Ten Thumb Sam Read Online Free PDF

outside,” Mary Ann whined. “They’re not alley cats—they’re purebred Siamese.”
    Irene’s reply was firm. “No animals on the bus-cats, lizards, birds or otherwise.”
    A minute later, Mary Ann’s precious cats were dumped out the back door of the bus.
    â€œI know just how you feel,” Sam said as the two felines stared forlornly at the door. “They kicked me out of my bed too.”

Chapter Eight
    â€œHave you seen my juggling plates?” Martin asked Sam half an hour before the show that afternoon. “Louise said she saw you fooling around with them after breakfast.”
    â€œI was helping Robbie look for his chameleon,” Sam said without looking up from the video game he was playing. “I just moved them aside.”
    â€œWell, where’d you put them when you were done?” Martin demanded.
    â€œI didn’t put them anywhere,” said Sam. “I just looked behind them.”
    â€œC’mon, Sammy,” said Martin. “I need them for the show. Cough them up.”
    â€œI told you. I don’t have them, and I don’t know where they are.”
    Martin pulled Sam off the picnic table and put himin a headlock. “C’mon, tell me where they are. I’m not letting you go until you do.”
    â€œWhat would I want with a bunch of dishes?” Sam said angrily, squirming to break free. He was just about to stomp on Martin’s foot when his mother poked her head out of the Stringbini bus.
    â€œEnough already!” said Irene. “If Sam says he didn’t take your plates, Martin, he didn’t take them. Now let him go.”
    â€œHe stole them!” said Martin. “Louise saw him!”
    â€œThat’s
not
what Louise said,” said Irene. “Your dishes will turn up somewhere, Martin. In the meantime, you’ll just have to improvise.”
    â€œFine, but you aren’t playing my
Smash Blasters
anymore,” Martin said as he released his brother and grabbed the Pocket-Nitro from Sam’s hand. “I’m hiding this where you’ll never find it!”
    â€œBut I didn’t take your stupid plates!” Sam called after Martin’s retreating back. “I didn’t!”

    Sam found his brother’s dishes twenty minutes later, when he went back to the bus to get a pile of comics he’d stashed in the cupboard under his bunk. The missing plates were buried under a pile of his jeans and T-shirts.
    It took him only a moment to guess who had put them there. It had to be Mary Ann. She’d been furious with Martin for telling his mother about the cats, furious enough to want revenge.
    â€œYou didn’t have to stick them in
my
cupboard,” he muttered as he gathered up the plates and deposited them inside the bunk that temporarily belonged to Mary Ann.
    â€œWhat are you doing, Sam?”
    Sam spun around. Annabel stood in the curtained opening, a look of triumph on her dimpled face. “Wha—what are you doing here?” he asked.
    â€œI lost one of my hair ribbons. I was getting another one.”
    Sam waved his hands in the air. “It’s not what it looks like—”
    It was too late. Annabel was already chanting, “I’m telling, I’m telling,” as she backed away. The bus door slammed behind her.
    Sam plunked himself down beside Harriet in the bleachers a few minutes later. Down below in the center ring, Mr. Pigatto was announcing the first act.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” asked Harriet.
    â€œShe’s got me,” Sam said miserably. “And I didn’t even
do
anything!”
    â€œWho’s got you? What are you talking about?”
    Sam shook his head. “Don’t even ask.”

    The matinee performance was uneventful right up until the last act. With Annabel’s assistance, Magic Max had just performed a series of successful tricks. Now Max was displaying his black top hat. He walked