What Are They Up To?
They didn’t have much time to miss Topaz, because no sooner then she had gone and Misty had been taken over to Poldarke’s lodge by Chris, both Willie and Skeeter noticed that Ricky was up to something old card shark and Chum were too quiet, and asking a lot of questions. They still played cards some but seemed pre-occupied. Willie thought Topaz had taken the wind out of all card shark’s sails but Skeeter thought not. He kept banking Chum so he could take on Remmy and who ever else he could sucker in Johnny and Charlie from time to time but mostly new kids.
The first clue they got was that very moment after breakfast when they were in crafts pavilion getting ready to glue and paint the key rack they had made.
The two of them were sitting with Davie and Karli. No one wanted to sit with Davie any more, and he didn’t understand why. But Skeeter and Willie were the type of boys that felt sorry for guys like Davie and Karli preferred the boys to her new girlfriends who she found could be fickle. Some had thought it was terrible what her father had done to poor Misty and began to shun her. Like it was her fault her father was a idiot who thought a tame raccoon could go back to the wild. Steve had assured them Misty would die if turned out, she had been living on the scraps and finding of the kids, she had no idea how to forage for food like a wild raccoon.
"So you are sure that hike tomorrow is the right one," Ricky asked.
"Sure I asked Scout to look at the course it is the one," Chum said.
Skeeters ears perked up at that all the time he had been here Ricky had avoided hikes, canoeing and even horse back rides you could sign up for. Ricky even tried to duck out of the short hikes that were mandatory to all but the kids who couldn’t do them.
"Good get us signed up for it," Ricky said as the lady councilor passed out the paint for our project.
"We have to find out which hike they are talking about the one to Big Rock Canyon or Rivers Edge Park," Skeeter whispered to Willie.
Willie didn’t mind short hikes, even enjoyed them but Rivers Edge Park was a day hike which meant it was at least 15-20 miles round trip. But then he remembered what Topaz had told him about scouting a way to the river so they could rescue Skeeter.
Why was Ricky so interested in a hike. Chum seemed reluctant and that also puzzled Skeeter, and even more Remmy seemed to be cut out of the little group, which made him curious as well and Skeeter did not blame him if the gang had suddenly cut him out of the action he would be too, and those other guys in old card shark Ricky’s band may be dim bulbs but Remmy was smart.
Skeeter thought Remmy liked them because the bunch of nimrods were so different then the boys he met at his private ritzy school Ambercrest Academy.
Remmy’s parents were in Europe on their vacation, and Skeeter found it odd they did not want their son along, but adults were strange. For all he knew his father and mother had went off to New York to visit his fathers parents who still lived in the old neighborhood. He had never been there but his father had told stories. Skeeter thought if that was the case he would rather be at this nimrod summer camp, then go to New York, and visit a grandmother who had once locked his father in a closet.
"Are you going to paint that or what?" Willie asked in a teasing voice.
Skeeter snapped out of his thoughts and stared at the board shaped like a key with it’s pegs before him, and sighed.
They were going in for a shower, when we over heard Johnny the bug and reptile catcher tell a kid we didn’t know that Remmy was going on the hike tomorrow and there was a dollar in it for him if he signed up to distract the councilor.
"I better go sign us up for that now," Skeeter said softly.
Willie nodded, and went on to the showers.
After the shower they had archery Steve was an excellent instructor. But Willie and Skeeter had no chance to talk, but Skeeter was impressed with how well Willie shot. Most kids that could do that well would have bragged. Skeeter found he had really underestimated the quiet neat boy. Skeeter had always been the quiet one of the gang, the optimist.
While Butch and Topaz made all the decisions. Sid, Benny, Jeremy and the twins were real chatterboxes. Jeremy would complain, Sid would joke, Benny would discuss, and the twins would usually go along as long as they didn’t have too many chores.
In the winter they had more time only the green house to tend, but there was also school for all of them. Skeeter hated winter.
"You’re turn," Karli said bumping him slightly, "You have been off in la-la land all morning, come on Skeeter snap out of it our team needs 20 points." Skeeter nodded and got the bow, their team consisted of a girl named Mandy, Karli, Willie, Marty and himself. Marty had missed the target completely and surprise of surprises chain saw mouth Ricky had not said anything but Chum had made farting noises and some other nimrod hooted, but that was all. He had been aware of this while he had been thinking about the dynamics of the gang and waiting his turn. He looked at Steve who was shouting instructions over the buzz of the other kids, he noticed Chum pointing at him and making remarks about his skinny little arms.
Then he took a deep breath blocked out everything but Steve’s instructions, aimed and fired, at first he thought he had missed completely but Willie’s whoop told him he had hit. It was his best shot ever.
"Come on Skeeter do it again!" Karli, Mandy, Willie and Marty were all chanting.
