The Boxcar Children Summer Special

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  Mr. Alden shifted in his seat. He’d been driving a long time. “We’re practically there, children. Now that we’re off the main highway, let’s look for road signs. There’s some fog rolling in. I don’t want to miss the turnoff for the Claw Island ferry. It’s just outside Dark Harbor. I went there all the time when I was a boy.”

  “Now Henry and I are the boys!” Benny said proudly. “And we’re visiting Claw Island just like you did.”

  “Right you are.” Grandfather smiled to himself. “Only there wasn’t a camp on the island back then, just the old Pines estate that the family owned, along with some deserted buildings. Many a time my chums and I would go out to Claw Island to explore and play games.”

  “Just like us — if we ever get there.” Benny pressed his forehead against the window.

  Violet stared out, too. “The fog has swallowed up everything except for the pointy pine trees.”

  “Look! There’s a sign!” Benny made a claw with his hand. “Why is it called Claw Island, anyway?”

  “If you look at a map, you can see the island is shaped like a lobster claw,” Jessie explained.

  Mr. Alden turned onto a sandy beach road. “And so it was in my grandmother’s day. Only back then it was called Claw Point, not Claw Island. It was still connected to the mainland just outside Dark Harbor. One summer, Grandmother returned to discover the ocean had washed away the road. Two hurricanes later, the ocean covered over the beach and the dunes in between.”

  Jessie flipped through the Camp Seagull manual. “It says here that after the second hurricane, the Pines family turned their property into a camp. Then last winter they sold it to Rich and Ginny Gullen, the new owners.”

  Mr. Alden drove slowly down the dirt road. “I hope the Gullens make a go of it. Rich told me the Pines family found it difficult running a camp on the island. They had to sell it because they lost too much money. As you can see, it’s not an easy place to get to. It can only be reached by boat. People travel out on the small passenger ferry. Camp supplies go on the freight boat once a week.”

  “We’re on the people boat,” Benny said. “I just hope the food boat doesn’t get lost.”

  Grandfather smiled. “That’s not likely to happen. It’s only a ten-minute boat ride from here. Too bad it’s foggy right now. On a sunny day Claw Island is a very pretty sight.”

  “But not today,” Violet said. “There’s no sign of the island, just dark shapes and fog everywhere.”

  Grandfather Alden brought the car to a stop in a small parking area. “Here’s the ferry landing, just where it used to be. I see a few other camp families have already arrived.”

  The Aldens scrambled from the car. They needed to stretch their legs after their long trip. They followed the sound of the lapping ocean right down to a small beach and an empty dock.

  The children looked out at the gray water. A few seagulls bobbed in the cove, ducking under now and then for a fish. Everything else was wrapped in fog and strangely silent.

  The Aldens returned to the parking area. They looked shyly at the other families milling around in the mist. Some of the children already had on their Camp Seagull shirts. Most of the younger children stayed close to their families, just as Benny and Violet stayed next to Grandfather Alden. Everyone would be saying good-bye soon enough.

  CHAPTER 2

  Screams on the Beach

  Henry and Jessie helped unload Grandfather’s car. They carried their trunks toward the dock, where other campers were lining up their luggage.

  Jessie smiled at a sandy-haired girl with a ponytail and a Junior Counselor cap. “Hi,” she said.

  The girl kept on counting the bags and trunks. She didn’t seem to hear Jessie.

  Jessie greeted the girl again. “I’m Jessie Alden. That’s my brother Henry over there. He’s also a Junior Counselor. We can help you carry the baggage onto the dock if you’d like.”

  The girl picked up a heavy duffel bag. “You have to have special counselor training first before you can do certain things. Leave your camp trunks on the beach. I’ll put them on the ferry.” With that, the girl turned back to her work.

  Jessie returned to the other Aldens. “I must have said the wrong thing to that Junior Counselor. I’ll wait to ask her what to do when she’s not so busy.”

  Raaaangh!

  Several children screamed. Even the grown-ups jumped at the earsplitting sound. Everyone looked around. There was nothing to be seen through the fog.

  “Ha! You lose points already,” someone nearby said, then cackled. “No screaming at the horn.”

