yellow eyes was bad enough, but to go home now and tell Eddie that she'd been caught in the abaguchie trap? “Let me know when you think up something really fun,” Eddie would say. Caroline couldn't blame her.
Of all the humiliating things that had happened to Caroline since she'd moved to Buckman, this had to be the worst. How on earth would she be able to face Wally and his brothers across the table at Thanksgiving?
Think, Caroline¡ she told herself. You've got to be able to come up with something¡
She crossed the road and started across the swinging bridge, and by the time she reached theother side, she'd thought of something. Better than any other idea she'd had in her life.
At home she ran upstairs where Eddie was listening to a CD with earphones, and Beth was lying on her back on the floor, legs propped against the wall, a book in front of her face. Beth always read in Eddie's room when she could because her books were so scary, she hated to be alone.
Caroline went over and sat beside Eddie on the bed. She only mouthed the words because she knew Eddie couldn't hear her.
“What?” Eddie took off the earphones and looked at Caroline.
This time Caroline said it out loud, but she did not tell her sisters about being trapped. “How would you like to launch a boat?” she asked.
Eddie looked suspicious. “Launch it where?”
“On the river.”
“Whose boat?”
“Guess.”
Beth put down her book and sat up. “The Hatfords have a boat?”
“It's going to be,” Caroline said, and told them about the abaguchie trap-refrigerator crate at the back of the Hatfords’ yard, and what a wonderful boat it would make.
“Now, that's more like it!” said Eddie, and the girls went downstairs for their jackets.
Caroline secretly rejoiced. She'd done it¡ She was friends with Eddie again¡
“Where are you three off to?” Mother called from the kitchen where she was making pie crusts. “I thought you might make a centerpiece out of pine cones or something to take to the Hatfords’ for Thanksgiving.”
“A centerpiece!” choked Eddie.
“We never had centerpieces back in Ohio. Just a bunch of relatives around the table,” said Beth.
“You just never noticed!” said her mother. “We always had centerpieces, but I'm too busy to make one this year.”
“We were going for a walk,” Caroline said. “Maybe we can find some pine cones or acorns or something.”
“In the dark?” said Mother.
The girls looked at each other. “We've got a flashlight,” Caroline told her.
“Good. I've got some brown and orange ribbons you could use,” Mother said, and brought the rolling pin down hard again on the dough.
When they got to the trees in back of the Hatfords’ shed, the first thing Caroline did was detach the cowbell so it couldn't ring. Then Eddie picked up one end of the crate, and Beth and Caroline took the other end.
Slowly, step by step, they made their way softlydown the Hatfords’ driveway and across the road to the river.
Caroline did not think her arms would hold up. It hadn't seemed all that heavy at first, but it was big and bulky and banged against her with every step.
She knew she was going to drop it. Was sure she was going to drop it, so to make sure she didn't, pretended she was carrying a little baby sister across a river filled with alligators. If she dropped her end of the crate, her sister, her dear little sister, her sick little sister, would fall into the water below and be eaten alive.
Hold on , she told herself as they crossed the road.
Hold on , she said as they made their way down the bank.
And then she heard that one marvelous word from Eddie: “Launch!” And the three girls shoved with all their might. In the darkness, the refrigerator crate drifted out into the current.
There was a small story on page six of the newspaper, which Coach Malloy read the next morning at breakfast:
PROOF INCONCLUSIVE IN ABAGUCHIE SEARCH
A tuft of brownish fur found caught in the
Of all the humiliating things that had happened to Caroline since she'd moved to Buckman, this had to be the worst. How on earth would she be able to face Wally and his brothers across the table at Thanksgiving?
Think, Caroline¡ she told herself. You've got to be able to come up with something¡
She crossed the road and started across the swinging bridge, and by the time she reached theother side, she'd thought of something. Better than any other idea she'd had in her life.
At home she ran upstairs where Eddie was listening to a CD with earphones, and Beth was lying on her back on the floor, legs propped against the wall, a book in front of her face. Beth always read in Eddie's room when she could because her books were so scary, she hated to be alone.
Caroline went over and sat beside Eddie on the bed. She only mouthed the words because she knew Eddie couldn't hear her.
“What?” Eddie took off the earphones and looked at Caroline.
This time Caroline said it out loud, but she did not tell her sisters about being trapped. “How would you like to launch a boat?” she asked.
Eddie looked suspicious. “Launch it where?”
“On the river.”
“Whose boat?”
“Guess.”
Beth put down her book and sat up. “The Hatfords have a boat?”
“It's going to be,” Caroline said, and told them about the abaguchie trap-refrigerator crate at the back of the Hatfords’ yard, and what a wonderful boat it would make.
“Now, that's more like it!” said Eddie, and the girls went downstairs for their jackets.
Caroline secretly rejoiced. She'd done it¡ She was friends with Eddie again¡
“Where are you three off to?” Mother called from the kitchen where she was making pie crusts. “I thought you might make a centerpiece out of pine cones or something to take to the Hatfords’ for Thanksgiving.”
“A centerpiece!” choked Eddie.
“We never had centerpieces back in Ohio. Just a bunch of relatives around the table,” said Beth.
“You just never noticed!” said her mother. “We always had centerpieces, but I'm too busy to make one this year.”
“We were going for a walk,” Caroline said. “Maybe we can find some pine cones or acorns or something.”
“In the dark?” said Mother.
The girls looked at each other. “We've got a flashlight,” Caroline told her.
“Good. I've got some brown and orange ribbons you could use,” Mother said, and brought the rolling pin down hard again on the dough.
When they got to the trees in back of the Hatfords’ shed, the first thing Caroline did was detach the cowbell so it couldn't ring. Then Eddie picked up one end of the crate, and Beth and Caroline took the other end.
Slowly, step by step, they made their way softlydown the Hatfords’ driveway and across the road to the river.
Caroline did not think her arms would hold up. It hadn't seemed all that heavy at first, but it was big and bulky and banged against her with every step.
She knew she was going to drop it. Was sure she was going to drop it, so to make sure she didn't, pretended she was carrying a little baby sister across a river filled with alligators. If she dropped her end of the crate, her sister, her dear little sister, her sick little sister, would fall into the water below and be eaten alive.
Hold on , she told herself as they crossed the road.
Hold on , she said as they made their way down the bank.
And then she heard that one marvelous word from Eddie: “Launch!” And the three girls shoved with all their might. In the darkness, the refrigerator crate drifted out into the current.
There was a small story on page six of the newspaper, which Coach Malloy read the next morning at breakfast:
PROOF INCONCLUSIVE IN ABAGUCHIE SEARCH
A tuft of brownish fur found caught in the
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