Revenge of the Happy Campers

by Jennifer Ziegler

  “Robbie’s learning how to cook from his dad,” Delaney said.

  I thought about my mess-up with the fishy eggs, and our Mother’s Day Pancake-Making Fiasco. “We need a good cook in our ranks,” I said.

  “Look at him. I bet he planned to join them all along,” Nelson said to Jay.

  “Ahem.” Dawn stood — or got to the highest crouching position she could get in — and faced the boys at the other end of the ledge. “Do you want to know how I knew where your flag was?”

  Nelson jabbed Jay in the ribs with his elbow. “A confession!” he hissed.

  Jay narrowed his eyes at Dawn. “Yes.”

  “I noticed y’all’s shoes,” Dawn said. “Robbie and Nelson had yellow streaks of limestone all over their shoes. Like we have now.” We all glanced at our feet and saw she was right. “There’s not a lot of limestone on the other side. I figured they had to have crossed to the bluffs.”

  “Oh.” Nelson looked like he was trying to make himself smaller.

  Jay closed his eyes and hung his head. “Right,” he said with a long sigh. “I should have thought of that.”

  “Now do you believe me?” Robbie said.

  Jay nodded in a forlorn kind of way.

  “Good,” Robbie said. “But I’m still staying over here.”

  Dawn sat back down and clapped him on the back. “I hereby move to officially add Robbie … um … What’s your last name?”

  “Moyers,” he said.

  “I hereby add Robbie Moyers to our United in Fun troop,” Dawn said. “Everyone in favor say ‘aye.’ ”

  “Aye!” said Delaney and I. Thunder boomed, and it sounded like a big bass drum accenting the moment.

  Then we all shook hands and welcomed him.

  I took a quick peek at Jay and Nelson sitting silently at the other end of the ledge. I felt sorry for them, losing their teammate like that. But I felt sorry for Robbie, too, getting accused of something he didn’t do. And I felt sorry for Aunt Jane and the others who were back at camp worrying about us. And I was sorry for all of us being stuck out in the storm. Sorry seemed to be everywhere.

  But I didn’t want to feel sorry or scared. I wanted to be United in Fun, so I proposed that we play a game to pass the time and take our mind off the storm. Delaney lobbied for Spite and Malice, but we didn’t have our cards with us and Robbie didn’t have any, either. Robbie suggested I Spy, but that was a big bust. Most everything was gray or limestone-colored.

  “I know a good game, and it doesn’t take cards or anything,” I said.

  Robbie grinned. “Great. What is it?”

  “Have you ever played Presidential Trivia?”

  Robbie liked Presidential Trivia!

  He guessed a lot of them and didn’t pout when he was wrong. He knew all the presidents who had been assassinated, who was on U.S. currency, and that Martin Van Buren was the first president who was born a U.S. citizen. And he guessed half of the presidents who had first served as vice president.

  When we told him that President John Tyler had had fifteen children, Robbie said, “Whoa.” And when we told him that Harry S. Truman had been a haberdasher, he laughed and said, “Wow.” He also agreed that haberdasher is a terrific word. I think he’s going to like being United in Fun with us.

  Once I overheard Jay mumble the answer to one of our trivia questions. I wondered if he wished he could play.

  It was so hard to sit on that cramped ledge, but luckily, Presidential Trivia got my mind off of my pent-up jitters. We got so caught up in it I almost forgot where we were and what was going on around us.

  We had just stumped Robbie on which president wrote crossword puzzle clues for the New York Times — Bill Clinton — when Jay called out, “Hey! The storm’s dying down.”

  I glanced up and, sure enough, there wasn’t a sheet of water running down the roof of our little nook anymore. I could look out and see the sky, which was now the color of a dolphin instead of almost black.

  I got up and stuck my hand out beyond the ledge. “Yep. I only feel a little bit of rain,” I said. “And the wind isn’t so strong.”

  As I scanned the horizon, I noticed that lightning was only in one faraway corner and the thunder sounded like distant bongos. Even Darby’s hiccups had gone away.

  “We need to head back,” Dawn said.