  Benny stood by Jessie. “Who said that? What are they talking about? It’s so foggy, I can’t tell what’s going on.”

  Jessie gave Benny a friendly squeeze. “I think they’re talking about the No Screaming Medal. It’s part of the Camp Seagull Olympics. Campers try to win points for being brave, or neat, or helpful — or quiet.”

  Henry explained, “The No Screaming Medal goes to the group that has the fewest screamers. There are all kinds of other awards, too. There’s a No Food on the Floor Award for the group that drops the least food in the dining hall.”

  “They give awards for things like that?” Benny asked. “That’s easy. I just hope they don’t have a No Talking Medal.”

  Raaaangh! The horn sounded again, even louder.

  Everyone jumped. But no one screamed this time.

  Where was that terrible sound coming from? The Aldens stared out at the water. A boat, more like a large raft with a railing and a bench all around, chugged toward the shore. At the wheel, an unsmiling man in a pilot’s cap looked over the side of the boat to line it up with the dock.

  Onboard sat two children, both with curly dark hair. The boy looked about

  Jessie’s age. The girl seemed to be a few years younger, about nine years old. Both children stared back at the campers on the beach without smiling.

  One of the nearby campers whispered to the Aldens, “The boatman is named Booth Pines. But all the campers call him Boo. He shows up in different places to fix things, and you don’t know he’s there.”

  The Aldens looked at one another. Camp Seagull seemed a little spookier than they had expected from the camp photographs they had seen.

  Benny tapped Grandfather’s arm. “Is that the people ferry?”

  Mr. Alden smiled. “You can call it that. It’s such a short distance to Claw Island, you could almost float over there on a log.”

  Everyone jumped back when Mr. Pines threw out a heavy rope. Henry grabbed the rope to tie it to the dock.

  “Leave that!” the man yelled.

  Henry dropped the rope. “Sorry. Just trying to help.”

  Mr. Pines turned off the ferry engine then stepped down. “You can help by standing back. Can’t have a bunch of strange kids bringing in the boat. There could be some big problems if the ferry floated away.”

  “Oh, I know lots of sailor knots,” Henry explained. “But I don’t want to get in your way.”

  Mr. Pines turned to the boy on the ferry. “Zach, go tie that rope good and tight.”

  The boy stepped down on the dock. “Sure thing, Dad.” The boy, tall like his father, wound the rope around the dock piling.

  “Now go help Kim bring up the luggage,” the man told his son before turning to the girl. “Lizzie, stay onboard. Zach and Kim will bring up the trunks and duffel bags. Push them under the seats so the weight’s even all around.”

  Zach joined the Junior Counselor who had been collecting the campers’ trunks. Together, they began to load the luggage onto the ferry.

  The Aldens wanted to help, but they held back. They didn’t want the man to scold them the way he had yelled at Henry.

  Mr. Alden stepped forward. He studied the man’s face before speaking. “Glad to meet you, sir. I’m James Alden. My grandchildren will be staying at Camp Seagull. We’d be glad to lend a hand.”

  The boatman stared at Mr. Alden for a few seconds. “My children, Zach and Lizzie, are s
tronger than they look. They know more than anyone here about what needs to be done.”

  The Aldens stepped away. They found a nearby dune to sit on while they waited for the ferry to be ready.

  A few minutes later, a van pulled up. The door opened. A short-haired woman with a big smile stepped out of the van, holding a clipboard. “Mr. Alden!” the woman said. She put out her hand. “Ginny Gullen. Remember me? Of course, I was Ginny Shore way back when I worked at the Dark Harbor Inn. You visited every summer. I remember how you enjoyed having your morning coffee on the porch.”

  Mr. Alden broke into a big smile. “Virginia Shore! My, my, you’re all grown up now. It took a few minutes to connect the face with the name. I’ve spoken on the phone with your husband, Rich, to make the arrangements for my grandchildren. They’re so happy you were able to find spots for them in camp at the last minute.”

  The Aldens noticed that Mr. Pines and his children frowned when Grandfather said this.

  Ginny turned to the Alden children. “Let me guess. Henry, Jessie, Violet. And you’re Benny, right?”

  “Right,” Benny said proudly.

