Boxcar Children 61 - Growling Bear Mystery Read Free Page B

meals year-round is part of my pay.”
    “Can I work there someday?” Benny asked.
    “You could probably work there now,” Oz said. “Mrs. Crabtree called earlier. She asked whether I knew anyone who could give her a hand at the lodge. She needs help with odd jobs and such—housekeeping chores, carrying bags, entertaining young children while their parents have some free time—that kind of thing.”
    “That kind of thing is what we like to do on our vacations!” Benny said.
    “Let me give Mrs. Crabtree a call. I’ll let her know you folks are available,” Oz said. “Are you sure you want to spend your vacation working?”
    “Working is our favorite kind of vacation,” Benny said. “Do you think we’ll get free meals?”
    “I’ll make sure you do,” Oz Elkhorn answered. “Now wait right here. I’ll be back in a jiffy after I speak with Mrs. Crabtree.”
    When Oz returned, he was grinning from ear to ear. “All set. Mrs. Crabtree wants to meet you today at five at the front desk of the lodge.”
    “Yippee!” Benny said.
    The children waved good-bye to Oz. Just a couple of minutes later, Mr. Alden pulled into the long line of cars waiting to enter Yellowstone National Park. The line moved slowly, and Benny could hardly sit still.
    Suddenly the Aldens heard a car horn blowing over and over.
    “Goodness,” Mr. Alden said. “There must be an emergency in the park. There’s a car coming up fast on my right. I wish I could pull over, but there’s no room.”
    No sooner had Mr. Alden finished speaking than a beat-up red car whizzed by just inches away without slowing down. The car zoomed into the park and disappeared down the road.
    “The ranger let it go through without waiting in line,” Henry said. “The driver must be a volunteer who has to get in the park in a hurry.”
    For everyone else, there was a long wait to enter Yellowstone. Finally the Aldens reached the log booth where a ranger handed Grandfather a Yellowstone map and a ticket.
    “Here’s your receipt, sir,” the woman ranger told Mr. Alden. “Keep it near your windshield. You need it to go in and out of the park during your stay.”
    “Thanks,” Mr. Alden said. “If I keep the receipt visible, can I avoid these long lines?”
    The young woman shook her head. “Sorry, only people on official park business don’t have to stop.”
    “What about the beat-up red car that just flew through here?” Henry asked.
    Suddenly the young woman wasn’t so friendly. “What are you talking about? Now please drive on, sir. There’s a long line behind you.”
    Mr. Alden pulled ahead. “I don’t imagine that car got through without the rangers noticing. We seem to have said the wrong thing.”
    For a while the children were quiet. There was so much to see in the park without worrying about other cars.
    “Why are we slowing down?” Benny wanted to know.
    Mr. Alden pointed to a huge meadow off to the right. “There are your buffalo, Benny. A herd of them. And more crossing the road. That’s what’s causing this traffic jam.”
    Sure enough, the parade of cars, trailers, and buses had come to a complete stop. A long line of furry buffalo—big and small ones—slowly crossed the road to join the rest of the herd.
    “Check the rearview mirror,” Henry said. “There’s a buffalo walking alongside the cars. Roll up the windows, everybody. We don’t want that buffalo sticking its head in the window.”
    “We could practically touch it,” Violet whispered when a large bushy head brushed by the Aldens’ car. “Not that I would.”
    The Aldens sat back and enjoyed the buffalo parade.
    That’s when Henry noticed the red car about ten cars ahead. “Ha! That old red car is stuck here, just like us.”
    Mr. Alden tapped on the steering wheel. “Never pays to race around just to gain a few minutes.”
    Soon the herd of buffalo was out of the road. Traffic began to move again.
    “We’re almost there,” Henry said, turning around to his