Shadows of Caesar's Creek Read Online Free Page B

crystal.”
    â€œShould we show Noni?” Rico asked.
    â€œLet’s wait, mon,” Ziggy suggested. “Let’s just wait a bit.”
    Rico agreed and put the arrowhead carefully into his pocket. They walked back down to the beach where Noni was showing the girls how to put a worm on a hook to fish.
    â€œEEEK” screamed Mimi. “It jumped out of my hand Now I don’t have to do this.”
    Rico ran over and picked up the worm. “Here, Mimi,” he said with a grin. “I think you dropped your worm.” He smashed the worm into her hand. She screamed again and threw it at him. Rico chuckled and ducked.
    Liza had baited her own hook and now stared at the water, waiting for a bite. “Shhh” she whispered fiercely. “You’ll chase away my fish.”
    Ziggy and Rico called to Rashawn and Jerome, and the four boys walked down the beach a little ways from where the girls were fishing. “We got something to show you, mon,” Ziggy told them.
    Rico pulled the arrowhead out of his pocket and showed them.
    â€œIt’s quartz,” stated Jerome. “That was a very special arrowhead—used for special occasions or special people.”
    â€œHow do you know so much?” asked Rashawn.
    â€œDon’t you remember? I did a report in school last year on Native Americans. I remember what I read about the arrowheads because I thought it would be really cool to find one,” Jerome explained. “What are you going to do with it?”
    â€œI don’t know yet,” Rico admitted. “I have a feeling there’s something
very
special about this.” They all agreed.
    â€œLet’s ask Noni what she knows about the Native Americans who used to live here,” Jerome suggested.
    â€œYeah, mon, and she’s got to tell us about the dude named Caesar, too,” added Ziggy.
    â€œI think she knows a lot,” Rico said. “Doesn’t she look a little like an Indian to you?”
    â€œJust because she’s got long black hair doesn’t make her Indian. She looks Black to me,” commented Rashawn.
    â€œI thought she was Chinese, mon” Ziggyexclaimed. “What difference does it make? I’m hungry”
    By the time everyone finished fishing, the shadows of the evening were beginning to darken the skies over the lake. Mimi had caught six fish—more than anybody—and she carried them proudly back to the camp with the others.
    The neat pile of sticks over a circle of rocks was ready to become their campfire. Noni said, “Come and look closely. I’m going to show you a very special method of starting a fire.”
    â€œYou gonna rub two sticks together?” Rico asked.
    â€œNo, you gotta rub a stone and a flint,” said Jerome with authority.
    â€œNo, that’s not it,” Noni said with a little mystery in her voice. “Are you ready? Here is it is”
    Tiana gasped as Noni pulled out a book of matches. Everybody groaned and laughed. Noni started the fire and showed them how to keep it safe. It sparkled and crackled with bright orange fire.
    â€œLet’s fry this fish now,” she said as she pulled a pan out of her pack.
    â€œWe’re gonna eat dead fish, mon?” asked Ziggy.
    Mimi laughed. “No, Ziggy,” she teased. “We’re gonna eat live fish instead”
    â€œWell, that’s better” Ziggy replied.
    Noni just shook her head at Ziggy as she showed them how to prepare and cook the fish they had caught. The sizzling smell of frying fish made the campers realize how hungry they were. Noni added some sliced potatoes and onions, and dinner was ready in no time. Cold water from their canteens topped off the meal.
    â€œDelicious” Ziggy burped as he finished the last of his dinner.
    â€œI’d never eat this at home,” admitted Liza. “But it was really good.”
    â€œThanks,” Noni replied. “I’m glad you liked