  Ginny waved over Zach Pines. He put down the duffel bags he was carrying. “Come meet the Aldens, Zach,” Ginny said. “Here are Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Everybody, meet Zach Pines. His father, Booth, is our ferry pilot and our all-around groundskeeper and assistant. Zach’s sister, Lizzie, is also a camper. They live in Dark Harbor now, but they practically grew up on Claw Island. These two know Camp Seagull inside and out.”

  The Aldens crowded around Zach Pines like a flock of birds. When they noticed Zach seemed shy because of all the attention, they stepped back a little.

  Ginny smoothed things over in her cheery way. “Thanks to you, Henry, Zach won’t have to run the Flag Ceremony twice a day. He’s been doing that since before Rich and I took over,” Ginny informed the Aldens. “Now he doesn’t have to rush in the morning and after dinner.”

  “Ginny asked me to pack my bugle,” Henry proudly told Zach. “I learned to play it for flag raising in the Scouts.”

  Zach didn’t say anything. He looked as if he wanted to escape the five pairs of eyes fixed on him. “My father needs me now,” Zach said before sprinting off to the dock.

  “I don’t know what Rich and I would do without the Pines family,” Ginny said. “I do want Zach and Lizzie to enjoy camp as much as the other campers. Booth is a good father, but he’s very serious. He sometimes forgets to let the children relax and have fun.” She turned to Henry and Jessie. “I’ve assigned some of Zach and Lizzie’s responsibilities to both of you. I’d like them to have some more free time to take part in camp activities.”

  “Are they overnight campers?” Jessie asked.

  Ginny frowned. “I’m afraid not. Rich and I didn’t have any more cabin spaces for overnight campers. Zach and Lizzie are day campers. Still, I want them to have a great time, just like everyone else. I’m dividing up some of the chores Booth has given them and assigning them to Junior Counselors like yourselves. In fact, you can go help them load the ferry right now.”

  Henry and Jessie stared at each other.

  “Ummm . . . we tried to help,” Henry said, “but Mr. Pines said he didn’t want any new kids slowing things up.”

  “The other Junior Counselor who’s helping out said we have to have special training first,” Jessie added.

  Ginny’s smile froze for a second. “Oh, dear. Let me speak to Booth. He’s used to doing things his way. I suppose he didn’t want any new campers underfoot yet. But your grandfather told my husband what careful, hard workers you are. As for Kim Waters, I sent her over from camp to greet the new campers. I better straighten things out now that I’m here.”

  The Aldens overheard Ginny talking to Mr. Pines. “Booth, I have two strong helpers here — Henry and Jessie Alden,” she said to the boatman.

  Kim came over to Ginny. “Hi, Ginny. We still have some more trunks and duffels to get on the ferry.”

  Ginny had a different idea. “Kim, loading bags isn’t what I had in mind for you. I sent you over to welcome the new campers and make them feel at home. I’d like the Aldens to meet you. This is Kim Waters. Kim, meet Mr. Alden and his grandchildren Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Henry and Jessie are Junior Counselors like you. Violet’s one of our overnight campers. And Benny is a day camper.”

  The girl nodded but didn’t say anything even after the Aldens said hello. Instead she turned to Ginny. “I have to finish helping Boo — I mean, Mr. Pines. I know where everything goes,” the girl said. “The new campers are still with their families.”

  “Please attend to the campers,” Ginny reminded Kim.

  Finally Kim took a whistle from her pocket and blew it. “Campers, over here! The ferry’s about to leave. Let’s move it!”

  Ginny sighed. “Gentle with the new campers, Kim. They’re nervous about leaving their families. You know what? Finish loading the luggage after all. The Aldens can help board the campers.”

  “Fine with me. That’s what I wanted to do anyway,” Kim said before heading to the ferry.

  Henry and Jessie rounded up the campers. They led them to the boat, talking to them gently so they would look forward to their ferry trip to camp.

  “Greetings, Seagulls!” Ginny began, smiling at the children gathered near the dock. “Welcome to Camp Seagull. I’m Ginny Gullen. I’m so glad to meet you at last. We have three Junior Counselors here: Henry and Jessie Alden — and that’s Kim Waters over there. Kim is a fifth-year Seagull camper. Now she’s a Junior Counselor, too. She’ll make sure your luggage gets on board safe and sound.”

