asked Henry. Irene nodded, her ponytail bouncing. “Can we talk to him?” Henry asked. “He’s fixing a friend’s airboat,” she said. “I’ll take you over to him.” The ramp had two airboats docked. Jessie figured one belonged to Irene’s father. “Daddy,” said Irene, “these are the people I told you about. The ones trying to find Ranger Beldon?” A big man wiped his hands on a rag and came over. He shook hands with Grandfather. “Billy Osceola,” he said. “Nice to meet you.” “James Alden,” said Grandfather in return. “Glad to meet you, Mr. Osceola. These are my grandchildren, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny.” “Irene said you saw a man in the Glades last night,” Henry said. “Do you know who he was?” Mr. Osceola shook his head. “He looked like Andrew Beldon. But when I called out to him, he ran away.” Violet looked up at Mr. Osceola. “Why would he have run away?” “I don’t know. I just hope he’s okay.” Irene’s father was grave. “It’s easy to become lost in the backwaters of the Glades.”
