Published by Gallopade International/Carole Marsh Books. Printed in the United States of America.

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2 Copyright 2006 Carole Marsh/ Gallopade International/Peachtree City, GA All rights reserved. Third Printing, August 2010 Ebook edition Copyright 2011 Pretty Darn Scary Mysteries and its colophon, and Carole Marsh Mysteries and its skull colophon are the property of Carole Marsh and Gallopade International. Published by Gallopade International/Carole Marsh Books. Printed in the United States of America. Managing Editor: Sherry Moss Cover Design: Michele Winkelman Illustrations: Brittany Donaldson, Savannah College of Art & Design Content Design: Steven St. Laurent, Line Creek Creative Gallopade International is introducing SAT words that kids need to know in each new book that we publish. The SAT words are bold in the story. Look for this special logo beside each word in the glossary. Happy Learning! Gallopade is proud to be a member and supporter of these educational organizations and associations: American Booksellers Association American Library Association International Reading Association National Association for Gifted Children The National School Supply and Equipment Association The National Council for the Social Studies Museum Store Association Association of Partners for Public Lands Association of Booksellers for Children This book is a complete work of fiction. All events are fictionalized, and although the names of real people are used, their characterization in this book is fiction. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. Your support of the author s rights is appreciated.

3 Ch apter One skullcracker Swamp Tabby hunkered down in the canvas tent, squatted, squirmed, and performed other gyrations to pull on her white cut-off jeans and a brown tee shirt with boot prints on the back that read: TAKE A HIKE. Sure, she thought as she squiggled into the jeans and tried to zip them while hovering on her knees and bending backwards; the tent was a small one-person pop-up job. Sure, hike in a swamp; get eaten alive.

4 2 The Secret of Skullcracker Swamp Tabby was a city girl. She had grown up in Atlanta, Georgia the City of the South, the Phoenix that Rose from the Ashes. She had lived with her grandmother in a modern condo practically at the crossroads of the famous Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue. The fabulous Fox Theater was nearby, a Persian gem of a castle where her grandmother took her to Broadway performances, ballets, and to see Gone With the Wind on the giant movie screen. The marquee out front, lit up in colorful neon lights, actually gave her goosebumps. But the goosebumps she got in this swamp were a different matter entirely. She was living with her dad this summer. He was a Swampmaster, or something like that, she d call it. It was worse than being the daughter of Crocodile Dundee or Animal Planet s Alligator Guy, or whatever he called himself. Actually, her father was a professor and famous for his environmental efforts regarding swamps and saving them from destruction. Tabby just wished he d do it without her. She loved him, but really, was this any way to spend a summer? Hunkered down in a squat, smelly tent? Swatting mosquitoes the size of saucers? Sweating to beat the band? No friends except frogs and she did

5 Skullcracker Swamp 3 NOT like frogs. Nothing to do but wait for Dad to get back from that day s journey into the hinterlands of the swamp to do who-knew-what? Have fun! he d say merrily, as he tramped off. Explore! I ll be back at sunset and we ll have a feast! Of course, Tabby was afraid to explore. She was not having any fun at all. And her father s idea of a feast was roast possum or some other critter he d nabbed in the swamp. It was a nightmare, she thought. This summer was a nightmare. Not only did she fear that she would not survive it, she was not even sure that she wanted to survive it. It didn t help that the never-ending swath of weeds and water which surrounded them was nicknamed Skullcracker Swamp by her father and his longtime swamp friend, Mable. It was pretty darn scary here. Suddenly, Tabby heard a creaking, the snap of twigs, and the heavy fall of footsteps. Trembling, she unzipped the tent a few inches and poked her head out. It was her Dad, coming ashore in his little boat, traipsing through the wet grass toward her like Indiana Bones, as she had secretly nicknamed him.

6 4 The Secret of Skullcracker Swamp Hey, he greeted her with a grin. Look what I brought for dinner! Tabby s father held up one fat, dead armadillo. Tabby pulled her head back inside the tent, rezipped it angrily, and fell down onto a rough tarp. She began to cry.

7 Ch apter Two SwampMasTer Uh, Dad Tabby began. I don t think I can eat something that looks like a big, brown bug. Professor Flynn held the slumping armadillo aloft with one hand and shoved his hat back on his head with the other. Oh, I don t mean this! he promised his daughter. I just wanted you to see this big guy isn t he fascinating!? Tabby nodded but she didn t mean it. The pathetic dead critter looked like something from Jurassic Park with his paint chip-looking plates hanging limply over his body. His long snout and long tail made her think rodent. She wondered how many of these things she usually thought of only as road kill were scampering around in the swamp. Her Dad tossed the armadillo aside and

8 6 The Secret of Skullcracker Swamp pulled a paper sack out of the boat. Tabby cringed as he reached inside and grabbed a plastic bag and yanked it out and handed it to her. She feared what might be inside. Two big T-bone steaks, two humongous baked potatoes, a head of lettuce, and tomatoes for my girl, the professor said proudly. I caught an air boat ride over to the market at Fargo. Thought we could do with a hearty meal tonight. He turned to the chore of securing his boat. Tabby unzipped the tent all the way and poked her head out. She grabbed the sack and clutched it to her chest. Food! she squealed happily. Real food! Thank goodness! They had lived on peanut butter and jelly and slightly molded bread and dried chipped beef on the same moldy bread for days. The professor just shook his head. Fire up the grill! he said. We ll eat it all for dinner. He was not used to being around his daughter, and he knew she did not want to be here, but he wanted to please her in every way he could. It pleased him immensely to finally see her smile a smile that instantly faded to a frown of fear as they both heard from the swamp a loud roar!!