Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew by The Kachina Doll Mystery Read Free Book Online

him. Talking to the boy was difficult at first, for he was very shy, but when she asked him about his horse, his attitude changed.
    “He mine,” Ngyun said. “Really mine. My grandfather say I have any horse in big herd. I take Cochise. He beautiful.”
    “You ride very well, too,” Nancy told him. “Did your grandfather teach you?”
    “Some,” Ngyun answered. “We not see him much now. Uncle Ward and Aunt Maria help and Chuck. They say I like real Indian.”
    Nancy let the boy talk on, asking him questions about where he went and what he did. There was no hesitation in his answers, she noted. If he was lying or covering up, he was far better at it than any adult she’d ever questioned. His almond eyes fairly glowed as he talked about the deer and the wild, piglike creatures called javelina that he’d seen in the washes leading from the mountains into the desert.
    “When I learn to use bow and arrows good, I hunt them,” he said. “Grandfather say he bring home dinner with bow and arrows.”
    “Don’t get too close to the javelina,” Ward cautioned from the fire, where he was helping Maria set out the various dishes of food. “They may look like long-haired pigs, but they have very sharp tusks and nasty dispositions. They can be dangerous.”
    “Dinner is ready,” Heather announced before either Ngyun or Nancy could say another word.
    Never had food tasted so good. There were mounds of barbecued ribs dripping with a delicious sauce. Beans, both the traditional, baked kind and the Mexican, refried variety, were offered. There were taco chips and a green mound of guacamole dip made from avocados and onions and cottage cheese. Fresh fruits and vegetables were set out in cold water, and there was plenty of icy soda to drink.
    “Don’t you love our fancy china?” Heather teased, passing out battered, tin pie plates and sturdy eating utensils as well as bandana-sized napkins.
    “Everything is just perfect,” George assured her as she began heaping food on her plate. “The high sides on the pie plates keep the food where it is supposed to be.”
    Bess sampled the refried beans, which were delicately spiced with bits of hot peppers and onions. “Oh, this is heavenly,” she told Maria. “But if you’re going to feed your guests like this, I don’t think they’ll be losing any weight.”
    Chuck looked up with innocent eyes. “Oh, didn’t Heather tell you, we have a new method of dieting. We feed you like this, but then you have to hike back to the ranch.”
    Mock groans were followed by loud protest, and everyone relaxed on the grass to eat, talking contentedly of past and future rides, picnics, and barbecues. Only when the plates had been scraped clean did Bess sigh and say, “I know I shouldn’t ask after all that food, but is there dessert?”
    There was general laughter, but when Maria nodded, everyone turned toward her. “Indian Fry Bread,” she announced. “I’ve brought the dough out and I’ll fry it here, then you put either powdered sugar or honey inside. It makes a perfect dessert. ”
    “Fried bread?” Bess looked dubious, but when she received the first piece and dutifully poured on the honey, her expression changed. “Why, it’s wonderful!” she exclaimed. “I must find out how to make it. Everyone at home will be fascinated.”
    Once the food was gone, Chuck and the other young men gathered more of the nearby dead wood—fallen limbs, trees, and bushes that hadn’t come back to life with spring’s magic. The campfire blazed as the sun suddenly slipped beneath the horizon, plunging them quickly into night.
    Ward produced a guitar from the jeep and Chuck began to play while Bess looked at him dreamily. The familiar melody soon had everyone singing along. Nancy leaned her head back, staring up at the stars, thinking how lovely and peaceful everything seemed.
    “Once the moon is up, we’ll have to start back,” Chuck told them between songs.
    “Not the way we came, I