The Hudson River Mystery

persuasion must be wonderful,” she added, smiling at Honey and Dan. ”No, it’s Brian I’m concerned about. He said he was going to be home a half an hour ago, and I think he dashed out of here this morning without hearing any of the weather reports about the hurricane.” She studied the sky worriedly. ”I’m sure he and Loyola would have sense enough not to be out when the weather looks this frightful, but…”
    ”Don’t worry, Moms,” Trixie said. ”Honey and I’ll be glad to go hunt them up, won’t we?”
    ”Of course,” Honey said warmly. ”We’d better hurry, though.”
    ”Just in case it starts to rain, I’d better run you over in the station wagon,” offered Dan.
    ”That’s about how I feel,” Trixie put in. ”Like I’ve been run over!”
    ”Thank you, Dan,” Mrs. Belden said, heading back toward the house. ”I’d go with you myself, but someone’s got to see that Trixie’s father and brothers don’t eat all the vegetables before they have a chance to be canned! Be sure to get back here as soon as possible—they’re forecasting the fiercest storm we’ve had all year.”
    As he and the girls hurried to put the tools away in the shed, Dan chuckled, ”I hope she was talking about canning food, Trixie, and not your family.”
    ”I wouldn’t blame her if she felt like canning the whole lot of us about now,” Trixie said cheerfully. ”It seems like October’s always everyone’s busiest month of the year around here—all work and no play, if you know what I mean.”
    ”Quit complaining,” said Honey, giving Trixie a gentle push in the direction of the station wagon with BOB-WHITES OF THE GLEN lettered on the side. ”You do plenty of playing, and you know it.”
    ”Not to mention mystery-solving,” added Dan, climbing into the driver’s seat.
    ”That’s not always play,” Trixie protested. ”Anyway, who’s got time for a mystery in October? Not I!”
    The three kept up their friendly bantering all the while Dan was steering the car down the Beldens’ driveway, along Glen Road, and over to Killifish Road. Outwardly, Trixie was as lighthearted as the others, but she was worried. Brian was always dependable; it wasn’t like him to be late. She hoped he’was at least seeking shelter. The sight of the wind whipping the trees along the road was unnerving. She herself was glad to be under a roof, even a car roof. Every now and then, a drop of rain splattered violently against the windshield.
    Killifish Road ended a few hundred yards from the river. Dan stopped the car there and left the engine running.
    ”I know the spot where Brian and Loyola have been going lately,” Trixie said quickly. ”Why don’t I just run down and see if they’re there? If they’re not, I’ll come back to the car and we can start searching.”
    Trixie darted out into the wind, half wishing that Dan or Honey had volunteered to go down to the river in her place. The air was colder here by the water. Trixie scolded herself for not throwing on a second sweatshirt. Clutching her arms around herself, she stepped lightly over rocks and brambles, thankful that at least she had worn her sneakers.
    She reached the edge of the cliff without mishap and stood there a minute, fascinated with the sight of the mighty Hudson about to take its role in a hurricane. Then she headed down a path that looked more worn than the others. Looking more at the murky water than at the path, she nearly tripped over a patch of weeds and a protruding rock. Finally, she aimed around a bend in the path and all but toppled into Brian and Loyola.
    ”Trixie, what are you doing here?” asked Brian.
    ”Moms was worried—hi, Loyola—and Honey was over, and Dan said he would drive”— Trixie’s words came out in a rush—”and what are you doing here?”
    ”Oh, it’s all my fault,” said Loyola with an apologetic look toward Brian. ”Interesting chemicals and pollutants can show up when the river’s in an upheaval, like it is now, and—”
    ”I wanted to get those extra samples just as much as you did,” Brian interrupted, shifting the weight of the knapsack on his back. ”With the Sleepyside Conservation Committee already expressing an interest in the results of our project, I think we ought to do the best job we can.”
    ”Even if it means getting caught in a hurricane?” Trixie demanded. ”Come on, let’s get you two scholars up to the car.”
    Trixie motioned them to start up the path ahead of her.