by Jean Fischer
“I’ll take good care of them, Mr. L.,” Billy John was saying. “You don’t have to worry.”
Sydney winced. Take good care of us! He’s barely older than Elizabeth.
While Billy John was preoccupied, Sydney shared her theory with the girls. “Listen, she whispered. “I think that the Blowing Rock, where the wind blows north and south, was Grandma Hisgi’s clue that she wasn’t in Cherokee, North Carolina, anymore. She’d moved away.”
“And where we are, right now, is east of Cherokee,” Galilahi said. “In the direction of the rising sun!”
“Good thinking,” said Sydney. “The stream and the cave clues seem to work together. I think Grandma Hisgi knew that these caves were a hiding place during the Civil War, which fits with the date written inside her Bible—1863. And she must have known that a stream flowed through this particular cave. So she used that clue to bring her family here. Next, we have to walk east until we find that cabin that we saw from the air. It’s all beginning to fit.”
“What’s beginning to fit?” Billy John said. They hadn’t seen him coming.
The helicopter’s rotors started to turn, and the girls and Billy John ducked and ran toward the cavern entrance away from the wind created by the blades. Billy John must have forgotten about his question.
“I’ll get our tickets,” he said. “You have to buy tickets to see the caverns.” He turned and started walking.
Sydney grabbed his arm. “Wait!” she said. “Let’s do some exploring first. We can see the caverns later, closer to when Galilahi’s dad is supposed to pick us up. That way, we’ll be sure to be here on time.”
Billy John put the money Mr. Lowrey had given him for the tickets into his pocket. “Where do you want to start?” he asked.
“That way,” Sydney said, pointing to the east.
Sydney was sure they’d find a trail nearby. Kate had sophisticated mapping software that could hone in on a certain area and identify roads and trails. She must have found something before she sent her text message.
“Where are we going?” Billy John asked.
“Just trust me, okay?” said Sydney. She marched forward with a purpose. “We’re looking for a trail that heads east toward that cabin we saw from the air.”
Billy John hurried to catch up with her. “Oh, for goodness’ sake,” he moaned. “Are you back on that cabin idea again? Okay, let’s go. I’ll do anything if it will prove to you that you’re wrong.”
After they’d walked several hundred yards, they came to a dirt road. It led east into a heavily wooded area, and Sydney took it.
“Hang on there,” Billy John warned her. “You promised Mr. L. that you’d stay on the public trails. I can’t let you go.”
A shiver rushed up Sydney’s spine. She stopped and spun around.
“What do you mean you can’t let me go? Just try and stop me.”
She knew she shouldn’t have lashed out at Billy John, but she couldn’t help herself. I’m sorry, God, she prayed as she continued walking. She stopped and faced the boy.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she told him. “But look.”
She pointed to a small wooden post with a number carved on it about twenty feet up the road.
“That’s a trail marker,” she said. “And trail markers mark public trails.”
Billy John looked at her sheepishly.
“I didn’t see it,” he admitted.
As they walked, the dirt road narrowed. It curved slightly to the right, and the air suddenly felt cooler and fresher. A rippling sound came from the distance. As they continued on the road, it grew louder. Before long, they saw a small waterfall that spilled into a narrow stream. The stream flowed on, deeper into the woods. Right there, the road ended.
“‘As they traveled along the road, they came to some water,’” Elizabeth declared.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Galilahi exclaimed. “We’re not far from the cabin.”
Billy John picked up a stone and tossed it into the stream.
“Who traveled along the road and came to some water?” he asked. He picked up another stone and tossed it.
“Nobody in particular,” said Elizabeth. “I was just thinking out loud.”
“Whoa!” said Billy John. “Look at that big school of fish! I sure wish I had a fishing pole right about now.”
A small trout jumped in the stream. Suddenly, Sydney had an idea of how she might get Billy John to leave them alone for a while. “You know you can catch fish without a pole,” she said.
The boy looked at her suspiciously. “How?”
