Chapter 3: Clues

The next morning, Mandie got up bright and early. Everyone else was still asleep so she put on her coat and took a stroll outside. Mandie dawdled along, stopping here and there to look around. She was thinking about the clue when abruptly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Mandie whirled around.

"Joe! You scared me!"

"What? I was just taking a walk" Joe smiled at her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I woke up super early and couldn't go back to sleep so I just decided to go outside", Mandie replied.

"Well maybe we should get back. My stomach is telling me it's time for breakfast." Joe said.

Mandie playfully rolled her eyes. "Okay"

Joe reached for her hand and squeezed it. They started back to the cabin breathing in the early morning air.

Back inside, Celia and Sallie had just woken up and went downstairs to find Mandie.

"Jonathan, have you seen Mandie?" Celia asked.

"No. But maybe Morning Star has. I couldn't find Joe this morning either."

"Let's ask my grandmother". Sallie suggested.

Celia and Sallie walked into the kitchen where Morning Star was making breakfast. Sallie spoke in Cherokee explaining that they couldn't find Mandie or Joe. Morning Star furrowed her brow and spoke rapidly to Sallie.

"She hasn't seen them either", Sallie told Celia.

The two walked back to the dining room and told Jonathan that Morning Star hadn't seen Mandie and Joe that morning.

"Maybe they just took a walk outside", Jonathan suggested.

Sallie opened the door and peeked out. Celia and Jonathan joined her.

Mandie and Joe were walking along the path hand in hand. Sallie gasped while Celia and Jonathan giggled. By the time Joe and Mandie had arrived back at home, Sallie, Celia and Jonathan were all trying hard to put on a straight face.

Mandie realized she was still holding Joe's hand and quickly let go.

"So is it time for breakfast?" Mandie asked awkwardly.

"Yes, I think so". Sallie responded.

Everyone moved over to the dining room and ate in silence. Suddenly, Mandie remembered something.

"Oh! Last night, when Jonathan tripped, a piece of paper flew out. I haven't shown it to y'all yet".

She gave Sallie the paper. Sallie read it quickly, her face growing with excitement. "This must be Tsali's lost heirloom!"

"The what?" Jonathan asked, confused. Sallie read aloud the note. Then she explained the story behind the heirloom.

"When the great warrior Tsali died, his precious belongings were passed down from generation to generation as an heirloom. But when the white men came, the Cherokees hid all their most treasured belongings and the heirloom was lost to history."

Mandie's eyes widened and she exclaimed,"We have to find it!"

"Mandie! Not another mystery!"Joe groaned. "You could get hurt or lost or…"

"Don't worry Joe. I'll tell Uncle Ned about it first and see what he thinks. Besides, how can this lead to danger?"

"Okay fine, but don't go searching by yourself okay?"

"Right"

Later that day, Mandie talked to Uncle Ned about the clue. It was then when Mandie noticed a small scrawl at the bottom of the page. Squinting at it she recognized the Cherokee writing.

"Uncle Ned, can you read this?" Mandie asked.

He examined the writing. "Papoose grandmother write this".

"My grandmother?" Mandie exclaimed in disbelief,

"Talitha Pindar Shaw," Uncle Ned told her. "Cherokee signature"

Although Uncle Ned had given her permission to look for the heirloom, he also told her that she couldn't look for the clues alone.

Mandie skipped back to the others. "We can look for clues!" she exclaimed.

"Did Uncle Ned give you permission?" Joe asked.

Mandie sighed. Did Joe really have to boss her around? "Yes he did."

"Okay then", Joe still sounded hesitant.

"To the stables!"Jonathan cheered. They hitched up the wagon and climbed aboard." I think the clue is talking about school." Mandie commented. " Mr. O' Neil's school?" Joe asked.

" But Talitha couldn't have known about it." Jonathon protested.

Sallie cleared her throat. " Actually, there was another school built in the same exact place as Mr. O' Neil's school."

" Do we go to school or not ?" Mandie asked the young people.

" Oh I don't know, Mandie might find some excitement and-"

" Joe Woodard!" Mandie stomped her foot. They rode on while talking about the new mystery.

" I wonder when we will see Dimar." Mandie wondered out loud. As they arrived at the school Mandie saw an Indian boy painting the walls.

"Dimar! It's so good to see you!" Mandie exclaimed, hopping off the wagon to greet him. Dimar set down his paintbrush and turned to the others.

"Hello, this is a nice surprise. I am helping Mr.O'Neil paint the walls today. What brings you here?"

Mandie quickly filled him in while the others climbed off to join them.

"I was the one who found the clue", Jonathan bragged. "If it wasn't for me tripping on the floorboard, none of this would be happening."

"Well if Mandie hadn't noticed the paper, we wouldn't have the clue", Celia shot back.

"Fine I guess Mandie was the one who found it", Jonathan admitted, pretending to look offended.

"We should ask Mr.O'Neil about the school." Mandie suggested.

"I will get him", Dimar volunteered.

He appeared moments later with Mr.O'Neil, the schoolmaster.

"Oh hello Sallie. Miss Amanda! Honored to have you here!" Mr O'Neil grinned. Mandie felt Joe glare at the man, who was not much older than himself.

"Thank you", Mandie replied uncomfortably. Mr.O'Neil continued to blab on and on about how much he appreciated Mandie's arrival.

"Um actually we should be going now." Mandie interrupted. "Good bye!"

Jonathan smirked. Celia and Sallie giggled.

"I will go with you. I know my way around here better. This sounds interesting." Dimar offered. The group headed back to the wagon and drove off waving to Riley O'Neil.

"Too much?" Celia teased.

"If you mean by talking, yes." Mandie said.

After they rode a couple miles, the young people rested under a huge fern tree. "I forgot to ask about the clue!" Mandie realized.

"That's okay, maybe we don't need to", Sallie suggested.

"What do you mean?" asked Joe.

"Well, the clue did say 'oldest fern tree' right? This is it." Sallie answered.

"So the next clue must be around here somewhere!" Mandie realized.

Everyone stood up and started searching around the tree, feeling its bark.

Jonathan leaned on the tree momentarily and was startled when he heard a click.

"What was that?"

Mandie stopped and examined the place that Jonathan was leaning on.

"I found something!" she yelled to everyone else.

A small button was carved into the tree and when Jonathan had accidently pressed it, a secret compartment opened up, revealing an envelope. Mandie picked it up and slid it open with a hairpin.

"To whomever opens this: You have found the next clue. You have sharp eyes and hunting skills." Mandie read.

"Or clumsy Jonathan skills", Joe teased.

"Another clue found by Jonathan Lindall Guyer the Third! What great things will he accomplish next?" Jonathan proclaimed.

"Ahem. Mandie please continue?" Sallie asked.

"Here is the next clue: A cave marked with a name. Yellow stuff in a pile. Secret entrances. Behind the waterfall."

"I don't have the slightest idea what this could mean?" Celia commented.

"Well maybe we should eat first. It's getting dark."

"Agreed", Jonathan exclaimed. So the young people hurried back to Uncle Ned's cabin.