The Treasure Hunt Read Online Free PDF Page A

coming in the window had a blinding white quality. “Why, there’s snow on the ground!” Lydia exclaimed when she looked out. “So it does snow in Colorado!”
    â€œOf course it does,” answered Lisbet. “We haven’t moved to Florida or anything.”
    After boiling some eggs for breakfast on the train car’s stove, the Yoders set out across the prairie with Ned and King. They piled the wagon as high as they dared with household goods. The girls squeezed in among the baggage, but Joe decided he would rather walk. At first it was a challenge to keep up with the team, frisky as they were after days on the train, but after a while the horses settled down, and Joe could keep pace.
    Finally they saw a partially finished house in the distance. Several men were climbing about on the roof. “That can’t be ours,” Lydia said. “They are only putting the shingles on the roof, and there are no walls yet.”

    Lydia saw the unfinished house and wondered what would come next.
    Father turned and said slowly, “But that is our place, Lydia. It seems they didn’t make as much progress on the house as they’d hoped.”
    Lydia groaned. “What are we going to do?”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Mother said, assuring her. “Remember that the train car is available for a few more nights if we need it.”
    â€œOnce we’re helping with the house, it’ll be finished in a hurry,” Father declared optimistically. “Who knows? We might even get the siding on today.”
    As the family talked, they noticed that one of the men had scrambled down from the roof and was running to meet them. It was Jake, looking worried and unhappy. “Didn’t you get my letter?” It was the first thing he said to his family.
    â€œNo, we didn’t,” Father answered in surprise.
    â€œI wrote to tell you that we needed another two weeks to build the house. We had trouble getting the lumber, you see.”
    Father got down from the wagon and began unhitching. “Well, we’re here to help now! Do you have the lumber for the siding?”
    â€œYes. It just came yesterday. It’s in that pile over there.” Jake indicated where the siding was stacked with a wave of his hand.
    Father looked around at the girls and Joe. “How many helpers do I have for fastening siding to the walls?”
    Lisbet hopped down from the wagon. Polly, Lydia andMother followed her lead. “We’ll all help if we can. We have to do something to keep warm,” Mother said cheerfully.
    â€œAs soon as we have one wall closed in, we’ll set up our cookstove. We brought everything that’s needed for a chimney, I think. Then we can warm up by the stove,” Father said as he planned out their day.
    And what a day it was! The girls discovered that they did have some carpenter skills. Everyone pitched in to raise the walls. Lydia didn’t hammer any nails, but she helped carry the lumber and hold the clapboards in place while Father pounded nails.
    At noon the men lugged the heavy cookstove from the wagon and set it up in the kitchen, which had only one wall as yet. Mother built a fire in the stove and warmed some soup, which they ate while huddled around the stove. The wind coming down from Pikes Peak was cold, as if chilled by that faraway, icy peak.
    By nightfall most of the clapboards were in place, so the Yoders unloaded their belongings into the house and drove back to town. They were happy to reach the cozy warmth of the train car. As night closed in, the other six families from North Dakota also returned to the train car. Lydia’s friends Veronica and Rebecca Miller said, “We’re going to rent a house here in town until we can build one on our farm. There are plenty of empty houses here in town.”
    â€œWhat does your rented house look like?” Lydia questioned, settling into a seat with the other two