Mystery of the Midnight Dog Read Online Free Page B

voice.
    “And we didn’t knock over anything,” added Benny.
    The man stepped back, pushed up his cap, and studied them.
    Just then Kate Frances came up the trail. She said, “It’s true. These are friends of mine and they’re doing some volunteer work.”
    “Well,” the man said grudgingly, “I guess you’re not tourists. I guess you’re not so bad. I’m Joshua Wilson, head of the grounds crew. You can call me Joshua. That’s good enough for me.”
    He paused. “But you still have to obey the rules.” He stalked off, waving his rake and muttering to himself.
    “Wow. He’s grumpy,” said Jessie.
    “He’s proud of this park. It upsets him when people don’t treat it right. And you can’t blame him for being grumpy after someone knocked over all the garbage containers,” Kate Frances told them. “Joshua thinks we should limit the number of tourists allowed in here. He says it would be better for the park.”
    “Did you find any clues?” Benny asked, turning to Henry and Jessie, just remembering the garbage can mystery.
    Henry shook his head.
    “Not a single one,” Jessie said.
    Then Benny remembered another mystery. “Hey, Kate Frances,” he said as they walked toward the car to drive home for the evening. “Are there any ghosts in Elbow Bend State Park?”
    “Nope,” said Kate Frances. “Not even a ghost dog.”
    But as it turned out, Kate Frances was wrong.

CHAPTER 5
Tourists Keep Out?
    The next morning, as the Aldens walked toward the Elbow Bend State Park visitors’ center, they saw Dr. Sage and Brad. Henry and Jessie had told Violet and Benny about the scientist, and Lainey and Kate Frances had promised to introduce them.
    But the two girls didn’t get a chance.
    Dr. Sage turned toward them as they came up, put her hands on her hips, and said, “You children didn’t do any volunteer digging last night, did you?”
    “No!” said Henry.
    “Why? What’s wrong?” Lainey asked.
    “Someone’s been at the site. Whoever it was made several holes. We just reported it,” Brad said.
    “May we see?” asked Jessie.
    “I guess so,” Dr. Sage agreed. “Come on.”
    When everyone reached the site, Dr. Sage led the way on a worn footpath lined by vivid yellow nylon cord strung between metal stakes. Signs taped to the cord said, OFFICIAL STATE HISTORIC SITE and KEEP OFF.
    Brad said, “Over here.” He stepped over the cord and raised it up so that the others could duck under. Walking carefully around the edge of a shallow rectangle in the earth, Brad pointed.
    Next to the rectangle was a deep hole, with dirt flung up messily all around it.
    Benny squatted down next to the hole. “Wow,” he said. “It looks just like the holes Watch digs. Only bigger.”
    “It’s no dog or wild animal,” Dr. Sage said. “That’s not typical behavior for a dog—to go around digging holes all over the place like this.”
    “And in just one night,” said Brad. “Plus, there are no dog or fox footprints. No animal tracks of any kind.”
    “Did anything get stolen?” Violet asked as they walked from one place to another, examining all the holes.
    “No,” said Brad. “In fact, I found several pieces of pottery at one of the sites, scattered around with the dirt that had been scooped out.”
    “Look at this,” Benny said as they reached the last hole, on the edge of the site. “It’s a bone! ”
    Everyone peered over Benny’s shoulder into the bucket-sized hole in the red dirt. Brad leaned down and picked up the small white object.
    Brad sniffed the bone. “It’s a chicken bone. From a fried chicken dinner, unless I’m mistaken. But what’s it doing way out here?”
    “I know,” said Benny. He looked around at the others, his eyes wide. “It’s the ghost dog! It was burying a bone—but then morning came and scared it away!”
    “Ghost dog?” Dr. Sage’s features seemed to grow sharper. “Not at my dig!”
    “I know that old ghost dog story,” Brad said. He smiled. “I don’t