“We learned survival tricks at Discovery Lake Camp,” Sydney told him. She hoped she could remember what she’d learned. There was a stand of strong, tall grass at the side of the stream. She picked some. “Take long pieces of really tough grass and tie a bunch together to make your fishing line.”
She showed him, creating a line about twelve feet long.
“Beth, can I have one of your hair clips, please, one you don’t want back?” Elizabeth took a clip out of her long, blond hair and handed it to Sydney. “Now, I’ll bend this clip to make a hook and tie it onto the end of the line,” Sydney said. She fashioned the hook and tied it. “There you go, Billy John. All you need now is a worm or something for bait, and you can fish all you want.”
Billy John looked skeptical. “Does it really work?” he asked.
“Sure!” Sydney said. “Why don’t you stay here and fish while we check out the cabin. The trail is marked. It’s a public place. We’ll be fine.”
A trout splashed again. “Well … I guess it’ll be all right,” Billy John said. “Come back here as soon as you’re done.”
Sydney smiled and winked at her friends. They took off on the trail.
Trail Ends Here
“Are you sure this is the right way?” Galilahi asked. “Are you even sure this is a trail anymore?”
They had walked a few hundred yards into the woods, and the trail had turned into a narrow path covered with dead leaves and pine needles. The girls had to step over dead branches and small rocks that were in their way.
“Don’t ask me,” said Elizabeth. “I’m just following Sydney.”
“It’s a trail,” Sydney said. “Just not well traveled. The trail markers look old, and some of the numbers are all but worn away, but I’m sure this has been a public trail.”
“Listen,” said Galilahi, stopping dead in her tracks. The girls heard a strong beat coming from high above them in the trees. “That sounds like some kind of code. Someone is beating a drum.”
Sydney laughed. “No, it’s just a woodpecker,” she said. “Probably a pileated one.”
“I don’t think so,” Galilahi argued. “The Cherokee people used drums to communicate, and that sounds like a drum to me. What’s pileated?”
Sydney looked up and all around trying to find the noisy bird. “Pileated woodpeckers are giant woodpeckers that are about a foot and a half tall.”
“You’re kidding!” Galilahi exclaimed.
“And when they peck on trees, it sounds a lot like someone beating on a snare drum; not so much like the water drums we heard at the museum yesterday.”
The noise got louder, and then Sydney saw it. The pileated woodpecker drilled its beak into the bark of an old, dead tree. The red crest on its head flashed up and down as the bird worked hard to catch insects that lived inside the trunk.
“Look, there it is now!” Sydney pointed toward the tree and up about twenty feet.
“You were telling the truth,” said Galilahi. “That thing is huge!”
“I told you so,” Sydney said. “And that woodpecker might be giving us a clue.”
“What are you thinking?” Elizabeth wondered. Usually, she and Sydney were in sync with their thoughts, but this time Elizabeth couldn’t imagine what clue Sydney had uncovered.
The big bird gave up its hunt for a quick meal and flew in the direction the girls were walking. It found a perch in another tree
and screeched loudly.
Kuk-kuk-kuk, kuk-kuk-kuk.
“I’m thinking,” said Sydney, “that pileated woodpeckers often make nests in the holes of dead trees. Listen, I hear another one.”
The girls stood silently, listening for the sound. The loud kuk-kuk-kuk of the first woodpecker was answered by a distant kuk-kuk-kuk, kuk-kuk-kuk.
“That must be its mate. Let’s follow the calls.” Sydney dashed up the path.
“Why are we following birds?” Galilahi asked. “What do woodpeckers have to do with finding Grandma Hisgi’s cabin?”
Elizabeth scurried to keep up with Sydney’s long, quick stride.
“Dead trees,” she said. “Trees without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.”
“Oh, I get it!” Galilahi exclaimed. “I never would have thought of that when I saw that goofy-looking bird.”
“Sydney’s a nature nut,” Elizabeth explained. “You should see her in the woods at Discovery Lake Camp. She can name almost every plant, bird, and animal.”
Sydney was several yards ahead of them now. Suddenly, she stopped and looked into the woods. “Check it out,” she said when her friends caught up.
