Free The Mystery of the Man in the Tall Black Hat by Margaret M. Sandberg Page B

get it, Tod. Mom was so fussy about my resting, but this morning all she did was yell at me. She finally hollered at me to get out before I drove her batty.” Barney laughed.
    “Well, I was just getting ready to go get something for the tadpoles to eat besides each other. Come on.”
    “I didn’t bring anything this time, Tod.” Barney held up his empty hands.
    “Not even a strainer?” Tod grinned.
    “I didn’t know we would be going anyplace. Besides, Mom kicked me out so fast I didn’t have time to think of anything.” He giggled.
    “Hey, Barney,” Tod said as they started down the driveway, “we’re having a treasure hunt next Saturday afternoon. Mr. Taylor told us about it last night. We’ll have clues and a real treasure at the end. Do you think you could come?”
    “I think I’d like that.”
    “And, Barney. Eat a lot of lunch first. I don’t know when we’ll have refreshments.” He slapped Barney good-naturedly on the back.
    They soon passed Donna’s house, then left the main road and followed the winding trail through tall brush and into the cover of fir trees. The ground dropped abruptly as the trail led to the lake edge. They continued around the lake until they came in sight of Mr. Shafer’s small cabin.
    “Look.” Tod pointed. “See where those water lilies are? The lake is real shallow beyond them. We might find polliwogs there, too. If we borrow Mr. Shafer’s rowboat it won’t take long to row to the end of the lake.”
    They walked a little faster, rounded the head of the marsh, and soon recognized Mr. Shafer sitting before his cottage in an old kitchen chair. He waved as he saw them approach.
    “You fellows haven’t been around for a while. Gets sort of lonesome without company around here,” he said as he stood up and shook their hands.
    Tod glowed inside. Mr. Shafer had a way of making him feel very grown-up. “We’ve been sort of busy, I guess,” he said.
    Mr. Shafer sat down and tipped back until his chair rested on the two back legs. “What have you been doing that keeps you so busy?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
    “We’ve been catching polliwogs,” said Barney eagerly.
    “Polliwogs, eh? Going to see them turn into frogs, I’ll bet.”
    “That’s what we came to talk to you about. We want to go to the end of the lake and see if we can get something for them to eat. Maybe we can get some polliwogs, too,” explained Tod.
    “Tell you what. Why don’t you take my boat and row down to the end of the lake?”
    “Could we? We were hoping you’d let us. Thanks, Mr. Shafer.”
    Tod and Barney raced down the bank to the small wooden dock which Mr. Shafer had built at the lake edge. The weatherworn rowboat floated alongside in the quiet water.
    Tod waited for Barney to get settled in the back before he unhooked the loop which Mr. Shafer used to secure the boat to a post. Barney held onto the dock as Tod stepped into the boat and seated himself between the oarlocks. He let go, and Tod pushed the boat away from the dock with one of the oars. A moment later he was dipping the oars rhythmically as they glided out across the water.
    “How about over there?” Barney pointed, as they neared the end of the lake.
    “That looks like a good place.” Tod looked over his shoulder. “Watch for logs and stuff in the bottom. I don’t want to run into anything.”
    “It’s clear. Just keep going straight ahead. OK, now turn toward shore.”
    Tod pulled hard on the right oar letting the other drag in the water. He pulled again on both oars until the prow of the boat scraped against the muddy shoreline. Dropping the oars, he jumped lightly from the boat and dragged it further up onto the beach. Barney stumbled the length of the rocking boat and stepped out at the edge of the marsh.
    “Look, Barney, someone’s waving.” Tod was looking toward Mr. Shafer’s house.
    “Isn’t it Tricia?” asked Barney, shielding his eyes from the sun.
    Tod sat down on the shore and