Mystery on Blizzard Mountain by Gertrude Chandler Warner

CHAPTER 1
A Mountain of Surprise
    “Left. No! No, turn right,” said fourteen-year-old Henry Alden. He held the map up and frowned. “Yes, that’s it. We’re supposed to turn right at the next stop sign.”
    James Alden nodded. He was Henry’s grandfather, and he was driving his four grandchildren—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny—to visit the daughter of an old friend. Her name was Maris Greyson and she was a park ranger at Seven Mountains Wilderness Park.
    “Are we lost?” Violet, who was ten years old, asked in a worried voice. “We’ve been driving for a long, long time.”
    “We’re not lost,” Henry said cheerfully. “We’ll be there soon.”
    Six-year-old Benny, who had been looking out the window, said, “We haven’t passed any houses for miles and miles.”
    “Oh—but look,” twelve-year-old Jessie said. “There’s a sign that says ‘Greyson.’”
    Grandfather turned down a very narrow, very bumpy dirt road. They rocked from one rut in the road to another.
    Finally, Grandfather stopped the car in a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a small log cabin. The door opened and a big, furry dog came bounding out.
    A woman followed the dog out into the clearing. “Shoe,” she said, “heel!” The woman was small and strong-looking, with short jet-black hair. She wore jeans, hiking boots, and a red-and-black-checked wool shirt.
    Grandfather got out of the car. “Maris Greyson, it’s good to see you,” he said. “It’s been much too long.”
    “It has,” she said with a quick smile. “But you haven’t changed.” She gave Grandfather Alden a hug. “It’s so good to see you, James. Welcome to Seven Mountains Park.”
    “Is your dog nice?” Benny asked, almost tumbling out of the car. “We have a dog, but we didn’t bring him. We found him when we were living in the boxcar. His name is Watch and he’s a good watchdog.”
    “Whoa, Benny. Slow down,” said Henry. He put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.
    “My dog’s name is Snowshoe, Shoe for short, and she’s friendly to people,” Maris said.
    “May we pet her?” Violet asked.
    “Sure,” said Maris. “Shoe, come!”
    “Hey there, Shoe,” said Henry, bending to stroke the dog’s back. “She looks almost like a wolf.”
    “Husky, mostly, with a few other things thrown in,” said Maris. “I found her wandering on one of the trails when she was still practically a puppy. She was a skinny little thing. You wouldn’t know that now, would you, Shoe?”
    The dog’s ears flattened when she heard her name and she wagged her tail harder.
    “These are my grandchildren,” said Grandfather. “Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny.”
    “Pleased to meet you. Come on in,” said Maris. “I’m making stew for dinner. I’ll show you where to put your gear. By the time you unpack, it’ll be time to eat.”
    “Henry and I can unload the car,” Jessie volunteered. Jessie liked to take charge and organize things.
    In a few minutes, Henry and Benny were climbing up a ladder to a sleeping loft at one end of the cabin, pulling their packs and suitcases behind them.
    “Wow,” said Henry. “This is cool.” He looked around the loft, tucked under one end of the sloping roof. Two narrow beds were pushed against each wall. A skylight let in the last rays of the sun above them.

    “I like it here,” Benny said. He began to unpack.
    “Me, too,” agreed Henry, doing the same.
    At the other end of the cabin, Violet and Jessie were unpacking in a loft that looked just like the boys’. Down below, they could hear Maris talking to Grandfather as he unpacked his things. The good smell of stew filled the cabin.
    “I’m hungry,” Benny said suddenly. He leaned over the railing that enclosed the loft and sniffed. “Very hungry.”
    “Me, too,” called Jessie from the other loft.
    “Come on down,” Maris said, looking up at them. “As soon as the table is set, we can eat.”
    Benny scrambled down the ladder in a