The Ninth Nugget (6 page)

Dink and Ruth Rose joined Josh on the porch. It was growing dark, and fireflies were beginning to flicker in the bushes. Sounds of laughter came from the main house.

Dink sat next to Josh. “Want to walk down to the pond?” he suggested, trying to get Josh’s mind off his lost gold.

Josh just shrugged and continued staring into the night.

“Okay, let’s go,” Ruth Rose said, “but let me get my bug spray.”

She turned to go back in the cabin, then stopped. From where she was standing, she could see right into Ed’s side window. “Guys, look,” she said.

“What?” Dink asked, looking up from where he was sitting.

Dink and Josh joined Ruth Rose. They could see Ed Getz moving around the cabin, carrying stuff.

“What’s he doing?” Dink asked.

“It looks like he’s packing,” Ruth Rose said. “Like he’s getting ready to leave!”

“Something’s weird,” Josh said. He tiptoed down off the porch and scooted over to the side of Ed’s cabin. Dink and Ruth Rose followed him, and the three crouched under the window. They slowly raised their heads till they could see inside.

The gym bag and duffel bag were zipped and standing next to the door. The crutches were lying on the floor.

Ed was sitting on the bed, unwrapping his bandage. When the
bandage was in a pile on the rug, Ed pulled off his sock. He tipped it upside down, and out tumbled Josh’s nugget.

“That rat!” Josh whispered.

Ed quickly jammed the nugget into his pocket. Then he walked toward the door. He wasn’t limping at all!

“He’s leaving,” Dink whispered. “What should we do?”

“I’ll go ring the bell,” Ruth Rose said. “You guys stop him!”

Ruth Rose dashed toward the house.

“I’ve got an idea,” Josh said, and ran behind Ed’s cabin.

The cabin light went off, and Dink heard the front door open. He ducked down as Ed stepped onto the porch with his gym bag.

Ed looked around, then reached back through the doorway for the duffel bag. Carrying one bag in each hand, he stepped off the porch.

Suddenly, the dinner bell began to clang.

Ed Getz stopped in his tracks. At that moment, a rope loop fell over his shoulders. The rope tightened. Ed stumbled, then fell to the ground with a thud.

“Gotcha!” Josh yelled down from the cabin roof. He wrapped the other end of the rope around the chimney.

“What’s goin’ on out here?”

It was Pa and Jud, running down the path.

“I caught the crook!” Josh yelled from the roof. “My gold is in his pocket!”

The next morning, there was one empty seat at breakfast. Ed Getz had been taken to the Bozeman jailhouse, and Josh had his gold back.

“That sprained ankle was faked,” Jud said. “After he knew the gold was in the safe, he pretended to be hurt so he could stay back at the ranch. I have a feeling he stole money out of my wallet, too.”

“He must’ve gagged and handcuffed himself after he tied up Lulu and Fiona,” Josh said.

“I’ll bet he used that stethoscope to listen to the safe’s lock and figure out the combination,” Dink said.

“Seems that way,” said Pa. He picked up a fax off the table. ’This came in from the sheriff a while ago. Seems our Mr. Getz got himself into trouble in New York, too. He was a safecracker and a pickpocket,”

“Hadn’t been for these three kids,” Jud said, “he’d have been long gone. There’s a train out of Bozeman at midnight.”

Thumbs looked down the long table at Josh. “You thought it was me, didn’t you, sonny?”

Josh turned the color of the strawberries lying on top of his cereal. “I … we … how did you know?”

“I heard you three kids makin’ your plans last night,” Thumbs said. “I made myself scarce so’s you could search my cabin. Then I just sat and waited to see what you’d find.”

Just then they all heard a loud roar
from the kitchen. Before anyone could stand up, a fur-covered shape came running into the dining room, growling.

“What have you done with my baby bear?” it cried.

“Lulu, you’ll scare these kids half to death!” Ma said.

Lulu stuck her head out from under the cowhide and grinned. “Hope I didn’t frighten you too much the other night,” she said.

“It was
you!”
Dink said.

“Yeah,” she said, “but Thumbs put me up to it.”

Thumbs winked. “Couldn’t resist,” he said.

Josh’s huge nugget sat next to his cereal bowl, gleaming against the white tablecloth.

“That should bring in a tidy sum,” Jud said, grinning at Josh. “I’ll take you to town to sell it after breakfast.”

“No thanks,” Josh said. “I’ve decided to leave the gold here. I want you to sell it and use the money to save the ranch.”

The table became so quiet all Dink could hear was his own heartbeat.

“Josh, are you sure?” Jud asked. “What about your new car?”

“Guess I’ll just have to find another nugget,” Josh said. He looked at Thumbs. “I’ll show you my method.”

Thumbs laughed. “I’m eager to learn, sonny.”

“How can we ever repay you?” Ma asked Josh.

Josh just blushed.

“I know how,” Ruth Rose said, giving Dink a little kick under the table. “Josh loves to be kissed!”

Ma stood up. “Well, that’s easy,” she said, heading down the table toward Josh.

“Me too!” Lulu said, puckering up her lips. She came at Josh from the other side of the table.

Josh charged out of the dining room, screaming as if a bear were after him.