  Robbie nodded. “This might be our chance. For all we know, there could be another wave of storms headed toward us.”

  We stood as best as we could and clambered back out onto the hill. Some of us were rubbing our necks and some of us were shaking out our legs. I had no idea how long we’d been hunkered on the ledge, but it was long enough to feel stiff and sore.

  “My side hurts from being mushed up against the wall,” I said, massaging my shoulder.

  “My foot’s asleep,” Darby muttered as she hobbled along beside me.

  “My rear end went numb,” Dawn said, walking kind of straight legged.

  For a moment or two, we stretched and wiped our eyes and breathed in the damp, electric-smelling air. I even did a couple of cartwheels to loosen up my limbs and get out some trapped wiggles.

  “So what now?” Darby asked.

  “Let’s see what the creek looks like,” Jay suggested.

  We all walked to the ridge where we’d first noticed the flooding creek and bent down to have a peek. The water had gone down, but was still higher than before and running fast. The wooden bridge was there, only it was lopsided, and half of it — the half that led to our side of the creek — had collapsed.

  “Aw, man,” Nelson grumbled.

  “Guess we can’t go out the way we came in,” Jay said.

  “What’s the plan?” Robbie asked.

  “Why don’t we go one way and you guys go another way,” Dawn said, pacing about and tapping her chin. “Hopefully, one of us will find a safe place to cross.”

  Jay and Nelson exchanged glances and shook their heads. “No way,” Jay said. “You guys will try to finish the game.”

  “What?” I’d forgotten all about the game. It seemed so unimportant now.

  “Come on, we’re past this,” Dawn said. She held out her palm toward Jay. “Truce?”

  Instead of taking her hand, Jay folded his arms across his chest. “Why should we trust you? You already stole Robbie.”

  “We didn’t steal Robbie,” I said, “he came to us.”

  Nelson made a face at Robbie. “And now he can tell you all of our secrets.”

  “What secrets?” Robbie said, throwing up his hands. “We don’t have any.”

  “You’ll take them to our flag,” Nelson said.

  Robbie looked shocked. “I told you I didn’t help them. She explained it.”

  “But now you’ve changed sides,” Jay said. “What’s stopping you now?”

  “Everyone needs to calm down!” Darby shouted.

  I was tired and hungry and wanted to get moving again. But everyone was just standing around fighting. It made my pent-up jitters come back.

  I tried squeezing my eyes shut and pressing my hands over my ears, but I could still hear all the shouting.

  “You just want to win the game!”

  “I don’t care about the game!”

  “We had an agreement!”

  “I’m tired!”

  I tried humming to help drown out the racket.

  “You changed sides!”

  “You guys didn’t believe in me!”

  I tried dancing around while humming.

  “I just want to eat!”

  “Aunt Jane’s going to be worried!”

  Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Stop yelling!” I yelled. “Everybody just stop yelling!” Only it didn’t do any good. Everyone was making noise and no one was listening.

  Suddenly, I became aware of another voice — one that sounded kind of faraway. I brought my hands down and listened. Somebody was calling out, “Hey! Yoo-hoo! Over here!”

  While the others kept squabbling, I glanced arou
nd for the distant shouting person. “Look!” I cried out. I pointed a few yards away where Dawn was standing rather majestically atop a big rock, her hair blowing back in the breeze. She had pulled the boys’ flag out of the backpack and was holding it above her head with both hands.

  Nelson sucked in his breath. Jay mumbled, “Oh no.”

  “What is she doing?” I asked Darby. Darby just shrugged.

  “Hear me!” she cried.

  Everyone fell silent.

  “This competition ends now!” she hollered, shaking the flag. Then she leaped off the boulder and started running down the hill.

  I ran as fast as I could, clutching the flag in my hands.

  Pounding noises behind me let me know that the others were in pursuit. Good. I wanted them to follow. As long as they didn’t try to stop me, everything was going according to plan.

  Eventually, I made it to the bottom of the ridge. I was out of breath, but I wasn’t done yet. I glanced back and forth, searching for just the right spot. Over on my right, a flat slab of limestone stuck out about a few feet above the water.

