Clue in the Corn Maze by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner [Chandler Warner, Gertrude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-2891-3
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2011-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

Noises in the Night

Swish! Swish!

Benny opened one eye. What was that noise?

He peered at the clock that sat on the bedside table between him and Henry. It read 3:04 A.M.

Swish! Swish! Crack!

It was a warm night, and all the windows were open. Whatever it was, the noise was coming from outside.

“Benny? Are you awake?” Henry whispered.

“Yes,” Benny said nervously. He turned to Henry. “I hear something outside.”

“I hear it, too,” Henry said. “Let’s go see what it is.”

The boys got up and went over to the window. Something was moving at the far corner of the maze, but the boys couldn’t tell what it was.

There was a soft knock at the bedroom door.

“It’s Jessie and Violet,” Jessie whispered through the closed door. “We think there’s someone in the maze!”

“We know,” Henry said as Benny opened the door. “The noise woke us up, too.”

Violet flipped on the hall light. “I think we should wake Grandfather and Ken and see what’s going on.”

“Good thinking,” Henry said. He went to knock on Ken’s door while Jessie knocked on Grandfather’s door.

“Wake up! There’s someone in the maze!” Henry and Jessie said at the same time.

Grandfather and Ken both came out of their rooms. Grandfather wore a blue bathrobe over his pajamas. Ken wore a white bathrobe and leaned on his cane.

“What’s going on?” Grandfather asked.

“We don’t know,” Jessie said. “We heard noises outside. When we looked out the window, we saw something moving in the maze.”

“Let’s go check it out,” Ken said.

Everyone padded down the stairs. Ken grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen drawer, then turned on the back porch light. The night air felt warm as the Aldens stepped out onto the porch.

The swishing noise was much louder outside. The Aldens peered into the darkness, waiting for their eyes to adjust. It sounded like … someone was chopping down the cornstalks!

Henry and Grandfather hurried toward the maze.

The noise stopped.

“Hello?” Grandfather called. “Is anyone there?”

“Oh, no!” Henry groaned as they drew closer to the maze.

Someone had indeed chopped down part of it.

Just then, a dark figure emerged from the gaping hole in the rows of corn. The person was wearing a ski mask and a hood and carried something in his hand. He took one look at Henry and Grandfather, then bolted in the opposite direction.

“Hey, stop!” Henry called. He ran after the intruder. Jessie, Violet, and Benny were close behind.

They chased the person around the side of the house toward the road. It was so dark they couldn’t see the person, but they could still hear running footsteps.

In the distance they heard a car or truck start up and drive away.

“We lost him,” Violet said mournfully. The Aldens stopped running. Jessie put her hands on her knees to try to catch her breath.

“Maybe not,” Henry said, his chest heaving. “Listen! I still hear footsteps!”

The others heard the footsteps, too.

“Come on!” Jessie said. They all started running again. They ran in the direction of the footsteps … straight into Mr. Sweeney.

The Aldens came to an abrupt halt.

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