On Track for Treasure Read Free Page A

us.”
    Alexander took a deep breath. “No, he’s serious. Did you see his face?” He turned to Jack and Frances. “He’ll be back.”
    Jack could only nod. He wasn’t going to forget that face anytime soon.
    Frances’s eyes were wild. “We can’t just sit here and wait for him to return!”
    â€œSo we’ll fight back?” Lorenzo asked, picking up a rock.
    â€œNo,” said Alexander as he yanked down one of the hammocks. “We have to get out of here, and fast!” He tied the hammock into a bundle and began to fill it with the bread that they’d taken from town. After a moment, the others began to gather their things as well.
    Frances crouched down to check the buttons on her little brother’s shoes. Jack heard Harold ask, “Mrs. Routh isn’t going to help us, is she? She was nice to us on the train.”
    Frances shook her head. “She has to obey the sheriff. He’s her husband. We have to figure this out ourselves. . . .”
    â€œNo time to talk. Come
on
!” Alexander shouted.
    Everyone began to move faster, except for Jack, whose feet had somehow turned heavy as he realized what was happening—what Alexander had just
decided
.
    Just leave?
he thought.
That was the solution?
    â€œJack!” Quentin was standing in front of him now, looking anxious. “Hey, Jack, I . . .”
    â€œIn a minute,” Jack said.
    â€œBut I have to tell you something . . .”
    â€œIt’s all right, Quentin. No need to apologize.” Jack knew it wasn’t Quentin’s fault that the sheriff had followed him to Wanderville, even if the other kids didn’t believe him. There were more urgent things to deal with right now, like this crazy plan of Alexander’s.
    He stepped around Quentin and followed Alexander over to the old suitcase where they kept their provisions. “What do you mean, ‘get out of here,’ Alex?” Jack demanded. “Just ditch everything? What about the kids who are still at the Pratcherds’? Are we just going to run off and give up on them?”
    Frances, who was nearby helping Harold with his coat, looked up, too. “Jack’s right!” she said. “We can’t just leave them.”
    Alexander turned and faced Jack. “It’s too late for that. The sheriff found us. There’s only one place we can go now.”
    â€œWhere’s that?” Frances asked.
    â€œCalifornia,”
Alexander answered. Harold’s eyes widened.
    â€œThere’s a twelve o’clock train going west,” Alexander continued, slinging a bundle over his shoulder. “We’ll take the creek path and go into Whitmore. That will buy us some time because the sheriff will look for us here first.”
    Jack was shaking his head. “No! I still think we should stay and try to rescue the others at the ranch—”
    â€œJack,” Alexander broke in. “We won’t be any help to them if we all get caught!”
    That was all Harold needed to hear. “I don’t want the sheriff to catch us!” he cried.
    â€œWe’re
not
going to get caught,” Frances told her little brother. She looked up at Jack and Alexander. “We’re going to do
something
, right?”
    Alexander’s eyes met Jack’s. “That train’s our only chance, and that’s that.”
    That’s that?
Jack wanted to say more, but his mouth went dry. Alexander seemed to think he had all the answers. And he always had to have the last word.

    Now we’re here
, Jack thought, keeping his eyes on the floor of the train car to avoid looking at Alexander. He couldn’t believe they’d made it on board. But still he wished it all had gone differently—the rescue attempt, Quentin’s escape, their sudden departure. And if Alexander had just bothered to listen to him . . .
    Jack felt someone nudge his