The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt (4 page)

Judy craned her head back and squinted up at the flagpole outside the post office. “Stink, this flag isn’t white.”

“It’s white
between
the red stripes,” said Stink.

“Oh, brother. C’mon, let’s go to the church,” said Judy. But when they got to the church, it was locked.

“Aha! So it’s
not
up all night,” said Stink.

“At least it’s tall and white and has brides,” said Judy. But no Assistant Pirate with a sash was anywhere in sight.

“Think. What else is tall?” Stink looked up, down, and all around. He saw the lighthouse sticking out of the trees. “A lighthouse is tall!”

“And painted white!” said Judy.

“And it has a light that’s shiny bright!” said Stink.

“And it’s up all night!” said Judy. “And if it stops, ships will crash on the rocks.”

“To the lighthouse!” said Stink, pointing the way.

The lighthouse stood tall, blinking in the sun. Stink squinted to read the plaque. “This lighthouse is so old.”

“I know,” said Judy.

“It’s almost two hundred years old,” said Stink.

“I know.”

“This lighthouse is so tall,” said Stink.

“I know.”

“It’s like seventy-five feet tall.”

“I know.”

“King Kong was only twenty-five feet tall.”

“I know.”

“You can see the light if you’re fourteen miles away at sea.”

“I know.”

“They used to have to light it like a candlewick, in whale oil.”

“I know.”

“Every lighthouse has its own pattern of blinks, so ships will know where they are,” said Stink.

“I — what?” Judy asked.

“Some even use Morse code. Didn’t you know?” asked Stink.

“No, I didn’t know lighthouses blinked out a secret message in
Morse code.
Rare!” said Judy. “Stink, you’re a genius.”

“So how do we find the next clue?” Stink asked.

Judy wasn’t listening. She was watching Tall Boy and Smart Girl talking to a park ranger. A park ranger wearing a pirate sash! “Let’s go talk to that lady Assistant Pirate.”

The park ranger had short curly hair and a Smokey-the-Bear hat. She smiled at Judy and Stink. “What’s the password?” she whispered.

“Um . . . lighthouse?” they whispered at the same time.

“You just earned five pieces o’ eight!”

Five!
The ranger reached into a bucket and poured coins into Stink’s hands. They jingled all the way.

Stink dug into his backpack, pulled out a shiny red pouch, and tied it to his belt. “This’ll be for all our pirate booty. We have six already!”

“Ye better guard that booty with your life,” said the ranger. “There be pirates all over these parts!” Then she handed them the next clue.

Judy and Stink sat on a driftwood log and opened the clue.

-... .-.. .- -.-. -.- -... . .- .-. -..

“It’s in Morse code!” said Stink.

“Morse code? Oh, no! We don’t have a clue what this means.”

“Who says?” Stink reached into his survival backpack again.

“Shh!”
said Judy. “Spies on deck. Spies on deck.”

“You have the map,” they heard Tall Boy tell Smart Girl. “Where’s the library?”

“The library!” Judy whispered. “Good idea. Let’s go —”

Stink held up a spiral notebook with Morse code on the cover.

“You have Morse code in your survival kit?” Judy asked.

“You never know when you might get marooned on a desert island, like Gilligan’s Island, and have to send out a rescue signal.”

“Stink, have I told you lately you’re a genius?”

Stink grinned. “You just did. But tell me again.”

Judy looked up each letter of the coded message, writing them down in Stink’s notebook as she found them.

“What is it? What does it say?” Stink pestered.

“Let me finish,” said Judy.

“It’s
Bad-Bear,
” said Stink.
“Blab-ear? Blackbird? Blackbear?”

“BLACKBEARD!”
screamed Judy and Stink at the same time, forgetting all about spies.

Judy and Stink met Mom and Dad in front of Barnacle Bob’s. “Those two girls with painted faces have maps, too,” said Judy, pointing.

“So does that surfer-dude kid,” said Stink. “And
he’s
not stopping to eat hot dogs.”

Judy and Stink wolfed down hot dogs, then their parents drove them all over town while they tried to solve the next clue. Something about Blackbeard.

They went to Blackbeard’s Castle. They peeked inside a gift shop called Blackbeard’s Folly. They checked out the Barefoot Blackbeard, a surf shop. But all they found were a lot of flip-flops.

“Let’s park and walk into the center of town,” said Mom. “I need to get sunscreen. And I’m hoping to find some art supplies so we —”

“Do we have to?” asked Stink. He could already feel his feet falling off from all the boring old shopping.

“C’mon — it’ll be fun,” said Mom. “There’s a toy store, and a pet shop like Fur & Fangs, and an ice-cream place.”

“Pirates don’t play with toys,” said Stink. “Or go to pet shops.”

“Not even Toys
Arrr
Us?” Mom joked.

“And they definitely don’t eat ice cream,” said Judy.

“Not even
Marrrs Barrr
Crunch?” Dad teased.

“Sometimes parents are clueless,” Judy whispered to Stink.

“We’re clue-less, too,” said Stink. Judy and Stink laughed till their stomachs hurt.

“Stop!” said Stink. “You’re making me get scurvy again.”

In the village, Judy and Stink saw kids with maps everywhere. “Stink. Across the street. Tall Boy and Smart Girl.”

“Are you doing the Girl-Who-Cried-Pelican thing again, where you get me to look?” He looked anyway. “Let’s follow them. As in spy.”

“That’s called cheating, Stink.” said Judy.

“Pirate Rule Number Something-or-Other: Cheat every chance you get.”

“Car
bunk
le,” said Judy.

Judy and Stink trudged up and down Back Road and School Road behind Mom and Dad, in one shop and out the other. Stink made bored sounds. Judy made bored faces.