Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Everyone looked at Lenny. "Quicksand is just a kind of soup made of sand and water," he explained. "Beneath the quicksand there's a layer of hard clay or rock. The quicksand lies on top of that hard stuff because it can't drain out." "But how far down is the hard layer?" Officer Fallon asked. "The only way to find out is to get out there in the stuff," Lenny said. "But if these kids found the antenna sticking up, the jeep must be just beneath the surface of sand."

"So we'll get a hook on that baby and pull it out, right, Lenny?" Jake asked. "Yeah, if I can find the bumper," Lenny said. "I'll go out there and see what's what. You go back to the firehouse and get the truck." Twenty minutes later, everything was in place. Jake had backed the rescue truck to the riverbank. A long cable with a big hook on one end lay on the ground. The other end snaked into the winch on the back of the truck. Standing at the water's edge, Lenny held the hook end of the cable. "Okay," Jake called to Lenny. "Go fishing!" Dragging the cable and hook, Lenny half floated, half swam out into the river. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose hunkered down under a tree and watched. Pal's head was resting on Josh's knees. Officer Fallon sat in his cruiser, talking into his car phone. A small crowd of people stood watching on the edge of River Road. "I sure hope the duck bank is still in the jeep," Dink said. "And I hope Lenny doesn't get stuck in the quicksand," Josh added.

"Okay, I think I'm right over the rear of the jeep," Lenny yelled. He took a deep breath and plunged under the water. A minute passed. Everyone stared at the spot where Lenny had disappeared. Dink glanced at his watch. "The quicksand must have him!" Josh yelled. "Let's not panic," Jake said. "If he gets in trouble, we'll haul him out by the cable." But Jake looked worried. Suddenly the surface of the water erupted. Lenny popped up like a cork on a fishing line. He began spitting and shaking mud from his arms and shoulders. "What took you so long?" Jake yelled to his partner. "The jeep sank at an angle," Lenny called back. "So unfortunately the bumper is lower down than I thought." "Did you get the hook on it?" Jake asked. Lenny grinned. "Of course I did! Pull her in, Jake!" Jake ran to the truck and threw a lever, and the cable began to inch backward into the winch. As the cable tightened, the winch strained, making a

noise like fingernails on a chalkboard. Everybody stared at the river. Out in the water, the back end of a yellow jeep suddenly broke the surface. "There it is!" Ruth Rose cried. Officer Fallon had come to stand behind the kids. "Well, I'll be darned," he muttered. They all heard a sucking sound as the quicksand gave up the jeep. Inch by inch, the jeep oozed toward the river-bank like some yellow sea monster. Water and sand cascaded off the metal and glass. Finally the jeep's rear tires came to rest against the riverbank. In the passenger seat, wet and muddy, sat the duck bank. The coins were barely visible through the clear plastic because of the sand and water that had seeped in.

"This bank must weigh a ton with all that water and muck inside," Lenny-said. "I know I can't lift it." "Let's haul the jeep back to the firehouse," Jake suggested. He climbed into the driver's seat of the rescue truck. "We'll use the hoist to lift the bank, then empty out the money and let it dry." "And I'd like to see what's in that glove compartment," Officer Fallon said. Lenny nodded. He opened the jeep's doors, letting muddy water flood out onto the ground. With it came a soggy mixture of old hamburger wrappers, a T-shirt, and a ragged green towel.

"Okay," Lenny said. "Take 'er away." The rescue truck slowly pulled the jeep toward the firehouse. Water was still oozing out. Officer Fallon followed in his cruiser. With the excitement over, people began to wander away. "Let's go watch them empty out the bank," Dink said. "Could we get some lunch first?" Josh asked as he untied Pal's leash from the tree. "I swear I'm losing weight here." "Okay, we can go to my house and eat," Ruth Rose said. "I wouldn't want Josh to get any skinnier." Pal was sniffing the wet hamburger wrappers that had just poured out of the jeep. "See, even my dog is hungry," Josh teased. "Wait a minute, guys," Ruth Rose said. Using the toe of her sandal, she kicked at the wet towel. Only it wasn't a towel. It was a green apron. And flashing in the sun was a name tag, pinned to the material. Three words were printed on the name tag: HI! I'M MARTIN.