Riddle Gully Secrets by Jen Banyard Page A

thought the rock –
my
rock – must be it.’
    â€˜What type of car?’ asked Will. ‘Volkswagen, Triumph, BMW –’
    â€˜It started with “m” … I think.’
    â€˜Mazda, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Morris Minor –’
    Pollo shifted restlessly. ‘We probably don’t need to know the exact type –’
    â€˜No, wait!’ said Ash. ‘It was an animal.’
    â€˜Jaguar, Beetle, Impala, Mustang –’
    â€˜Mustang! That’s it!’ said Ash. ‘I knew a mustang was a wild horse, but not a car.’
    â€˜Mustang Rock!’ cried Pollo. ‘That’s on the other side of the gorge. They corralled wild horses there in the old days. If those two had an old map of the area and they somehow …’ She tilted her head side to side, picturing possibilities.
    â€˜You think they got the rocks mixed up?’ said Will. ‘You’d have to be dense to think an old map would show a rock named after a car.’
    Pollo shrugged. ‘All we know is that they started the day at Ash’s rock. They got all excited. Then they crossed back over the gorge and ended up down a tunnel on the other side.’
    â€˜But how would they get from Mustang Rock downto the bottom of the gorge?’ said Dan.
    â€˜There’s an above-ground cave with a tunnel sloping down,’ said Pollo. ‘It’s been blocked off as long as I’ve known. But I guess it could easily lead to the gorge.’
    Pollo leaned forward, her chin in her hands. After a moment she sat up straight. ‘It has to be the strongbox they were after,’ she announced. ‘It must contain something precious. That explains why it was set apart from all the other supplies. And why Mayor Bullock’s got his nose in all this.’
    â€˜Wouldn’t something precious be better hidden?’ said Ash.
    â€˜Maybe its owner had to leave in a hurry,’ said Will.
    Dan cleared his throat. ‘It could’ve been the bushrangers who made the rockslide … sort of burying it to protect it.’
    Pollo slapped Dan on the back. ‘You’re thinking like a real investigator!’
    â€˜Not really,’ said Dan. ‘One time Twig buried something in the bush for safekeeping. Only later he forgot where he put it.’
    â€˜Well whoever hid this wasn’t planning to forget,’ said Pollo. ‘They made a map.’
    â€˜And I bet you five bucks,’ said Will, ‘there’s a big fat cross under “Mustang Rock”.’
    Pollo sprang from her rock seat and tossed Will his backpack. She began heading down the trail.
    â€˜Where are you going?’ said Dan. ‘Are we coming too?’
    â€˜I hope so!’ called Pollo. ‘We’re going to Mustang Rock! I’ve got a feeling!’
    Dan began hurrying after Pollo.
    â€˜I’ve got a feeling too!’ Will called, hugging his backpack to his chest. ‘And it’s reminding me that those two lovebirds down there were talking about blowing things up!’
    Dan stopped, uncertain.
    Pollo faced Will, her hands on her hips. ‘Not till tomorrow morning! They were calling it quits for the day, remember? This is our big chance! If we find out how Curly and Pooky reached the cave – if we find out it really
was
via Mustang Rock – maybe we can get the jump on them somehow! We can save that strongbox and whatever’s in it!’
    â€˜Can’t we just let them have it?’ said Will.
    â€˜Our nation’s heritage could be in there, Will Hopkins!’
    â€˜Or a load of rusty, musty junk,’ said Will. ‘We don’t know.’
    â€˜It beats me why you’re making such a fuss,’ saidPollo. ‘We’re going back to town anyway.’ She shrugged nonchalantly. ‘We just swing by Mustang Rock on the way.’

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
    Prickled and sweaty, the four emerged from the undergrowth at the base of