into rocking chairs. Pete sat on the top step. No one spoke 16. Fireflies flickered 17 on the lawn, and the stars twinkled in the night sky.



After a while, Benny yawned. “I’m really tired,” he said.



“You’d better get a good night’s sleep,” Pete said. “We’re up before dawn tomorrow.”



“Just a few more minutes,” Soo Lee pleaded.



Benny yawned again. “I’ll meet you upstairs,” he said. “I’m going to get a glass of milk and then go to bed.”



Inside, he heard Barbara talking to someone. He crept into the kitchen so as not to disturb her. She was on the phone, her back to him.



She said, “Drop it,” sternly.



Benny felt uncomfortable. The telephone conversation was private; Barbara would not be happy that he had overheard.



Suddenly, Barbara realized she was not alone. She put down the receiver and turned to Benny. Smiling uneasily, she asked, “What can I do for you, Benny?”



“Oh, nothing,” Benny said, and he ran up the stairs.