Free The Flying Saucer Mystery by Carolyn Keene Page B

Dismal Swamp. Ned and I discovered it was scorched, apparently by the flying saucer. Incidentally, I’m sorry to say that the ship took off again.
    She explained briefly what had happened to her and Ned and how Shoso had put restorative leaves in their mouths.
    Old Joe, do you have any idea what those leaves are?
    She signed the note, attached it to the dog’s rope collar, and said, “Trixie, take this back to your master.” The dog bounded off.
    Soon afterward the other campers were awake. Nancy showed the note to Bess and Jan.
    “Oh! The poor man!” Bess said. “I’d like to help him. Would somebody go over to his cabin with me?”
    Jan offered to accompany her. “I’ll pack some medical supplies and see what I can do to relieve Old Joe’s pain.”
    For a few minutes Jan and the girls discussed whether they should ask one of the visiting doctors to go along.
    “They would probably prefer to wait for the rest of the scientists to investigate Dismal Swamp together,” Nancy said.
    As Bess and Jan gathered supplies, the young detective asked her father to take a walk with her. When they were out of hearing range of the other campers, he asked, “What’s on your mind, dear?”
    “I was wondering if we should notify the FBI or another top-secret agency about the flying saucer. I have a strong hunch the ship will come back. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the U.S. could capture it?”
    Mr. Drew stared at his daughter, then grinned. “It’s a great idea but a big order. We don’t know if the saucer is from outer space, or the property of some rival country that’s spying on us. In any case, I’ll ride into town and make some phone calls.”
    He and Nancy walked back to camp. They learned that Bess had packed some food for Old Joe. As soon as breakfast was over, she and Jan set off for the naturalist’s cabin.
    On the way Shoso suddenly appeared. He was muttering unintelligibly. Was he trying to tell them something?
    Jan said, “I have an idea he’s speaking his Indian dialect. It’s so strange because, as you know, there are no Indians in this vicinity anymore.”
    “Maybe he’s a wanderer,” Bess suggested.
    “But Indians usually stay in bands or tribes,” Jan countered.
    Shoso was gesticulating with his arms, and finally motioned the two campers to follow him.
    “Shall we do it?” Bess asked her companion.
    “Oh, sure. Why not?” Jan replied. “Besides, I’m curious to find out where he wants to take us.”
    Shoso seemed to know every inch of the forest. To their surprise he led them to Old Joe’s cabin by a completely different route.
    “It’s about half the distance,” Jan remarked. “I hope we can find our way back to camp the same way.”
    The Indian dropped behind Jan and Bess. Before they could turn to thank him he had, as usual, disappeared.
    Bess remarked dreamily, “If I hadn’t seen Shoso in person, I’d think he’s a spirit. He appears and vanishes so fast, it’s like magic.”
    Jan laughed and said that was a good description of the Indian. They now approached the open cabin door and called inside.
    “Come in!” Old Joe responded.
    He was sitting up in bed with a huge bandage wrapped around his injured foot.
    “Hello,” he said. “Isn’t this a great way for a forest dweller to treat himself? And I’d just started on an exciting hunt to solve my mystery.”
    Bess smiled and shook hands with him. “Everybody has an accident once in a while,” she said soothingly.
    Jan told him she was a nurse. “What have you been doing for yourself, Old Joe?”
    “Don’t you girls smell what’s cooking in my fireplace?”
    Jan and Bess nodded. The delicious aroma of pine filled the room. Jan peered into the pot where a combination of pine bark, sap from the tree, and crushed pine needles was brewing. It had cooked down to a thick, jellylike consistency. Old Joe said he had put this mixture on his foot and ankle, then bandaged the whole thing.
    Jan smiled. “I couldn’t have