Who Jinxed the C&G Ranch?: Peanut Butter Club Mysteries: Book 2 - Softcover

Erickson PhD, Mary Ellen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1440142165 ISBN 13: 9781440142161

Verlag: iUniverse, 2009

Inhaltsangabe

In the second volume of this exciting mystery series, the Haskell grandparents, Abby and Josh, take their four grandchildren and two friends to Medora in the beautiful North Dakota Badlands to help Aunt Gracie and Uncle Clyde run the C&G Ranch. But little do they know of the summer adventure that awaits! At first, life at the ranch couldn't be better. Responsible thirteen-year-old Audrey becomes a good horse trainer while her twelve-year-old brother Denny and his friend, Randy, can't stay out of trouble. Denny's twin sister, sarcastic Jenny, and her eleven-year-old friend Missy learn to take care of each other. Enthusiastic eight-year-old Ty continues to be a source of fun and amazement. Together, the kids form the Peanut Butter Club. When Uncle Clyde tells the kids about the mysterious horse thieves that never leave a footprint or a fingerprint, the club springs into action. In their investigation, they meet a host of colorful characters including the suspicious Sheriff Rudolph, the rugged Rattlesnake Lenny, and the mysterious Black Knight. But who-or what-is jinxing the C&G Ranch? With good teamwork, true friendship, and a little help from the adults, the Peanut Butter Club is determined to solve the mystery and save the ranch from financial ruin before it's too late!

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Who Jinxed the C&G Ranch?

Peanut Butter Club Mysteries Book 2By Mary Ellen Erickson

iUniverse

Copyright © 2009 Mary Ellen Erickson, PhD
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4401-4216-1

Contents

Chapter 1 Dude Ranch, Here We Come..........................1Chapter 2 Custer's Last Stand...............................10Chapter 3 Time for a Meeting................................20Chapter 4 Wake Up!..........................................29Chapter 5 Meeting Rattlesnake Lenny.........................40Chapter 6 The Trail Ride....................................49Chapter 7 The Black Knight..................................60Chapter 8 An Exciting Sunday Picnic.........................68Chapter 9 Ty and Laddie's Big Adventure.....................77Chapter 10 What About the Sheriff?...........................89Chapter 11 Snooping Can Be Dangerous!........................99Chapter 12 Catching Stolen Horses............................108Chapter 13 Barrel Racing 101.................................120Chapter 14 July Fourth Celebration...........................129Chapter 15 Wild Buffalo Cow..................................141Chapter 16 Prospecting for What?.............................150Chapter 17 Falling Asleep on the Job.........................161Chapter 18 To Catch a Thief..................................171Chapter 19 Corn Harvest......................................180

Chapter One

Dude Ranch, Here We Come

"What?" Ty burst out excitedly.

"You heard me," Grandma Abby said to her eight-year-old grandson. "We're going to spend most of the summer at the C&G Ranch near Medora, North Dakota."

"Yay!" the four Haskell grandchildren shouted in unison as Grandpa Josh covered his ears."

"Please, don't do that!" Grandpa exclaimed. "Remember my hearing aid is turned up."

He backed the car out of its parking spot at the Aberdeen, South Dakota bus terminal where he and Grandma had just picked up their four grandchildren. The children's parents were on a humanitarian mission to South America and would be gone most of the summer. Ty and Audrey were the children of Tom and Sylvia (Haskell) Thomsen. The twins, Jenny and Denny were the children of Mark and Heather Haskell.

"Sorry, Grandpa," Audrey, their pretty, thirteen-year-old granddaughter apologized. "I guess we forgot. This is all so exciting. Will there be lots of horses? Can we each have one to ride? Will ..."

"Hold on, girl," Grandpa stopped her in midsentence, "one question at a time. Yes, they have lots of horses. There should be enough for everyone when the customers aren't riding them."

"What customers?" asked Jenny, one of the rambunctious eleven-year-old twins.

"The customers that come to the ranch to ride horses," Grandma Abby replied.

