Surviving Summer Vacation by Willo Davis Roberts

proved to me that our suspicions were on target. Everybody else was walking toward either the cluster of buildings where we were headed or on down the path toward the famous geyser.
    Right while I watched, mostly hidden behind a brown van, one of the men shook the door handle. It was locked, of course. Even Mr. Rupe wasn’t stupid enough to leave it open. And it didn’t look as if the men had an extra key for it.
    I hoped they wouldn’t dare force the lock, not there in broad daylight with people all around.
    Alison and the Rupes had disappeared, and not knowing what else to do, I ran in the direction they’d gone.
    The Rupes hadn’t missed me, and Alison looked relieved when I showed up right near the store.
    â€œThey tried the door, but I think they gave up,” I said to her under my breath when I got close. “Boy, this place has a lot of stuff, huh?” I added as we stepped in the door.
    We bought some souvenirs to take home—a Yellowstone cup for Dad, a bracelet for Mom, and I got a black T-shirt with a neat wolf’s head on the front of it, and YELLOWSTONE printed underneath. Alison got one in dark blue with a bison on it.
    I also bought a guidebook for the park. Harry, who had money enough to pick out anything he wanted, got two T-shirts, a sweatshirt, three rolls of film, and a giant chocolate bar. He grimaced at me. “You really got a thing about books, don’t you? Even on vacation.”
    â€œI figure I came all this way, I might as well know what I’m seeing,” I said, wishing he’d shut up. I’d considered and rejected the idea of sharing our suspicions with Harry. He’d ­probably laugh at us.
    We lined up to pick out our lunches, and I chose a double cheeseburger, fries, and a big Coke. So did Billy.
    â€œYou’ll never eat that much,” his mother told him. “Get a children’s burger and a small order of fries.”
    His lower lip came out. “I want the same thing Lewis and Harry are having.”
    â€œI’m having a double burger,” Harry said cheerfully.
    â€œI want the same thing as Lewis, then,” Billy insisted, and they let him get it.
    He couldn’t carry his tray to the table, though, so Harry carried it for him. Just before he got there, he stopped to keep from running into ­Alison, who was carrying Ariadne’s tray. The giant Coke tilted and slid off, dumping it and the two cups of ice cubes in it into Mr. Rupe’s lap.
    He sprang up with an oath and nearly overturned the little table.
    The people beyond him scrambled to get out of his way, and he didn’t bother to apologize. His face was red and he looked as if he’d wet his pants. I was glad I hadn’t been the one to cause the accident when he read the riot act to Harry so everybody in the place was looking at us.
    When things sort of settled down again, I ate my lunch, flipping through my guidebook to see what it said about Old Faithful. Anything to change the subject.
    â€œIt says the Washburn Party discovered it in 1870. It erupts more often than any other geyser. The eruptions last from two to five minutes, and it’s the most famous feature of the park.”
    None of the Rupes reacted to this information. Finally Alison said, “I hope it goes off right after we get there.”
    â€œYeah,” Harry echoed. “Let’s get going.”
    Mrs. Rupe gathered up her packages. “Why don’t you boys take this stuff back to the motor home so we don’t have to carry it around.”
    â€œHey, no, Ma,” Harry protested. “What if the geyser goes off while we’re doing that?”
    â€œI’ll go,” I said quickly. I didn’t know what I could do if I caught the guys from the blue car breaking into the motor home, but I wanted to know what they were up to.
    So I hurried back to the coach with all the things we’d bought, but the men weren’t there. On the way back,