08 Riddle Solved

Chapter 08 Riddle Solved Now only the moon shone on the snow. Jack looked around for the polar bear. She was gone. “ Where’d she go?” asked Annie. “ I don’t know, ” said Jack. He looked over the tundra. There was no sign of the giant bear or her cubs. “ Maybe she’s not interested in scientific reasons, ” Jack said.

Annie sighed. She took off her bear mask and handed it to Jack. He put both their masks in his pack. “ Now what?” asked Annie. They looked around. The vast fields of snow ended in darkness. Jack had no idea where they were. He shrugged. “ I guess we just have to walk and hope for the best. ” “ Wait—listen, ” said Annie. From the distance came howling sounds. They grew louder and louder. “ Yay! We don’t have to wait long! ” said Annie. “ The huskies are coming! ” Howling filled the night as the dogsled came into view. The seal hunter was running beside it. “ We’re here! Over here! ” called Jack. He ran toward the sled. Annie followed.

“ I was afraid you were lost, ” said the seal hunter. “ We were! ” said Annie. “ And we got stuck on thin ice, too! But a polar bear helped us. ” “ Yeah, ” said Jack. “ And we wore your masks and they made us feel like bears—” “ Yeah, the masks made us brave, ” said Annie. She caught her breath. “ Oh, man, wait—” said Jack. Annie’s words sounded familiar. He took out his notebook and read Morgan’s riddle aloud: I cover what’s real and hide what’s true. But sometimes I bring out the courage in you. What am I?

“ A mask! ” Jack and Annie said together. The seal hunter smiled. “ You knew! ” said Annie. “ It was for you to discover, ” said the seal hunter. “ Not me. ” Jack pulled the bear masks out of his backpack. “ Here, ” he said. “ Thanks a lot. ” The hunter took the masks and put them inside his parka. “ We can go home now, ” said Jack. “ Do you mind taking us back to the tree house?” said Annie. The seal hunter shook his head. “ Climb on, ” he said. Jack and Annie climbed onto the dogsled. “ Mush! ” said the seal hunter. “ Mush! ” said Annie.

“ Mush! ” said Jack. Snow began to fall as they took off across the dark ice.