“Oliver—” Lucky began. This wasn’t fair. He was ruining camp. Hadn’t she predicted this from the start?
Just then the parents started to arrive and pick up the campers. Julian whistled from across the riding ring, and Oliver took off running.
Lucky watched her cousins leave and sighed. Oliver might not show up next week, but he was going to regret it. The kids were going to have so much fun that he’d be begging Julian to let him come back. And not just that, he’d offer to pay three dollars for the privilege.
The PALs Summer Adventure Horse Camp was about to get more adventurous.
Diary Entry
I am keeping my diary with me at all times because strange things are happening, and I don’t want to forget anything.
First, today, Abigail told me that she can’t find her camp roll-call list. That isn’t weird by itself, but other things are happening, too, that make it highly suspicious. I feel like Boxcar Bonnie, super sleuth and star of my favorite mystery book series, getting the sniff of a mystery.
Second, I saw the kids from Adventure Camp hanging out together in the town square. I was surprised to discover it was all of them at the same time. They looked as if they were having a serious conversation. When I went by to say “Hi,” and see what was going on, they scattered as if they shouldn’t have been there at all. Even Stella hurried away, and I would have thought she’d have stayed around to tell me everything that was wrong with camp and what she’d like to see improved when we met up again on Monday.
Third, as I rode to where Abigail and Pru were meeting me, I noticed Julian coming out of the general store. Actually, Spirit saw him first, and pointed him out. Gotta give Spirit credit—he’s like a watch-horse sometimes!
It was then that I saw Oliver hurry over to Julian. That was odd because I’d also seen Oliver a few minutes earlier with the other campers. Oliver talked to Julian and pointed at the campers; then the two of them went to where the campers were standing around. They all gathered around Julian while he stood in the middle, talking in a low voice that I couldn’t hear.
I didn’t understand. Why would Julian be hanging out at a camper meeting? What was going on?
I had many questions, but no time to figure out the answers. I was late to meet up with Abigail and Pru. When I got to the barn, I told them that my cousin was acting suspiciously.
Pru reined back Chica Linda to a walk, so we could speak. Abigail turned sidesaddle on Boomerang and told us she thought it was nice that Oliver was hanging out with the other kids. She even suggested that he might participate in the O-Mok-See at camp on Monday.
I hope he’ll get involved.
Pru was worried that we’re starting to focus too much on just one kid. She was mad about the whole apple thing, and I had to agree with her.
There was something strange happening that I couldn’t put my finger on.…
Spirit interrupted our serious talk with a loud neigh. I followed his eyes and could see several small dots on the horizon.
“Are those our campers?” Pru asked, cupping her hands like binoculars and looking through.
“That’s nice,” Abigail said. “They want to hang out so much that they aren’t even taking a day off.”
“I think Julian is leading them to the rocky outcrop,” Pru said.
The rocky outcrop is a forbidden canyon wall. The huge rocks and boulders are stacked like marbles, stretched high toward a high cliff edge. They look fun to climb, but the boulders aren’t secure. Rock slides happen pretty often, and since the rocks are big and heavy, the area’s considered very dangerous.
We spurred our horses into a gallop and took off to see what was going on.
Pru was right. Julian was leading, and he had the entire camp with him. Not just that, but I could see he had Abigail’s roster as well. It was folded and sticking out of his shirt pocket, but there was no mistaking Abigail’s handwriting.
I was so mad that I shouted at him instead of asking politely what he was doing.
Julian didn’t flinch. He calmly thanked Abigail for the list and offered to give it back to her.
She took it, but we all knew she hadn’t given it to him.
“It took an extra nickel, but Oliver brought it home,” Julian explained as if it were no big deal. I realized I’d seen the payoff the first day of camp. It must have taken Oliver time to snag the list when Abigail wasn’t looking. “How else was I going to contact the campers for Julian’s Giant Adventure Camp?”
I thought Pru was going to jump off Chica Linda and strangle my cousin.
“Those are our campers,” she told Julian, her voice gritty with anger.
“Not anymore,” Julian said with a chuckle. “The kids have spoken—and they’re saying your camp is, well, a bit dull. So I decided to host my own better camp.” I realized that he’d been planning this since the day he’d come to town. Boxcar Bonnie would’ve told me the clues were there all along. She’s such a great detective. It just took me all this time to realize that Julian never intended to pay us two dollars. He’d said he had a job plan the moment I told him there were no openings in town. He’d meant he’d be taking our job.
He’d said he’d pay us, then paid Oliver instead, knowing that without talking, Oliver—the chattiest kid on the planet—would have a terrible time. That meant he’d never have to pay us. He’d paid Oliver to ruin camp for the others and then paid him to steal our sign-up sheet.
He’d used his brother to convince the other kids to switch camps.
This
