The Canoe Trip Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page B

doesn’t matter,” Matt said. “We’re heading for home this afternoon anyway. We don’t want to do any more camping for a while.”
    â€œOh, did you finish mapping the canoe routes already?” Aunt Jane asked.
    Matt and Bill looked at one another. Bill even stopped scratching his arm. They seemed to have no idea what she was referring to. “Yes, we did,” Matt finally answered.
    â€œWe should really be going,” Bill said with a pointed look at Matt.
    â€œYes,” Matt agreed, a little too quickly. “It was good to rest here by the fire awhile. So long.”
    â€œGood-bye,” the Aldens called as Matt and Bill went out the door.
    â€œI wonder what that was all about,” Aunt Jane said, puzzled.
    â€œWhy did they even come in the bunkhouse and build a fire, if they were planning to leave right away?” Violet asked.
    â€œMaybe they didn’t expect us to be here.” Henry bent down to tie the shoelaces on his sneakers.
    â€œDidn’t you say they were park rangers?” Violet asked.
    â€œThat’s what they told us,” said Aunt Jane.
    â€œI can’t believe that two rangers would camp in poison ivy,” Violet pointed out.
    â€œEven I know better than that!” added Benny.
    At that moment, Rob and Jessie came in.
    â€œMatt and Bill were just here, but they had to go,” Benny explained.
    â€œYes, I know. We saw them leave,” Rob answered. “I recognized one of them. He was Mr. Withington’s chauffeur.”
    â€œWhere are the coins?” Henry asked.
    â€œThey’re right here.” Rob pulled the brown leather pouch from the inside pocket of his jacket. “We decided it was safer to keep them with us.”
    â€œDo you think they left because we were here?” Benny asked.
    â€œI don’t know, Benny. I just hope they don’t make any trouble for us before we get to White Pine,” Rob said grimly.

CHAPTER 10
    The Rapids
    â€œI hope we made the right decision to leave tomorrow instead of right away,” Jessie said worriedly.
    The Aldens and Rob were seated around the fireplace in the bunkhouse, eating dinner. They planned to leave very early the next morning for White Pine.
    â€œJessie, look at the weather,” Henry said. He scraped the last bit of beef stew off his plate. “We couldn’t have gotten very far in all this rain.”
    â€œI just hope we won’t run into Angela or Matt.” Violet frowned. She put her plate down and curled up on the soft rug in front of the fire.
    Aunt Jane yawned. “After we clean up, I think we should stop worrying and go to bed,” she said. “Remember, we have to be up very early tomorrow.”
    The sun was just rising when Aunt Jane and the Aldens pushed their canoes into the lake the next morning. Aunt Jane had assured Henry they would be all right using just one paddle for each canoe.
    Henry sat in the back of his canoe. To keep it on course, he paddled first on the left, then on the right, then on the left again. Aunt Jane did the same in her canoe.
    Rob carried the coin collection with him. He sat in Henry’s canoe behind Violet.
    By noon, the two canoes reached the small rapids. “I can’t believe this is the last part of the trip already,” Benny said. He sounded sad.
    â€œJust be glad we’ve found the coins and so far no one has bothered us,” Jessie said.
    â€œI’m afraid you spoke too soon.” Aunt Jane pointed in front of them. Up ahead, they saw a large wooden canoe with red lettering on the sides. It was Angela!
    â€œOh no,” Jessie groaned. “Henry, look up ahead!” she called to the other canoe.
    Rob rummaged in his day pack for his binoculars. “She’s alone,” he said. “We’ll be all right.”
    â€œShe may not even know we have the coins,” Violet said.
    â€œLet’s stop here for a minute,” Aunt Jane called to