  Perfect.

  When the others reached the bottom of the hill, I was standing on the slab.

  “Dawn, what in tarnation?” Delaney yelled.

  Darby held up her hands. “Be careful!”

  My sisters seemed like they were about to cry — they were in such a panic. The boys looked worried, too. Nelson had run so hard down the hill he’d tripped and slid the last yard. He lay there, gazing up at me with wide, wondering eyes.

  “Now hear this,” I shouted. “I’m throwing in the towel — or the flag, as the case might be. And this time I don’t care if you boys call us quitters. This game is over.” With that, I tossed their flag into the water below. The current caught it and swirled it downstream.

  I watched it bob out of sight, then carefully climbed down.

  “So you did have our flag,” Jay said matter-of-factly.

  I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. The only thing that’s important is us getting home before dark.”

  “But … why?” Robbie asked. “You could have won.”

  “We’re all in the same mess right now. I had to do something that would help all of us — not just me and my sisters,” I explained. “That dang competition was ruining everything.”

  Darby patted me on the back. “You did the right thing.”

  “Yay! It’s over!” whooped Delaney, bouncing up and down. I knew just how she felt. I’d never been so happy to be a loser.

  Jay didn’t say anything. He just blew out his breath and raked his fingers through his dark wavy hair. Then he strode over to where Nelson was sprawled on the ground.

  “Here,” he said, bending down and holding out his hand. “Let me help you up.”

  Nelson took hold and started scrabbling upright. “So does this mean we automatically — ow!”

  “What’s wrong?” Jay asked.

  “I think I — ow!” Nelson yowled. “I hurt my foot. I can’t stand up!” He fell back on the grass, grabbing his right leg.

  “Aw, man. Now what are we going to do?” Robbie asked. “It’s starting to get dark.”

  “You and I can carry him,” Jay said.

  “The whole way?” Robbie stared in the direction of camp. “But it’s pretty far and the ground is all muddy and slippery.”

  “Maybe we can go get help and send it back to you guys,” Darby suggested.

  “Don’t leave me here!” Nelson cried, tears dripping down his face. “More bad weather might come. Or wild animals. Or ghosts!”

  Suddenly, an ear-splitting noise emanated from the nearby brush.

  Nelson shrieked. “See?” He flopped onto his side and curled into a ball.

  “What was that?” Jay asked, backing away from the direction the sound came from.

  “I know what it is!” Delaney bounced merrily. “Come on out, boy! Here, boy.”

  Sure enough, Mo came crashing through the brush, his nostrils flaring, ears twitching, and mouth chomping on some kind of grass.

  “How the heck did Mo get over here?” Darby asked.

  Delaney shrugged. “No idea.”

  “Maybe he followed you Delaney,” I said. “He really likes you.”

  “Aww. Were you looking for me? I’m so glad you didn’t drown, Mo.” Delaney patted his forehead.

  “You sure he’s tame?” Nelson asked, unfurling slightly.

  “Of course,” Delaney said.

  “Don’t let him get too close and stomp me.” Nelson eyed Mo’s big hooves warily.

  I knew exactly how Nelson felt, and it made me feel even sorrier for him. “This just happens to be the world’s most incredible donkey. He’s so gentle, you can ride him. So if you don’t want to stay out here in the dark, you should let us put you on his back.”

  “Wait a sec,” Jay said. “Remember how you guys knew where our flag was? How you noticed the limestone gunk on the shoes?”

  I nodded, unsure why he was bringing that up again.

  “Well, look at the donkey’s feet.”

  We looked. Mo’s hooves were halfway covered in mud and grime.

  “So?” I said, unsure what he was getting at.

  “So he probably left tracks, right? And maybe the tracks will lead us back to where he crossed the creek.”

  “Hey! That’s a great idea!” Delaney said, clapping her hands.

  Jay and Robbie carefully lifted Nelson and put him on Mo. Then we followed the half-moon shaped indentions back in the direction of camp. Darby and Robbie were in front, keeping an eye out for donkey tracks. After them came Delaney, who led Mo with Nelson lying along his back. Jay and I took up the rear.

