Chapter 3

Chapter 3 No one talked after Thumbs left. One by one, they stood, yawned, and left the circle. "Remember, buttermilk pancakes for breakfast," Lulu called as she walked toward the main house. The kids stayed behind to help Jud douse the fire with pond water. "Was there really a bear?" Josh asked Jud. "He was kidding, wasn't he?"

"I was away at college, so I don't know for sure," Jud said. "But I've never known Thumbs to be a kidder." "It could be a true story," Ruth Rose said. "I read a book about grizzly bears once. The mother bears protect their young until they're all grown up." Dink slung his arm around Josh's shoulders. "Don't worry even a hungry bear wouldn't want you. You're too skinny." "Want me to walk you kids back to your cabin?" Jud asked. "Nope," Josh said. "I'm not afraid of any old bear. Besides, I bet Thumbs was fooling us. How did he really lose his thumb, Jud?" Jud laughed. "You'll have to ask him," he said. "Sleep tight and don't let the critters bite!" Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose walked toward the three cabins. The stars cast a soft glow over the stones that lined the path. Light came from Fiona's and Ed's cabins, but the cabin in the middle was pitch-black. "I thought I left a light on," Ruth Rose said. "I thought you did, too," Dink told her.

"I know I did!" Ruth Rose said. Then she jumped on Josh's back and screamed, "THE GRIZZLY BEAR'S IN OUR CABIN!" "Very funny, Ruth Rosebush," Josh said. "See if I protect you when the bear really comes!" When they were all in their beds, Dink turned out the light next to his bunk. He rolled onto his side and gazed out the window. Fireflies flickered everywhere. Frogs and crickets made a sweet racket from the pond. "Good night, you guys," Ruth Rose said from the other side of the room. "Good night, Ruth Rose. Good night, grizzly bear," Dink said. "I'm not speaking to either one of you," Josh said from the top bunk. Dink smiled in his bunk. Josh is so easy to scare, he thought as he drifted off to sleep. Suddenly, Dink was wide awake. He thought he'd heard something thump outside the cabin. He sat up and peered through the window over Ruth Rose's bed. She was a sleeping lump under her blankets.

Dink didn't know what time it was, but he didn't think he'd been sleeping for long. Josh was snoring. Maybe a pine cone fell on the porch, Dink said to himself. Yeah, pine cones can make big thumps when they fall from tall trees. Dink lay back down and closed his eyes. He tried to force himself back to sleep. Then he heard more noises. Something heavy was moving around on the porch, and it was no pine cone! Suddenly, a dark shape stepped in front of the window. Dink shuddered and fell back on his pillow. Whatever was out there was large enough to shut out the starlight. Dink heard a scraping noise, and then the shape moved away. Starlight once more flowed through the window. Dink pulled his covers up under his chin. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Calm down, he told himself. It couldn't be that lonely mother grizzly bear. Could it? Wishing he hadn't teased Josh about the bear, Dink finally went to sleep.

The next morning, the breakfast bell woke the kids. Josh leaped off the top bunk, nearly landing on Dink. Ruth Rose dashed into the bathroom while the boys were getting dressed. Three minutes later, they were on the path to the main house. "Um, guys," Dink said, "I know you're not gonna believe me, but something was on our porch last night." "What kind of something?" Ruth Rose asked. "Did it have fur and big claws?" "Here we go again," Josh muttered. "Honest, something was out there," Dink continued. "I heard these thumps; then something blocked your window, Ruth Rose. There was a scratching noise, too." Josh laughed. "You guys are so lame. It was probably a raccoon." "If you're right, we'd better call The Guinness Book of World Records," Dink said. "Whatever stepped in front of that window was about six feet tall!" "I don't care if Frankenstein was peeking in our window," Josh said, racing toward the main house. "I need pancakes!"

The kids hurried into the dining room. Everyone was already seated. "Good morning," Ma Wheat said as she poured juice. "Hope you slept well and woke up hungry!" Platters of scrambled eggs, sausages, and pancakes filled the middle of the table. Everyone dug in. When most of the food was gone, Dink told everyone about the noises and the shape on their cabin porch. "Strange noises?" Pa said. "I didn't hear anything. How 'bout you, Jud?" "Nothin' could have woke me up, Pa," Jud said. "You hear anything, Ma?" Ma shook her head. "You hear any strange noises, Thumbs?" Thumbs grinned and shook his head. "Nope," he said, "but I thought I smelt bear when I walked over here this mornin'."