Great Bicycle Race Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner [Warner, Gertrude Chandler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-2133-4
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2011-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

“If they had a flat tire or bike trouble, wouldn’t we have passed them on the road?” he said.

“Maybe they stopped for water at someone’s house,” Benny said. “And we passed them then and didn’t see them.”

“Maybe,” said Henry.

Grandfather said, “Even if they are having problems, the sweep wagon will pick them up.”

“Not the sweep wagon!” Benny said. “Then they can’t be in the raffle.”

The sun was down. It would be dark soon. A few riders were still trickling in as the other riders who had gathered cheered them on.

A crew member said to another crew member, “I bet the next thing we see is a sweep wagon fall of riders.”

“You’re right. I see it, just coming over that hill way up the road,” said the other crew member.

“Jessie!” cried Benny, jumping up and down.

Sure enough, Jessie came pedaling into the camp. Right behind her were Soo Lee and Violet.

Jessie pulled to a stop and spun to look back down the road. “We beat it!” she gasped. “We beat the sweep wagon.”

She, Violet, and Soo Lee were all breathing hard.

“What took you so long?” Henry asked.

“We were getting just a little bit worried,” put in Grandfather.

“Got lost,” panted Soo Lee. “Tell you about it at dinner.”

“Dinner,” said Benny. “Where’s dinner?”

“This way, Benny,” said Grandfather.

“I’ll show you where to check your bikes at the bike corral,” said Henry. “And walk you to your tents. They’re right across the row from Grandfather’s and mine.”

“I’m staying with you, Jessie,” said Benny.

Jessie managed a smile.

The sweep wagon rolled into camp and the crew began to close the camp gates.

Jessie turned. Her eyes widened. “It’s a whole tent city,” she said. “It’s huge.”

“I guess you’d better show us around, Henry/’ said Violet, “or we might get lost again!”

Grandfather smiled and took Benny’s hand. “We’ll meet you at dinner,” he said.

“Someone changed the signs,” Jessie concluded. She, Soo Lee, Henry, and Violet stood in a long, long line that snaked from the dining tent all the way across the park where the tent city had been set up.

The line hadn’t moved in a long time. Some of the riders had sprawled in the grass, waiting for dinner. The last light of day was fading in the west.

“We weren’t the only ones who got lost,” Violet said. “But we met the others on our way back and told them, and they turned around. So they didn’t have to ride as far as we did.”

“Sabotage,” said Henry. “Someone wanted you to get lost. Or to not finish.”

“Maybe they wanted to wreck the whole ride,” said Benny.

“Maybe—” Violet broke off. “Look,” she said. “Remember that man we saw this morning, talking to Ms. Whatney and Ronald? He just walked out from behind the dining wagon. And he’s headed this way.”

The man was still wearing his scruffy coat and backward hat. He walked slowly, his eyes traveling over the tent city: the riders, the tents set up for dining and repairing bicycles and selling Eagle Mountain T-shirts. The man saw the Aldens watching him and raised his eyebrows.

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