  Except for Delaney cooing at Mo, no one talked much. Daylight was starting to fade, and I wondered if they were just as worried as I was that we wouldn’t make it back in time. Plus, things were still a bit awkward after all that arguing.

  Jay kept opening his mouth as if he were going to say something, but then seemed to change his mind. Finally, he turned toward me and said, “What you did back there. Giving up the flag. I don’t think I would have ever done it — and that bugs me.”

  “Why wouldn’t you have?”

  “I guess I’m too proud. I just always want to be top dog.” He shook his head. “See, Nelson is all outdoorsy and athletic. He plays soccer back home and is really great at it. And Robbie is talented at sketching and painting. The only thing I’m good at is leadership.”

  “I’m the same way — kind of a lot,” I said. “But … being a good leader doesn’t mean you always have to be in charge.”

  Jay gave me a confused look.

  I tapped my chin and tried to think of the right words. “Power is good — and it feels great — but it’s more important to make sure everyone works together,” I said. “Like the difference between being a dictator and being president.”

  “Right,” he said, nodding slowly.

  We didn’t talk for a long time after that. Everyone concentrated on trudging through the brush. The path seemed to be fairly smooth, and it stayed close to the water’s edge. But I wondered how long it would go. The sun was gone and the air was turning chilly — and it felt even chillier because we were so wet.

  At one point, just as the sky was turning the purple shade of dusk, Darby came to a stop.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  She glanced back and smiled. “Look,” she said, pointing up.

  It was the rope swing — the same one I’d fallen off of the first day. It was still hanging from the limb of the big live oak on the opposite bank.

  “Um … that won’t help us,” Robbie said. “It’s far away on the other side. And kind of dangerous looking.”

  “But it means we’re close,” Darby said.

  “Also” — I turned and smiled back at Jay, who was walking alongside Mo — “look near the top of it.”

  Just below the knots holding the swing to the tree was a white pillowcase with a design on it. Our
flag.

  “You don’t need it now. You guys already won,” I said. “So can we just leave it up there? Proof through the night that the Brewsters were here camping?”

  Jay grinned. “Sure.”

  “We haven’t made it through yet,” Darby said.

  “We will,” I said. The sight of the flag gave me hope. It looked proud up there, wavering in the breeze. A testament to our bravery.

  We kept on, pushing through the bushes and weeds. Delaney chattered to Mo, Nelson whimpered, and Jay mumbled encouraging “It’s okays” to his littlest brother.

  “You guys, I don’t know what to do,” said the shape of Robbie in front of me. “I can’t find anymore tracks.”

  “Me either,” came Darby’s voice.

  “We’re close, though,” I said. “I just know it.”

  As we rounded the next bend, the path seemed to disappear. Not only could we not see tracks, we were having a hard time seeing anything but brambles. Everyone came to a full stop.

  “What do we do now?” Robbie asked, his voice shaky.

  “I know,” Darby said. “Delaney, try and yell for help. Maybe we can get someone’s attention.”

  “Okay.” Delaney stood facing the creek and cupped her hands over her mouth. “Hello-o? Hello-o? Can anyone hear me?” she shouted over the sounds of rushing water.

  We stood very still waiting.

  “Hello-o?” Delaney tried again.

  “Hello?” came a voice — it sounded far, but not too far. “Is someone out there?”

  I squinted across the water and could just make out a stooped figure standing on the other side, wearing a wide-brimmed fishing hat: Mr. Bartholomew!

  “Yes! It’s us!” Delaney called back. “Dawn, Darby, and Delaney Brewster! We’re lost on the other side and it’s dark!”

  “I’ve got a flashlight here. Can you see it?” A beam of light shot out from where Mr. Bartholomew stood. He aimed it forward and suddenly, I could see the reflection of the water, the line of the opposite bank, and, nearby, a raised road that connected our side to that side.

  The old causeway! The scene of our fishing challenge loss. I never thought I’d be this glad to see it again.

  The lake below was rushing faster, but the causeway was clear. I wondered if that was where Mo had trotted across.