Something’s dangling underneath Pete observed Crickets It looks like a box The parachute swayed in the breeze coming lower and lower over the houses on the outskirts of Shoreham For a moment it seemed as if the wind might carry it into Pine Lake on the shore of which the Hollister home was situated But another puff straightened its course Suddenly the children were startled by the shouts of another boy racing his bicycle into the driveway Ugh Joey Brill Ricky said as the husky rider flung his bike to one side and ran beneath the billowing orange-colored chute Like Pete Joey was twelve but unlike the Hollister boy he wore a frown on his face and seemed to take pleasure in annoying others It’s mine I saw it first Joey cried out greedily as he reached for the prize But while Joey shouted his claim Pete leaped up and grabbed the parachute before it could touch the ground As he wrapped his arms around the dangling white box Joey gripped the top of the chute made of paper You’ll tear it Give it to me the bully protested Let go exclaimed Pete Can’t you see it’s only It’s not yours Joey said hotly Nor yours either Pam retorted Pete examined the box which dangled from the white cords of the parachute Sticking out of the bottom was a tube made of plastic and rounded on the end 8
Give it to me the bully protested 9
As Pete looked at the odd contraption Pam saw some printing on one side of the white box In black letters was a notice which read PLEASE RETURN TO THE U S WEATHER BUREAU It must be an instrument packet was Pete’s guess as he looked at the white box Glowering Joey grabbed at the tube and jerked it loose Pam gasped Inside were tiny batteries colored wires and a glass tube See it belongs to the government Pam said It’s a radio Pete said But Joey broke it said Ricky Who cares The government’s got plenty of money Joey retorted He added roughly I want this I’m going to make my own radio out of it You’ll do nothing of the sort Pete declared and wrested the tube away from Joey We’ll mail this back just as the U S Weather Bureau wants us to do Pete’s firmness discouraged the bully who looked from one child to another You’re a bunch of sissies he said with his mouth turned down and scuffed away I still say that parachute’s mine and I’ll get it too He jumped on his bicycle and disappeared down the street As he did another boy of the same age ran into the yard Hi Dave Pete greeted the good-looking lad Look what we’ve found 10
Dave Mead who lived down the street was goggle eyed to see the package of instruments I’ll bet it came from a weather balloon he said Golly that’s great Do you suppose you get to keep the parachute Maybe Pete replied We’ll ask Dad when he comes home for lunch The youngsters had studied their find for only a few minutes when Mr Hollister turned into the driveway in his station wagon The children’s father was a tall athletic-looking man with wavy brown hair and smiling eyes As he stepped out of the car they ran up with their treasure I’ve heard about these instrument parachutes Mr Hollister said as he turned the box over in his hands But I confess I don’t know much about them He suggested that Pete take the treasure to Mr Kent who wrote a weather column for the Shoreham Eagle And I’m certain you can keep the parachute just so long as you return the instrument Mr Hollister added Pete pulled out his pocketknife and cut the box from the chute Yikes Ricky cried out We can have some fun with this He grabbed the lines of the parachute and raced around the lawn with the orange paper flying behind him Just then Mrs Hollister appeared in the doorway She was a slender attractive woman with light hair and a cheery smile After greeting her husband she invited Dave to have lunch with them The Hollisters home was a friendly place where neighborhood children were welcome There was 11
