Free Fleeced by Hazel Edwards Page A

accident didn’t matter now. Anything to be upright on the path, not sideways on a steep mountain slope, dangling!
    â€˜Help!’ screamed Amy.

Chapter 10
Water Proof
    Meanwhile, Christopher flipped through his sketch pad, checking. Yes. All the suspect trekkers had unusually big watches. Was that important? Or couldn’t they read small ones?
    The Freedom Walker had a man’s fob watch, with a chain. Gertrude had her sheep watch. Big Jon had a fake Rolex. If it was fake? Could something be hidden inside a big watch? Like nuggets?
    Big Jon knew the Track. What if he’d found some nuggets when he was fishing? Jon knew that a gold nugget found in the Fiordland National Park would belong to the Government. He knew about diamonds and gold from South Africa.
    Time to check on Stan. Christopher caught up with Stan walking alone.
    â€˜Shhhh.’ Stan pointed at a very ordinary , middle-sized bird in the under growth.
    â€˜What’s that?’ whispered Christopher.
    â€˜A bird,’ Stan flicked through his bird book.
    That’s when Christopher decided that Stan was too stupid to be a smuggler. Or else he was a very good actor.
    â€˜Is it a bellbird, tui, weka or native pigeon?’ Zoe had told them about those birds last night. With her Kiwi accent, he thought she’d been saying ‘wicket’ like in cricket, not ‘weka’ the bird. That’s why he especially remembered the names. And she’d shown slides too.
    â€˜Wait till I check in my bird-book.’
    â€˜What’s the time please?’
    Stan looked at his large-faced copy watch, and told him.
    â€˜Found it! A weka looks like a chicken. It’s unafraid of humans. Makes a noise like a Siamese cat. Can you hear it?’
    â€˜No. Thanks.’ Christopher moved down the rocky path, to Suspect Gertrude.
    Beside the track, a backpack had been left. Christopher squinted at the now familiar 801, as Gertrude emerged from the bushes.
    â€˜I just went to the Bathroom.’
    â€˜Bathroom?’
    Zoe had talked about the Boat House and the Bus Stop. For a moment, Christopher wondered if there was a real Bathroom somewhere. Then he realised.
    â€˜That’s what Americans call the toilet, isn’t it? Going in the bushes.’
    â€˜Zoe said to leave your backpack as a marker. A toilet stop.’
    Gertrude repinned her sheep-watch on her chest. Now the band had broken, a giant safety pin made the watch into a brooch.
    Christopher continued his sleuthing.’ Did your watch fall off?’
    â€˜No I was just fixing the back,’ replied Gertrude who looked flushed. Perhaps she was just embarrassed at going to the toilet in the bushes.
    â€˜What’s the time please?’ he asked her.
    â€˜Haven’t you got a watch?’ Gertrude slipped a sandwich wrapper into her pocket.
    Zoe nodded approvingly. No litter on the track.
    â€˜Still on Australian time. Did the water get in your watch when you fell in the creek?’
    â€˜Something did,’ admitted Gertrude. ‘Might not be reliable.’
    Big Jon was stuffing something in the outside pocket of his pack. Because it was so wet, Dad had covered his camera in plastic and put it away. Others were wrapping their cameras too. But Big Jon did not have a camera shape in his bag. It looked smaller.
    Just then, they heard Amy’s cry.
    Her voice echoed around the mountain.

    â€˜It’s heli-hiking for anyone injured.’ explained Zoe regretfully. ‘Sorry Amy. I’ve radioed ahead. We’ll carry you down to Quinton Lodge. And the helicopter will take you to hospital. ‘
    They’d carried her up the slope to the path.
    Amy’s ankle was twisted. Her face and hands were scratched, and her knee was bleeding. A bump was growing on her head.
    Bertha hovered. ‘I’m so sorry. It was an accident. I was just standing there and I turned. I didn’t mean to knock you over the edge.’
    Amy’s parents