"Exactly," Nancy agreed. "And when he lit the match, there was an explosion."

            Ned straighten up. "So it wasn't an accident. Someone deliberately tried to hurt Brad!"

Chapter Three

            “Or kill him," Nancy added as she detached the tube and put it in the pocket of her jacket. "This is our first piece of evidence."

            From the doorway, someone spoke up.

            "What's going on here?"

            Nancy turned and saw a lanky man of about fifty, whose black hair was sprinkled with gray at the temples. He had a deeply tanned face and a wide, unsmiling mouth. A tall, dark, good-looking guy in a ranger uniform and a young woman clad in blue jeans and a purple Emerson College sweatshirt stood just behind him.

            Ned moved toward the group. "I was just showing my friend Nancy around. Professor Trainey, this is Nancy Drew." He gestured to the two people behind Trainey and added, "That's Jack Billings, a park ranger, and Alicia Nivel, from Emerson."

            "Hi. You're Ned's girlfriend from River Heights, aren't you?" A brief smile flashed across Alicia's face. "He talks about you a lot."

            For a minute no one said anything. Then the professor turned to Ned. "Did anything new turn up on the computer?" he asked.

            Ned ran his hand back through his hair nervously. "Umm-I didn't get a chance to look. Nancy showed up just when I got to the command post," he explained.

            "I see," Trainey replied. He crossed his arms at his waist and stared at Ned. "We've got fifty marmots missing, final observations to make before we leave on Saturday, at least a day of packing ahead of us-and you've invited a visitor here. I must say, your timing surprises me."

            Ned swallowed. "But, sir, Nancy is-"

            Trainey held up his hand. "I need you down at camp in ten minutes to draft a plot of