The boat tipped again a very little, as if a person were stepping aboard. Henry heard a key go very softly into the lock. The door of the cabin opened. Henry could see the black shapes of two men. They stepped into the cabin and flashed a weak light toward the sandbox.
One man said crossly, “They’ve moved the sandbox.”
“What of it?” said the other. “It’s the same sandbox. Just get that vase and go!”
Both men knelt down and began to dig in the sand.
“Hold it!” cried Captain De Rosa, jumping to his feet. He turned a bright flashlight full on the two men by the sandbox.
The two men looked up with their mouths open. In an instant the two policemen had handcuffs on both of them. Then Henry was surprised to hear a car drive up.
“Our light was a signal for the car to come,” explained Captain De Rosa. “We have plenty of help now.” And he led the two men off the houseboat with the police lieutenant following.
“I’ll lock up,” said Henry. “My family can sleep here tonight without worrying about anything.”
Henry had another surprise. Commander Williams was sitting in the front seat of the car beside the police driver. “I wanted a good look at those fellows, too,” he said. “Where’s Benny?”
“He said this wasn’t the part he wanted to see. He thinks the best ending will be feeding oats to Dolly and seeing Sam happy again.”
The two handcuffed men did not make any fuss. They knew they were caught. But they began to quarrel when the station wagon started to move.
“I told you it was a dumb thing to take that vase,” one said. “But you wouldn’t listen. We were doing all right getting money from dumb people.”
“That was my idea, too, remember! People will pay anything if you tell them their family is in trouble.”
Henry thought to himself, “Sam and Jeff and the others weren’t in trouble at all. But these two men are. They won’t trick anybody again.”
“Do you want to come to the police station with us?” asked Captain De Rosa, speaking to Henry.
“No, drop me off at the movies. I want to tell my family it’s all over.”
The movie had just ended. The Aldens were the first people to come out.
“Oh, what happened, Henry?” Benny called out.
“Everything is okay,” said Henry, looking at his grandfather. “Walk along to the boat and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Henry told the story from the beginning to the end. Then Benny said, “Oh, Grandfather, tomorrow let’s float back to April Center to see Sam and Dolly!”
“We don’t have to float, Ben,” said Henry. “We can use the motor.”
“Good, we’ll get there fast,” Benny said. The Aldens laughed because that sounded just like Benny.
Henry said, “How about the movie? What was it about?”
Violet looked up at Henry with a smile and said, “I haven’t the slightest idea!”
That night everyone slept well on the houseboat. There was nothing to worry about.
After the houseboat was in order the next morning, Henry and Benny poled the boat toward the dock.
The Aldens bought tickets for April Center at the gate. The first person they saw was not Sam but Jeff. He was sitting up straight in his wagon, waiting for river customers.
Benny called, “Hello, Jeff! We’re back sooner than we said. It didn’t take four or five days. Only two!”
“That’s right,” said Jeff. “I heard all about it last night.” He climbed down and shook hands with Grandfather.
“You heard last night?” asked Henry. “It must have been late.”
“Yes, it was. But I can tell you everyone around here knows it. Even before it was on the radio.”
“I wonder how,” said Henry.
“Well, this is a great place for getting news around,” said Jeff.
“Where’s Sam?” asked Benny.
“He’s down at the main gate. Do you see how much better Molly looks? That’s because of the oats you bought. But now I’ll be able to buy all she needs. She’ll look fine!”
“Good! Let’s go and find Sam,” Benny said.
“Have a ride!” said Jeff. “I’ll be glad to take you.”
The Aldens thanked him and climbed in. Down the street went Molly. She held her head up high. People smiled as the wagon went past them. At last Molly reached the main gate.
“There’s Sam!” said Benny.
Sam looked up. His face was one big smile. He pointed at Dolly. She was eating oats from a bag on her nose.
Sam said, “Dolly’s fine now. And Jeff and I didn’t do anything wrong, and everything is all right!”
Benny looked from Sam to Jeff and from Dolly to Molly. He said, “This is what I wanted to see—Dolly eating oats! And this is the way to end our adventure—with everybody happy!”
Jessie said, “Grandfather, don’t you think our trip is really over, too?”
Mr. Alden said, “Yes, I ought to get back to work.”
“I’m ready to go home,” said Henry.
“Then I’ll telephone Mr. Rivers,” Grandfather said. But it was Mrs. Rivers who answered. She said, “I will meet you myself with my oldest boy. My husband has just gone away for the day.”
The Aldens said good-bye to all their friends and chugged away up the river in the houseboat. They looked for the last time at the green trees and the quiet water. At last they saw Mrs. Rivers and her son standing on the dock, waiting.
“What an awful time you had!” said Mrs. Rivers. “Everybody is talking about your trip and how it was spoiled.”
“Oh, it wasn’t spoiled,” said Benny. “We had a neat time. We always have some excitement. And it all turned out well, even if those men did hide their treasure on our boat. Please don’t tell Mr. Rivers the name of our boat. We’d like to have him see it himself.”
Mrs. Rivers looked at the name and laughed. “No, I won’t tell him,” she said. “You did have some treasure aboard all the time and didn’t know it.”
Mrs. Rivers’ son helped the Aldens take their things from the houseboat and load them in the station wagon. The drive home was a short one, and Watch was waiting for them.
After everything was unpacked, the Aldens sat on the porch. They couldn’t stop talking about the houseboat.
Henry laughed and said, “Remember the day on The James H. Alden when Jessie lost the salt?”
And Jessie said, “Remember the day on The Mrs. McGregor when Ben found out why Dolly was so thin?”
Benny said, “Remember the day on the Nedla Yrrieh? And Henry found the fish pole?”
But Violet said, “Oh, I wish we could see Mr. Rivers’ face when he sees the last name for his boat!”
Really, it was too bad that nobody saw Mr. Rivers. He went down alone to look at his houseboat and get it ready for the next customer. He happened to look at the blue letters on the top and began to laugh. He laughed and laughed and slapped his knee and shook his head.
The houseboat’s name was Captain Kidd.
“That Benny!” said Mr. Rivers. “Comical.”
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car—the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought
of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her book. And so she continued the Aldens’ adventures, writing a total of nineteen books in the Boxcar Children series.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN
PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT
AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN
BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER
GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED
HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER
MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD
MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S
CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE
COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY
GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED
BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING
BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING
TOMATOES
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
copyright © 1967 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN: 978-1-4532-0802-1
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