The Mystery on Cobbett's Island Read Online Free PDF Page A

remarked, “How can he ever get that much steam out of such an old crate? He’s sure got it trained!”
    After a late lunch they gathered in the library again, and spent the afternoon playing every kind of card game they could think of. They even tried throwing cards into an upturned hat, and declared Jim the world’s champion when he succeeded in getting in all but two cards.
    Then Mart took the cards and, with much elaborate nonsense, told everyone’s fortune. “Aha! I see by these two black queens that two of us are destined to become famous detectives.” He turned another few cards and added, “Yes, and they are both blondes.”
    â€œWhat’s in the cards for
me?
” Jim asked.
    â€œVery odd, very odd,” said Mart, wrinkling hisbrows and studying the cards in front of him. “This shows a highly unorthodox situation. I see you are destined to be head of a school for orphaned children, but it’s going to be more like a camp than a school.”
    â€œYou’re marvelous, Ali Ben Bolt!” Trixie giggled as she stretched out in front of the fire. “What a day this has been! I wonder how much longer the storm is going to keep up?”
    â€œAll night, by the looks of things,” said Di, peering out the window. “It doesn’t show any signs of letting up. The water is almost over the bulkhead across the road, and the wind is blowing harder than ever.”
    â€œGreat start for a seashore vacation,” said Honey despondently, for, as hostess, she somehow felt personally responsible for the weather. “Can’t you think of something to do, Trixie, or shall we go to bed and bury our heads in our pillows for three days?”
    â€œAnd not eat?” cried Mart. “Never! For goodness’ sake think of something, somebody, and quick!” Looking around the room with a mock air of desperation, he noticed a television in one corner. “Even this is better than nothing,” he wailed dramatically as he went over and turned the dial. Nothing happened; the screen remained dark, and there was dead silence. “The aerial has probably blown down,” he said. “Anyone else haveany brilliant suggestions for whiling away the tedium during our incarceration?”
    Before anyone could answer, Celia came in carrying a platter on which reposed a huge steak. “The electricity is off,” she announced cheerfully, “so if you want to eat, you’ll have to broil your steak in the fireplace.”
    â€œWonderful!” cried Trixie. “We’ll pretend we’re cavemen roasting our prime dinosaur steaks.”
    â€œAnd I’ll be the prehistoric genius who discovers catsup.” Jim laughed as he took the platter from Celia. “Food will while away Mart’s tedium, or I miss my guess.”
    â€œSome genius had better discover some light around here,” said Brian. “It’s getting darker by the minute, and it’s not even six o’clock.”
    â€œI noticed some old lamps in the barn when I was looking for a stretcher,” said Jim. “Perhaps they’ll work.”
    When he had brought two of them into the library, they found that although the lamps were old, they were well filled with kerosene, the wicks had been trimmed neatly, and the chimneys were bright and clean.
    â€œSomeone must have been through this kind of weather before,” said Trixie as she touched a match to the wick and watched the flame brighten. They got the other lamps from the barn and took a pair to the back ofthe house. Another pair they kept to use at bedtime.
    The fire had burned down to a bright bed of coals. Jim arranged the andirons to accommodate the grill which Tom had brought in, and Honey, using a long-handled fork, laid the steak on it. While it was broiling, they set places around the fire with the plates and silver Celia gave them.
    â€œI think eight minutes on a side will be enough,”