Willie used this time to slip into the office, the nurse was more interested in the match then the office. He had to make sure we signed up for the right hike.
"You can do it," Steve said.
Again Skeeter took a deep cleansing breath, the air really was sweet up here.
Steve’s voice repeating the instructions this time they were in his head and he took aim and fired the arrow, this time it was a little high but a ten pointer. His mouth went dry he had 35 points, But the other teams were not finished, he needed more he thought, 20 was a tie number.
Again he cleared his head and fired.
It was slightly above his first arrow, a 15 pointer, he had racked up 50 points, and he knew only Willie had done better with 60 points.
"The blue team wins," Steve said holding Skeeters arm up like a prize fighters, "202 points, followed by Green team at 188, Pink team at 160, red team at 154."
Skeeter couldn’t believe it, he had won the match for them.
A prize was thrust in his hands, and the others said he should keep it. It was just a little trophy plastic, and all but he felt like it was solid gold.
Mandy hugged him and he smiled blushing crimson, he barely knew the girl but evidently she had stood up for Karli and therefor a friend.
"My name is Amanda Hale, I go to your school, you can call me Mandy," she said cheerfully.
He remembered her vaguely, she was a good soccer player, but that was all he thought she was in Mrs. Abbott’s class.
After swimming Skeeter and Willie finally got to talk they grabbed plates and ate near the councilors at first this was a hard place to get a table but now the kids seemed to want the far tables away from the ears of the councilors.
But Skeeter thought the councilors ignored the kids when they were off duty unless there was a ruckus or food fight.
"Okay this is what I found out, Charlie, Chum, Remmy, Ricky, Johnny, and George are all signed up for that hike, so Karli and I signed up too and I added your name." Skeeter explained.
"Good I don’t have a good feeling about this, how many kids are signed up?" he asked.
"Twenty I think the hike is full now. We might need Karli’s help." Skeeter said.
Willie smiled and nodded, "Mandy too, I think she likes you."
Skeeter blushed, he like all the other boys were in love with Lisa, all except Butch and maybe Willie, Willie didn’t outwardly dislike girls but he was shy around them, so Skeeter thought if Willie liked any girl it was Topaz, and Willie better be careful Topaz was Butch’s girl and Butch was good with his fists.
"I think Dinah and Diane like you," I said motioning to the twin girls who always wore a pink bow and a yellow bow in their hair.
Willie wrinkled his nose, and said, "Those silly girls?"
Skeeter laughed.
"At least Karli and Mandy don’t giggle and twitter like some idiot bird," Willie sighed.
Skeeter nodded, and said, "I think Topaz is going to try to get Karli in the club."
"That would be okay by me," Willie agreed.
Just then Davie walked over to our table, and Willie rolled his eyes upwards as if to say oh no.
"I know what is going on," Davie said in a low voice.
"Are you going to tell?" Willie challenged.
"Heck no," Davie said looking like he was shocked at the idea.
"Sure, go ahead what is going on," Skeeter said thinking it would be something he might use.
"I over heard that Ricky person and Spike talking, they are going to have a card game after lunch." Davie said.
Skeeter looked at Willie and Willie looked like he was about to throw his bread at Davie.At the same time he wondered why Spike a solid good guy would get involved with old card shark Ricky. He had so far resisted the games. Skeeter also thought it was funny how Davie always said that so and so person when he didn't approve of them. It sounded so much like someones grandmother.
"I guess they found some shack to have it at." Davie said.
Again the two other boys looked at each other. So Topaz had been right someone was watching them, the shack was not that far away and a perfect place for a game.
"What are you going to do?" Skeeter said, almost hoping he would tell, someone could get hurt there and there were rats.
"Nothing, what can I do, the councilors won’t listen even if I told them." Davie sighed, "But Steve might listen to you. He likes you."
"I will think about it," Skeeter said, but he doubted he would tell Steve, maybe he would ask about the farmer boarding the place up. But that was all.
After dinner they found Scout, and asked to see the hiking maps. He gladly allowed them talking about the virtues of hiking.
They studied the maps and wish they could get copies or had Topaz’s great map reading and remembering ability.
"You boys better hurry Steve is giving a lecture for boys only out by the pond, in about 10 minutes. I bet it’s about girls," Davie crowed, "Change into suits we are going swimming after!"
"Oh you don’t want to miss this," Scout said smiling.
Skeeter saw Willie slip the map in his back pocket and was a little shocked and a little proud at the same time. Karli came up to distract Scout afterwards, and Skeeter again thought he had underestimated him
Davie hadn’t seen that he was running for their cabin, and Scout was busy with Karli's questions..
Willie handed back the maps jumbling them on purpose as he did.
"We better go," Skeeter said almost dragging Willie towards the cabin.
