The Alaskan Adventure by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

mail goes to Jake at the general store. Then he delivers any special orders. Or asks somebody like Gregg to do it for him.”
    Frank opened his mouth to ask another question, but Mona held up her hand to stop him. She pulled on a pair of thick gloves and lifted the hot kettle. Justine held a piece of cloth over the mouth of an earthenware pot, and Mona poured the steamy liquid from the plants into the pot, straining it through the cloth.
    She then scooped a ladleful of the brew into a thick mug, poured in a little spring water to cool it, stirred in a teaspoon of honey, and took it over to Peter. Justine helped her father sit up on the edge of the bed while Mona held the mug to his lips.
    Peter finished drinking and lay down again. Frank asked Mona, “This basket of fruit—was there a card with it?”
    Mona crossed the room to the dresser andreturned with a business card in her hand. Frank and Joe looked at it. It read, Curt Stone, Field Representative, ThemeLife, Inc. Handwritten on the back were the words “Best wishes, Curt.”
    â€œThat’s his card, all right,” Frank said. “But it doesn’t have your names on it anywhere. He could have given that card to someone else, who put it in that basket of fruit. Someone like Gregg, for instance.”
    â€œI don’t get it,” David said. “Are you saying there was something wrong with the fruit?”
    â€œThere’s no way to tell without a lab test,” Joe said. “But after what happened to Peter, I don’t think I’m going to try to eat any of that fruit.”
    David’s face reddened. “If Gregg thinks he can force me to drop out of the Iditarod by making me and my family sick, he’s going to find out different. And after I’ve beat him in the race, I’m going to do some major alterations on his face!”
    Justine put her hand on his arm. “David, we don’t know that Gregg did anything wrong,” she said. “I know you and he don’t get along, but he’s always been nice to me. I don’t think he’d try to hurt us.”
    Mona looked from Joe to Frank and said, “I hope you can get to the bottom of this, before anything worse happens.”
    She took the mug from the table and went backto Peter’s side. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
    â€œBetter,” he croaked.
    â€œGood. Want some more?” she said, holding up the mug.
    Peter scrunched up his face. “That horrible stuff? Eeyuukk.”
    â€œIt’s good,” Mona said, smiling. “It worked on you, didn’t it?”
    â€œMaybe it’s good for my stomach,” Peter replied. “But it’s eeyuukk for my mouth.”
    He tried to sit up. Mona pressed his shoulders back down. “Rest,” she said. “You need it.”
    â€œSee what happens when you take something from ThemeLife?” Peter said, lying back. “Next thing you know, you’re sick as a dog.”
    â€œHey, watch how you talk about dogs,” David said. “The Iditarod’s just a few days away!”
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    Just after nightfall Mona said she wanted to fix Peter some good, healthy moose steak. “Would somebody like to get some from the cache?” she asked, smiling and looking at Frank and Joe.
    â€œSure,” Joe said, leaping to his feet.
    â€œWhere is it?” Frank asked.
    â€œIn the shed behind our cabin,” Mona said. “There’s most of a side of moose hanging there. You’ll find a big knife and a saw, too.”
    â€œHow much do you want?” Frank asked as he donned his parka.
    Mona held her hands out, about six inches apart. “About this much,” she said.
    David lit a lantern for them, and the Hardys set off into the darkness. The Arctic sky was thickly sprinkled with glittering stars. An owl hooted nearby, and a small animal scurried away through the bushes.
    â€œThey just leave