Free Pyro Watson and the Hidden Treasure by Nette Hilton Page A

they’d done nothing because they didn’t know the signal.
    It took a minute or two for Calamity to kiss everyone better and settle them down and assure them that she wasn’t in real danger, it was just a pretend …’But,’ she reminded them, ‘if you don’t listen to San Simeon you really won’t get it right.’
    They listened. By golly, ears fairly twitched as they leaned forward to catch every word.
    And, by the time they’d done the test at the end, they were all able to wave hankies or singlets or undies around and send all sorts of messages.
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    It hadn’t taken very long for Pyro to have a wash and clean his teeth. The whole day stretched out ahead of him. Empty. Not even the rock pool was going to be available as Mor said she wasn’t putting her face into any water that had that many bottoms sitting in it all day.
    He ambled along the path, not looking where he was going and thinking it’d be fun to write out Simeon’s code.
    At least it would pass a bit of time.
    He’d barely rounded the grassy edge that led to his camper when a quick shove in his back nearly sent him sprawling, at the same time as a fat little doggy body hurled itself at his chest.
    â€˜Gotcha!’ Min danced around in front of him. Becks was flinging herself up and down like she was on a string and it was wonderful. ‘You didn’t even see me creeping up!’
    Pyro didn’t like being shoved in the back. At least, he didn’t think he’d like it but it was the best surprise he’d ever had. He shoved Min back and together they fell in a lump onto the grass. Becks barked and grabbed bits of T-shirt and tried to pull them apart. When she couldn’t she contented herself by jumping right on top of both of them and landing on their necks.
    Both boys had to stop to push her off and they’d barely found their feet when a new voice joined in.
    â€˜Righto, you lot!’ It was the park manager. He was very stern about people who didn’t do the right thing and he’d put lists of right things to do all over theplace. And he was pretty stern about dogs and child ren doing just about anything. ‘Get the noise down and that dog, Sonny Jim, will have to go home today. Too many people in the park to be kicking up such a ruckus!’
    Min waited until the park manager had moved off towards his cabin. ‘Did you kick up a ruckus?’
    Pyro giggled. ‘I don’t even know what a ruckus is?’
    â€˜It’s a thing you kick!’
    â€˜Like a football!’
    Min hooted. He hunched himself over and walked with his hands hanging down in front of him. ‘I’m a ruckus!’ he roared.
    Pyro hunched over as well. ‘So am I!’
    Becks danced around them as they ruckused back across the park to the camper. They had to stop every now and then because she was having so much fun she forgot to be quiet.
    â€˜Listen here, dog!’ Pyro said. ‘You’d better stop kicking up a ruckus!’
    It set them off again and they hooted and stumbled as they shuffled, ruckus-shaped, back to their bit of the park.
    They’d barely arrived when the park manager appeared on the horizon. Both boys leapt on Becks and hushed her.
    â€˜Come to my place,’ Min said. ‘There’s too many people to work on the hide-out.’
    Quickly then, because the day that had started off at a slow crawl now held so much promise and already it was whooshing by and they’d barely begun.
    â€˜We can go down the street and they’ve got these neat swords …’ Min slashed the air in front of him.
    â€˜I know the ones. They make a clanking noise.’
    â€˜Yeah, and you can clobber each other and it doesn’t hurt.’
    Becks was setting up for a day of high fun and games with lots of leaping and barking and ripping and racing about.
    â€˜They cost three bucks. Shush, Becks.’
    â€˜Three bucks fifty. Shut