"You will enjoy the nature talk," Scout called smiling after them.
"I can’t believe you did that," Skeeter almost laughed.
"I just borrowed it," Willie admitted, glancing back at Karli.
"I will trace this you keep an eye out for anyone."
"No problem." Willie said, knowing from school that Skeeter was both fast and very good at tracing things but there was no time for that now, because the bell was ringing for assembly.
Skeeter changed and ran to the location while Willie looked for a good hiding place for the map.
"So boys reproduction of species is a basic thing going back billions of years," Steve was saying as the Skeeter joined them.
He was so nervous he barely heard the talk, it must be an interesting one because everyone was quiet.
His mind wondered to Ricky what was up to, what could be so important about that trail, it looked harmless enough, he saw the horseback trail met it in one spot and if finally wound down along the river and to a picnic area. It was part of the River Park system and he kind of remembered something about Topaz saying they didn’t know if they could get the raft up the stream that fed into Crystal Lake but they could come to the mouth of it. Skeeter wanted a good look at it at that stream.
Willie at last appeared and Skeeter glanced at him.
"So the fish swim upstream to spawn in the spring, and you will see many baby fish in the stream, where they will grow and get a feed before winter and migration out to the river." Steve was explaining.
"I think I know where they are going a place called Ducks Head Island," Willie whispered.
Skeeter thought about it, he had never heard of the place.
"Any questions about what I have told you or the hike tomorrow?" Steve asked.
"How do frogs do it?" Johnny asked, and there was a roar of laughter.
"Are you sure?" Skeeter asked.
"The map has been traced and the person circled the island." Willie said.
"We need to trace it too," Skeeter said, thinking why hadn’t he thought of that. Of course Scout would let a kid trace a map, hadn’t he seen some foolscap near the map on the desk? Foolscap was not as good as tracing paper and he thought a person would have to bear harder on it maybe to trace the lines. He had brought tracing paper from home with his book and stationary.
Someone else had asked a question, Skeeter wasn’t sure who, because Steve was explaining about some of the rock formations in the area.
"I didn’t know Ricky was into rocks," Willie said, Skeeter was glad Willie had caught that, it might be important.
Steve was saying how this once had been a volcano, and the lake was where the volcano had been billions of years ago and yes there were some splotches of volcanic rock but not much, to see more recent one only 10 billion years old you would have to go up river to Maga Island, and Witka Bay.
Then Charlie was asking about some flowers, and Willie and Skeeter exchanged looks the plot was deepening, these nimrods had been interested in nothing but Hearts card games and running Fatty’s underwear up a flag pole and making fun of people since they got here. Charlie wasn’t too bad but he kind of followed Chum and the others around like a homeless dog in a school yard. It kind of made Skeeter feel sorry for him.
"Will we go to the Thames River and see Aglesha Creek?" Willie asked.
"Yes we will pass near enough to the creek to see it and stop to see if we can see the stripling fish, and we will picnic near the Thames Chris will meet us there with tucker, er lunch." Steve said.
"Cool," Willie said.
"The Thames you might know was found by Belgian Trader name Hercule who didn’t know English very well, and thought our river looked like the Thames in England, when he registered his map he had named Azuren after his wife who was Lakota and Tames, later the spelling was changed to Thames." Steve explained.
Topaz would love this, she liked to know the history of the area, she probably already knew everything Steve was telling them.
After the talk and a warning to treat girls nicely, they were allowed free time swim, no lessons just swimming around playing and racing or doing as you liked. Only three girls in the pool which meant we could play a little rowdier then normal, the twins and Mandy I wondered where Karli was.
We swam and played and after a little while I complained of being tired. Willie nodded, I had asked him to keep the snitch away from the cabin so I could trace and study the map before we slipped it back into Scouts desk.
I was thinking about what on earth there was there out here on this trail to interest, when someone knocked on the door frame of the cabin.
It was Karli, and I slipped the map into a book I had brought from home, where Willie had cleverly hid the map before.
"Davie is coming," she hissed, and I knew Willie had sent her.
"You signed up for the hike tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yes," she whispered, "You need me and Mandy to help with something?"
"How are you?" I asked nodding, as I heard approaching footsteps.
"Fine, if you need anything just let me know, I got to go, see ya later," she said and was gone.
"Man I am starved it’s hot I don’t know why you have to change," Willie said a little to loudly.
"Because I am freezing," Davie complained.
"Hey Skeeter how you feeling?" Willie asked.
"With my hands," I laughed, using one of Sid’s old wise cracks.
Willie grinned but Davie just looked at me.
Willie made a sailing gesture over Davie’s head and I laughed.
We went to dinner, and later when we were in bed Willie told me that he had put the map back. The next morning was the hike and neither of us had a clue.