"Then it's a `Dude Ranch,'" explained Denny, the other eleven-year-old, willowy, blond twin. "You know, the kind that has tourists ride and learn about ranch life," he added, giving Jenny a know-it-all grin as he settled back into the seat and stared out the window.

"You're partly right," Grandma said. "It's still a riding stable, but my sister and her husband don't have many live-in guests anymore. Clyde broke his leg a few months ago when he fell off a horse, and Gracie can't do all the work herself. She runs the riding stable and a small convenience store for tourists. She needs help until Clyde's leg is healed. That's why we're going there for a couple of months. Grandpa and I are retired and are able to leave our farm for a while. We've worked out an arrangement with Emma and Elmer Cavett to take care of our animals while we head out west to help out the Buxtons."

"Sorry to hear about Clyde's leg," Audrey said with sympathy.

Audrey had heard about her mother's aunt and uncle from Grandma through the years, but she didn't remember much about them.

"How come you two are going to help?" Audrey asked. "Don't they have any children?"

"No. Gracie and Clyde have no children. They didn't marry until late in life. Gracie was always too busy teaching, and Clyde was gone off rodeoing all over the country. He's a real cowboy."

"Can we go see a rodeo this summer?" Ty asked.

"If there is one in the area, we'll go see it," Grandpa replied. "You won't see Clyde in rodeos anymore. He's my age, and his back would shatter if he fell off a bull or horse. He's already broken his leg."

Grandma ignored Grandpa's statement and went on with her story about Gracie and Clyde. "It's not only all the work Gracie has to do, but she's got all that worry about what's happening to the ranch."

Denny, who was daydreaming in the back seat about being a cowboy, perked up. "What's happening to the ranch?" he asked.

"Well, there seems to be a jinx on the ranch during the past year or two. Horses have been disappearing, cattle have been found dead, and farm hands have been leaving. They sold the cattle that were left, and are down to one ranch hand to help with the horses."

"Who's that?" Denny asked.

"His name is Darrel Van Drugen, but everyone calls him `Dutch.' You'll all get to meet him because he lives in the bunkhouse. Gracie says he's very good with horses."

"Maybe he can teach us some fancy riding stuff with horses," Audrey said. "I'd like to learn to barrel race or something like that so I can be in a rodeo some day."

"I'm sure Dutch can teach us all something about horses," Grandpa said. He checked the traffic light ahead of him and made a right turn. I'd better concentrate on my driving before we have an accident, he thought.

* * * The children continued their questioning as Grandpa Josh drove the car out of Aberdeen and headed north on Highway 281 to the Haskell's small diversified farm. The children had learned many skills when visiting their grandparents last summer, becoming very good at taking care of the animals, mowing grass, gardening, and doing odd jobs around the farm.

"Where will we all sleep when we get to the ranch?" asked Audrey, always the practical one.

"Gracie and Clyde have a bunkhouse and a big ranch house. Grandpa and I will stay in the ranch house and you kids will stay in the bunkhouse. Back when the dude ranch had guests, they needed lots of rooms, so the bunkhouse has several rooms and suites. Some of you might have to share a room if they don't have one for each of you."

Denny frowned. He didn't want to share a room with Ty again like he had done last summer. How can I get out of that? he thought.

"The convenience store is on the bottom story of the main ranch house. There is also a big country kitchen and porch where we'll be eating our meals," Grandma said.

"It should be fun running a store," Ty said enthusiastically. "I'll bet Aunt Gracie has lots of candy in her store."

"Yes, she does," Grandma Abby replied, "but you'll be eating lots of veggies-from Gracie's big garden that we'll all be taking care of."

"Oh no," the children moaned in unison, then began to laugh. They had learned to eat veggies last summer, and had actually learned to like them.

"Does Aunt Gracie put lots of cream and butter on her veggies, like you do, Grandma?" asked Ty.

"She sure does. Gracie is a good cook and I'll be helping her, so you'll be eating very good food," Grandma said, as an assured Ty let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

The car became silent for a while, then Jenny burst out, "What...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: iUniverse
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1440142165
• ISBN 13: 9781440142161
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 196
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Friedensallee 273; Hamburg; 22763; Deutschland