Mystery of the spotted l.., p.7
Mystery of the Spotted Leopard,
p.7
Kayla helped the children with their bags and led the way to the truck. As Meera stowed the luggage in the back, Kayla said, “I’m going to miss you kids, but I’m glad you came. I thought I would teach you about Ladakh and snow leopards, but you did more than just learn. You helped make sure Tashi stays wild.”
Violet hugged her. “We’ll miss you too. I want to go home, but I don’t want the adventure to be over.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I think we can all use a rest after this week. But your grandfather and I have been talking.” Kayla winked. “We have a lot of summer left. Plenty of time for more adventures.”
Benny bounced up and down. “Like what? Is it a surprise?”
“Will we get to help more animals?” Violet asked.
“Will we learn about new places and people?” Jessie wondered.
“Whatever it is, I know it will be fun,” Henry said.
Kayla just grinned. “Come on. Load up.”
They piled into the truck, chatting happily. Their time in India might be ending, but their adventures were far from over.
Turn the page for a sneak preview of
Mystery of the
Vanishing Forest
the next book in the
Endangered Animals series.
After a long drive into the rain forest, Kayla stopped the car and parked next to a stake by the road. “See the marker?” she said. “The area behind us has been surveyed, but not the area in front of us. So we’ll start here.”
“What will happen if we find orangutan nests in this area?” Violet asked.
“If we can show that orangutans live in this area,” said Kayla, “we might be able to get more of the rain forest protected. We’ll move together in a line. If you see a nest, call out and stop, and I’ll come over and record the location before we move on.”
She handed out binoculars, and the group started their survey. It didn’t take long before Jessie spotted the first nest, and soon after, Benny saw one too.
Violet, who was on one end of the line, really wanted to find a nest. She knew that protecting more of the rain forest meant protecting all of the endangered animals that lived there. She looked carefully up to her right, where no one else was walking. Something seemed strange. The forest growth didn’t look as thick in that direction. She could see the sunlight coming down through the trees.
“It looks like there aren’t as many plants over there,” Violet said. “Does that mean there’s a road or a trail?”
“There isn’t supposed to be anything that way except more forest,” Kayla said. “That’s odd.”
“We should go look,” Henry said.
Kayla agreed. She marked where they left off with a branch, and they walked toward the place Violet had noticed. As they got closer, they could see the area had fewer plants. The larger ones had been crushed down.
“This is too big to be an animal trail,” Jessie said.
Henry pointed down to the ground. “And there are tire tracks. That’s why these plants are crushed. Something drove over them.”
“Should we investigate?” Jessie asked.
“Yes,” said Kayla. “I don’t like this. No one should be driving off the road.”
The air was heavy and hot as they followed the tire marks. It was also very quiet.
“Why aren’t we hearing any birds?” Violet asked.
“Maybe we scared them off,” Henry said. “Though we didn’t seem to scare them earlier.”
Kayla, who was leading the way, stopped suddenly. “Oh no!” she said.
As the Aldens caught up with her, they saw what had upset her.
There was no more forest. All the trees and other plants had been cut down. The remains of an orangutan nest spilled out from the branches of a downed tree. The far side of the clearing ran right up to the fence of the farm they had visited earlier.
“Why would someone do this?” Violet asked.
Kayla wiped her forehead as she looked around in dismay. “I don’t know,” she said. “It may be illegal loggers.”
“Or the farm is expanding,” Jessie said.
Kayla crossed her arms. “They can’t do that. They know the boundary to their property and that any forest on this side doesn’t belong to them.”
Suddenly, Benny grabbed hold of Jessie’s arm. In a loud whisper, he said, “There’s a man over there!”
Across the clearing, they could see someone standing with his back to them, looking up into a tree. Did the person have something to do with the clear-cut forest?
“We’d better go back to the car. We need to report this right away,” Kayla said. She looked back at the figure in the forest. “Let’s be quiet when we leave.”
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN® MYSTERIES
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
THE MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE HONEYBEE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
THE CLUE IN THE RECYCLING BIN
MONKEY TROUBLE
THE ZOMBIE PROJECT
THE GREAT TURKEY HEIST
THE GARDEN THIEF
THE BOARDWALK MYSTERY THE MYSTERY OF THE FALLEN TREASURE
THE RETURN OF THE GRAVEYARD GHOST
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN SNOWBOARD
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD WEST BANDIT
THE MYSTERY OF THE SOCCER SNITCH
THE MYSTERY OF THE GRINNING GARGOYLE
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING POP IDOL
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN DINOSAUR BONES
THE MYSTERY AT THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
THE SLEEPY HOLLOW MYSTERY
THE LEGEND OF THE IRISH CASTLE
THE CELEBRITY CAT CAPER
HIDDEN IN THE HAUNTED SCHOOL
THE ELECTION DAY DILEMMA
THE DOUGHNUT WHODUNIT
THE ROBOT RANSOM
THE LEGEND OF THE HOWLING WEREWOLF
THE DAY OF THE DEAD MYSTERY
THE HUNDRED-YEAR MYSTERY
THE SEA TURTLE MYSTERY
SECRET ON THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR
THE POWER DOWN MYSTERY
MYSTERY AT CAMP SURVIVAL
THE MYSTERY OF THE FORGOTTEN FAMILY
THE SKELETON KEY MYSTERY
SCIENCE FAIR SABOTAGE
THE GREAT GREENFIELD BAKE-OFF
THE BEEKEEPER MYSTERY
NEW! MYSTERY IN THE MAGIC SHOP
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car—the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
Gertrude Chandler Warner, Mystery of the Spotted Leopard
