Dedication The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery is Volume 29 in a 33-book series The books are being reissued in honor of my grandfather Andrew Edward Svenson who began The Happy Hollisters series in 1953 using the pseudonym Jerry West The characters in the Hollister family were based in part on his family my grandmother father uncle and aunts and I am grateful to them for inspiring these books and for their support of this labor of love Marian S Svenson Elaine Hollister Andrew E Svenson Jr Pete Laura Svenson Schnell Pam Eric R Svenson Sr Ricky Jane Svenson Kossmann Holly Eileen Svenson de Zayas and Ingrid Svenson Herdman Sue Many thanks also to Janet Riley Callie Svenson and Libby Svenson for production and marketing assistance Andrew E Svenson III The Svenson Group Inc on behalf of The Hollister Family Properties Trust I don’t know what we’d do without you Hollisters
CHAPTER 1 The Pink Sea Gull LOOK A big pink bird Pam Hollister cried out It’s lying by the side of the road Please stop The driver frowned Are you sure Oh yes We must go back and help it Pam begged Please Indy The station wagon turned around and headed in the opposite direction on the New England highway Indy’s cargo included the five Hollister children his sister Emmy and his cocker spaniel Blackie There it is Pam exclaimed The car stopped and the girl got out She crossed the highway and lifted a big pink bird into her arms As she hastened back the children gasped Even Indy and Emmy looked amazed It’s a sea gull A pink sea gull Emmy said I just can’t believe it Do you think somebody painted it for fun asked Ricky to whom the idea might naturally occur Of course not Holly replied Nobody paints birds The six-year-old pigtailed girl kneeled in the middle of the back seat between twelve-year-old Pete
and Pam who was ten Both were blond but the boy’s hair was crew cut and his sister’s was fluffy Behind them amid the suitcases and blankets sprawled red haired Ricky seven and next to him sat four-year-old Sue with her arm around Blackie The dog looked over Pam’s shoulder at the bird and gave a low woof The driver was Indy Roades a real Indian from New Mexico His sister Emmy an attractive young woman was seated beside him Indy had moved East some years before and now worked in the store owned by Mr Hollister in Shoreham Emmy had come to visit her brother and the two had agreed to take the youngsters on a trip to solve a mystery They had already done this and relaxed and happy were on their way back to Shoreham Now a new adventure had popped up in the form of a pink sea gull The bird lay contentedly in Pam’s lap and blinked its eyes now and then Emmy meanwhile studied the map in her lap and said There’s a big town about five miles up the road We can stop there and make an inquiry about the sea gull Okay Pam said as she stroked the bird’s head A stop light halted the vacationers as they entered the town and Indy asked a policeman standing nearby if there was anybody who knew about pink sea gulls You’re fooling the officer said with a smile as he glanced in at the five youngsters No we’re not Pam said Look here The policeman’s eyes widened Then he said The Audubon Society has a place on the other side
of town It’s right beside the highway You can’t miss it Maybe they can help you Thank you Indy said and drove on as the light turned green What’s an odd bon asked Sue You mean Audubon Society Pam told her It’s an organization of people who study and protect birds The Society is named for John James Audubon Pete added He was an early American naturalist who explored the wilderness to observe birds and made beautiful pictures of them I’ll bet he never saw a pink sea gull remarked Holly After riding through traffic for about fifteen minutes the travelers came to an arrow sign pointing into a driveway Off the highway stood a low red brick building Alongside it was a garage and behind it several wire pens This must be the place Pete said The car stopped in the drive and they all got out except Blackie Ricky held the door open for Emmy and Indy to enter and the children followed into an office Seated behind a desk was a young woman She glanced at Pam and the bird and said Oh so you found one Wait a minute please and I’ll call Mr Landon She picked up the telephone and several seconds later a tall man came through a door at the rear of the room He had a high forehead a boyish face and a rugged outdoors look Behind him was a