There, lying on their sides, were two old pine trees. They were uprooted, probably ripped from the ground by a windstorm. Over time, all of their needles had fallen off, and their branches had died, rotted, and fallen to the earth. All that remained were huge, broken trunks and dirt balls that encased their ancient roots.
“Trees without fruit and uprooted—twice dead!” Sydney announced.
“See, I told you,” Galilahi declared. “Just a little bit further, and we’ll find Grandma Hisgi’s cabin!”
Something rustled in the woods behind the girls. Then dead twigs snapped.
“Did you hear that?” Elizabeth whispered. She looked behind her. “What do you think it was?”
Sydney looked around too.
“I did hear it,” she agreed. “But I don’t see anything. Maybe it was an animal. That bothers me a little because of that episode Alexis and I had in the Wisconsin woods.”
Galilahi’s eyes widened. “What episode?”
Sydney hesitated slightly before she answered. “We thought a bear was hanging around our cabin, but it turned out to be something else—another mystery the Camp Club Girls solved. I’ll tell you about it another time. Come on. We have to hurry. Let’s go.”
Sydney knew whatever was in the woods was big. Was it a bear?
The trail grew narrower and the markers became harder to see. Sometimes the girls had to move sideways to squeeze through the brush, but they pushed onward with Sydney leading.
Suddenly, Sydney stopped. Nailed to a tree trunk was a sign: TRAIL ENDS HERE. PRIVATE PROPERTY.
“Oh no!” Elizabeth complained. “We’ve reached a dead end.”
Galilahi read the sign and kept walking.
“No we haven’t,” she declared. “I haven’t come this far to turn back now. If Kate is so great at directions, the cabin we saw is straight ahead. I’m not leaving until I find it.”
She disappeared through the rhododendrons.
“We can’t let her go in there alone,” Sydney said. She grabbed Elizabeth’s arm, and they pressed through the rhododendron bushes, trying to catch up with Galilahi.
“Syd, did you hear that? Someone is following us.” Elizabeth whispered as the girls heard leaves rustle.
Sydney walked faster. “You’re right. Someone or something is following us,” she responded. “I don’t like this.”
“Dead end. Dead … end!!!” Galilahi’s voice echoed through the woods.
Sydney and Elizabeth suddenly spotted a clearing. In the middle was an old, run-down shack. A cement driveway led away from it, and in the distance the girls could see a newer house with a car in its driveway.
Galilahi stood next to the shack, looking distraught. “It’s just an old storage shed,” she wailed. “There’s a lawn mower in there, some bikes, and a bunch of other junk. It’s not the Cabin of the Rising Sun!” She looked ready to cry. “Kate was wrong. This is a dead end.”
“No, she wasn’t!” Sydney protested. “We spotted what we thought was a cabin when we were in the helicopter. The dimensions fit what we’re looking for. Kate just told us how to get here so we could check it out.”
Elizabeth interrupted. “We need to get out of here. We’re on someone’s property.” She began walking back where they’d come from. She nervously looked around, trying to spot whatever had been in the woods behind them.
“I sure hope if that was a bear following us that it’s gone now,” she said. “Does anyone know what to do if a bear is following?”
“I read a brochure that they hand out at the park office,” Sydney said. “It said bears don’t usually bother people. You’re supposed to watch the bear. Back away watching it, and it will probably be okay. If it acts aggressive, don’t turn and run, but start hollering and try to make yourself look bigger than you are. Make a lot of noise and scare it.”
“Maybe I’d better grab one of these big sticks,” Elizabeth said. “Or some rocks.”
“Might be a good idea,” Sydney said. “Usually bears in this area only bother people if they want food. That’s why you’re never supposed to feed a bear—it makes them start bothering people for food. I think I’ll grab a stick too, to be safe.”
Galilahi didn’t seem to be following this trail of conversation. She just watched the path with a sad look on her face.
As the girls pushed through the bushes and thickets, Galilahi continued. “Maybe we’ll never find Grandma Hisgi’s cabin. Maybe I should believe it when everyone says that it no longer exists.”