  Henry and Jessie stood aside as the new and old campers said good-bye to their families.

  Ginny checked off the children’s names. “Mr. Pines is our ferry pilot. He’ll bring us out to the island. When we arrive, we’ll all gather by the flagpole in front of Evergreen Lodge. Parents and grandparents, please meet your day campers at seven-thirty tonight right here. That’s when the ferry brings them back after Flag Ceremony. Now it’s time for good-bye hugs, everyone!”

  Mr. Alden put his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “I’ll be right by the dock when the ferry comes in this evening, Benny.”

  Grandfather turned to Violet. “Enjoy your stay. If you think of your lonesome grandfather when you’re in arts and crafts, I could use another leather change purse or a new coffee mug.”

  Violet hugged Grandfather. “I’ll make you something special.”

  “And keep an eye on Henry and Jessie,” Grandfather told Violet and Benny. “Make sure they have fun. Being Junior Counselors isn’t all work.”

  “You know us, Grandfather,” Henry said. “Work is fun for us.”

  The four Aldens were the last campers to board. “ ’Bye, Grandfather,” they called out.

  Raaaangh! the horn screamed. The ferry pulled away from the dock.

  Everyone turned to wave to the families onshore.

  That’s when Jessie spotted something on the beach that wasn’t supposed to be there. She turned to Henry. “Look!” she whispered. “Our trunks are still on the beach — off to the side. See? Kim told me she’d take care of them.”

  Henry smacked his forehead. “Oh, no!”

  Jessie rolled her eyes. “Let’s not bother Ginny right now,” she whispered. “She’s busy. After all, we’re Junior Counselors. We’re supposed to know better.”

  “When we get to camp, I’ll ask Ginny if Mr. Pines can safely store our trunks tonight when he drops off the day campers,” Jessie said. “Maybe he can bring them out in the morning.”

  This was too much for Kim Waters, who overheard Jessie. “This is the first day of camp,” she said. “The Gullens and Boo have a lot of jobs at the camp. They don’t have time to make special trips to Dark Harbor all because people leave their things behind.”

  “But when I wanted to help with the trunks, you told me . . . ” Jessie stopped. “Never mind. We’ll be more careful next time.”

 
When the Aldens looked back at the beach, the fog had swallowed it up along with their three camp trunks.

  CHAPTER 3

  Monster Rock

  Just as Booth Pines guided the passenger ferry across the water, the fog lifted. Grandfather Alden had been right. Up ahead, a very pretty sight appeared: Claw Island sparkled in the water.

  From the boat, the Aldens could see cozy wooden buildings tucked into groves of tall pine trees. A flagpole rose above the large main building.

  Jessie grabbed Henry’s arm. “The island is so close. I wonder if we could swim between Dark Harbor and Claw Island. After all, we just passed our lifesaving test at the Greenfield Pool.”

  “You’re not allowed,” Zach Pines told Jessie. “There are strong currents between the island and Dark Harbor. You could get sucked out to sea.”

  When some of the younger children heard this, they moved closer to Henry and Jessie.

  “Oh, I was just wondering, that’s all,” Jessie said. She turned to some of the younger children. “My counselor manual said the swimming lessons are given on the bay side of the island. The water is warm and calm there—like a lake.”

  “Look, a whale!” Benny cried. He pointed to something wide, smooth, and gray off in the water not too far from Claw Island.

  The campers swiveled around to see the whale.

  “That’s Monster Rock, not a whale,” Lizzie Pines informed Benny. “When it gets dark, the rock can turn into a monster that comes out of the water. Sometimes we even find giant footprints in the sand.”

  “Goodness, this isn’t the time for that old made-up tale, Lizzie!” Ginny said when she noticed the worried looks of some of the new campers. “Actually, children, that’s Seal Rock. Often, if the sun is out and the tide is low, seals climb onto the rock to sun themselves.”

  With the fog and Monster Rock behind them and Camp Seagull in front of them, the campers had a hard time sitting still. Camp was about to begin!