The Mystery of Mineral Gorge (Cobtown) - Hardcover

Julia and Robert Van Nutt have been working together for twenty-five years. During this time, they have worked on numerous design jobs, from freelancing for The New York Times to working on sets and costumes for a Broadway play. In the last ten years, they have designed eight children’s books and six animated videos that were shown on national television.
The Van Nutts use history to guide them as they write and illustrate their Cobtown stories. With an amazing cast of characters and an in-depth study of everyday life in the 1840s, these stories–inspired by a hobby of collecting electric trains–take place in the village of Cobtown.

Tuesday

I, Lucky Hart, do hereby vow to accurately record the frightening events that are occurring at this time in Cobtown, 1845.

I am a girl, and ten years old, and I don't scare too easily. Maybe it's because they named me lucky that I feel braver than most, but I'm pretty scared now. Everybody here in Cobtown is fearful, even my dear old aunt Heddy Peggler. She lives alone and I can tell these horrific cries have put her nerves on edge. For several nights in a row, the whole town has been kept awake by terrible screams! Nobody can explain who or what is crying out, but the sounds seem to be coming from deep within Mineral Gorge.

Although it's not very far away, I have only been to the outer edge of that place. It's wild and scary and nobody goes there if they can help it. The plants growing in Mineral Gorge are different than the ones up here in Cobtown. The one time I went there, the weeds grabbed my ankles and tried to pull me down onto the ground.

Even the light is unusual in Mineral Gorge. The shadows are a deep black, and try as you may, you cannot see into them. The paths are narrow and twisted. They say some people become lost and never return.

Cobtown is a small place. We all know each other, and when there is trouble, we hold a town meeting. This evening my parents and I went to Payne's Inn. Everybody had gathered there to try and figure out what to do about this terrible screaming.

Fliberty Jibbert, one of the town elders, addressed us. "I see we are all here, so it is not one of us doing the hollering. Is anyone missing one of their animals?" he asked. Everyone shook their heads no.

Next, Old Hans Van Ripper stood up and said, "I don't want to frighten the children among us, but do any of you elders recall the legend of the Woman in White? About a hundred years ago she was caught out in a blizzard and froze to death near Raven Rock. They used to say that you could hear the horrible wailing of her mournful spirit as she haunted Mineral Gorge. Maybe that's what we are hearing at night, the ghost of the Woman in White.

Professor McGinty, who runs the museum on top of the hill, became very excited. "Now, Hans, I must know more," he said. "This Woman in White, has anybody seen the hideous creature? Does this haunting spirit fall upon her terrified victims? Does she clutch them in any icy grip with boney fingers? Does she drag them down into her unhallowed grave?"

His questions upset us.

Then Aunt Heddy Peggler, who my mother thinks is the wisest woman in town, said, "Cornelius McGinty, that's enough fiddle-faddle. It's probably just some poor creature in distress. The sooner we stop all this ghost nonsense and start searching for it, the better."

"Good idea, Heddy," Fliberty agreed. "Let's form a search party. Any of you that can join me should be out front of the inn at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon. It's late now, so let's all get to our homes and try to get some rest."

It was scary walking home. I grabbed one of Papa's hands and one of Mama's. "Edwin, do you think the crying voice really could be that ghost Old Hans talked about?" Mama asked him.

Before Papa could give an answer, the screaming started up again. "Come, let's hurry home where you will feel safer," he told us.

Now I am in my room writing this, but I doubt if I will sleep much tonight. I want to stop up my ears to keep out the terrible sounds. I am afraid that a crying ghost will come get me in my sleep.

I can see Aunt Heddy's house from my window. She must feel alone and frightened, but we could not convince her to spend the night with us. I am scared for us all.Tuesday

I, Lucky Hart, do hereby vow to accurately record the frightening events that are occurring at this time in Cobtown, 1845.

I am a girl, and ten years old, and I don't scare too easily. Maybe it's because they named me lucky that I feel braver than most, but I'm pretty scared now. Everybody here in Cobtown is fearful, even my dear old aunt Heddy Peggler. She lives alone and I can tell these horrific cries have put her nerves on edge. For several nights in a row, the whole town has been kept awake by terrible screams! Nobody can explain who or what is crying out, but the sounds seem to be coming from deep within Mineral Gorge.

Although it's not very far away, I have only been to the outer edge of that place. It's wild and scary and nobody goes there if they can help it. The plants growing in Mineral Gorge are different than the ones up here in Cobtown. The one time I went there, the weeds grabbed my ankles and tried to pull me down onto the ground.

Even the light is unusual in Mineral Gorge. The shadows are a deep black, and try as you may, you cannot see into them. The paths are narrow and twisted. They say some people become lost and never return.

Cobtown is a small place. We all know each other, and when there is trouble, we hold a town meeting. This evening my parents and I went to Payne's Inn. Everybody had gathered there to try and figure out what to do about this terrible screaming.

Fliberty Jibbert, one of the town elders, addressed us. "I see we are all here, so it is not one of us doing the hollering. Is anyone missing one of their animals?" he asked. Everyone shook their heads no.

Next, Old Hans Van Ripper stood up and said, "I don't want to frighten the children among us, but do any of you elders recall the legend of the Woman in White? About a hundred years ago she was caught out in a blizzard and froze to death near Raven Rock. They used to say that you could hear the horrible wailing of her mournful spirit as she haunted Mineral Gorge. Maybe that's what we are hearing at night, the ghost of the Woman in White.

Professor McGinty, who runs the museum on top of the hill, became very excited. "Now, Hans, I must know more," he said. "This Woman in White, has anybody seen the hideous creature? Does this haunting spirit fall upon her terrified victims? Does she clutch them in any icy grip with boney fingers? Does she drag them down into her unhallowed grave?"

His questions upset us.

Then Aunt Heddy Peggler, who my mother thinks is the wisest woman in town, said, "Cornelius McGinty, that's enough fiddle-faddle. It's probably just some poor creature in distress. The sooner we stop all this ghost nonsense and start searching for it, the better."

"Good idea, Heddy," Fliberty agreed. "Let's form a search party. Any of you that can join me should be out front of the inn at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon. It's late now, so let's all get to our homes and try to get some rest."

It was scary walking home. I grabbed one of Papa's hands and one of Mama's. "Edwin, do you think the crying voice really could be that ghost Old Hans talked about?" Mama asked him.

Before Papa could give an answer, the screaming started up again. "Come, let's hurry home where you will feel safer," he told us.

Now I am in my room writing this, but I doubt if I will sleep much tonight. I want to stop up my ears to keep out the terrible sounds. I am afraid that a crying ghost will come get me in my sleep.

I can see Aunt Heddy's house from my window. She must feel alone and frightened, but we could not convince her to spend the night with us. I am scared for us all.