They were almost to the path now. “Sydney, maybe you’ve been right all along. Maybe Billy John Kingfisher is sure it doesn’t exist, and he’s keeping that from us. Maybe he’s watching our wild goose chase and laughing. But do you know what? He’s not the only one who has a secret. I might know a secret about him!”
Suddenly there was a huge racket in the bushes near them!
Sydney and Elizabeth grabbed their weapons. Sydney felt as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest!
The bear or whatever it was started to push through the brush.
Gililahi’s scream echoed against the trees.
An Unexpected Ally
“What secret?”
Billy John stood on the path facing them.
“Aah! You scared us to death!” Elizabeth said. She dropped to a tree stump next to the path. Sydney and Galilahi sat down on large rocks nearby.
“Were you following us?” Sydney asked. She was angry to see Billy but grateful that he wasn’t a bear. “I thought you were fishing.”
Billy John smirked. “I promised Mr. L. I’d keep an eye on you. So, have you solved the case of the missing Cabin of the Rising Sun?”
The girls stood silent.
“I didn’t think so,” Billy John laughed. “And Lea, what secret do you know about me?”
“Galilahi! My name is Galilahi,” she said.
Billy John walked back along the path. The girls stood and followed.
“Come on, spill it,” he said smugly. “What’s your secret?”
Sydney and Elizabeth were anxious to hear the secret too. They hoped Galilahi wouldn’t tell Billy about Kate’s gadgets, or any of the other Camp Club Girls’ secrets she’d learned during the past few days.
The girls exchanged uneasy glances as they walked along the path. They were at the place where the path widened now, and Galilahi and Billy John were walking side by side, only a few steps ahead of them.
“How much do you know about your family tree?” Galilahi asked him.
“Some,” he answered. “I know about my ancestors a couple of generations back. What’s that have to do with anything?” He stepped over a branch in the path.
“Do you know the name of your great-great-grandmother on your dad’s side?” Galilahi asked.
“I suppose if I thought hard eno
ugh I could come up with her name,” Billy John replied. He walked a little faster.
“Well, think!” Galilahi said.
Elizabeth and Sydney looked at each other, wondering what Galilahi was getting at.
“Was your great-great-grandmother’s name Nanny Kingfisher Fields?” Galilahi asked him. “And did she die when she was young?”
Billy stopped. He looked at her disbelievingly. “How do you know that?” he said.
Galilahi looked him straight in the eyes. “Because Nanny Kingfisher Fields was my great-great-grandmother too on my mother’s side.”
“You didn’t tell us that part,” Sydney interrupted. She still had no idea where all of this was leading. Neither did Elizabeth. But they couldn’t wait to find out.
“It didn’t seem important to tell you,” Galilahi told Sydney. “But yesterday, I started thinking about the names in the family Bible, and I wondered if Billy John and I were related.”
Billy John looked confused. “You and me? Related? How?”
They all stood together on the path, and everyone except Galilahi was trying to figure out how the pieces of this genealogical puzzle fit together.
“Our great-grandmothers were sisters,” Galilahi explained. “Great-Grandmother Rogers told me that after her mother died—she was our great-great-grandmother, Nanny Kingfisher Fields—her father couldn’t take care of all the children. They were sent to live with aunts and uncles. Some went to live with the Kingfishers. So, Billy John, that means we’re distant cousins.”
Billy John stood quietly, shaking his head. “I’m not good at figuring this stuff out,” he said. “Are you sure?”
Galilahi stood straight and tall, feeling proud of herself. “I’m sure,” she announced. “Now, if you know anything at all about our Grandma Hisgi and the Cabin of the Rising Sun, you’d better tell me!”
Billy John started walking again, much more slowly. “I’ve never heard the name Hisgi mentioned in my family,” he said. “Hisgi means ‘five’ in Cherokee.”
Sydney answered as they hiked along the path. “We’ve been calling her Grandma Hisgi because she’s Galilahi’s, and your, fifth great-grandmother. It’s easier than saying all the greats. Her real name was Galilahi Adair Coody. Does that name mean anything to you?”
