Everyone trembled in fear.
The captain of the Sleeping Dragon circled the room.
He was breathing heavily.
"Where is my good-luck bear charm?"
He stopped in front of the boys.
"Sir, I swear, I don't know," Gunnar pleaded.
"Silence! My father gave that bear charm to me when I killed my first bear.
Its power has made me the best bear hunter!
It's my most precious treasure."
The captain poked Gunnar hard.
Gunnar grabbed Vinnie and said in angry voice,
"Vinnie! Did you take it?
I trusted you!"
"No, no, I didn't take it," cried Vinnie.
Skull-Crusher looked around the room and roared,
"Where is the girl?"
At that moment, Mandy and Birgitta were returning from the neighbor's house.
They were about to enter Birgitta's home through a door near the animals.
The girls could hear an angry voice inside.
Mandy stuck her head in the door.
"It's Skull-Crusher!" she whispered urgently.
"He looks very angry."
"What should we do?" asked Birgitta anxiously.
"The last time he was this mad, he smashed up our house."
Mandy looked at the animals.
She noticed a lit oil lamp by the door.
She had an idea.
"When I say so, let the animals loose," she instructed Birgitta.
Mandy picked up the lamp.
She placed the flame near one pig's tail.
"Now!" she cried.
Just as Birgitta opened the pen, the pig felt the heat and rushed forward.
The other animals cried as well and ran through the house.
"Vinnie!" Mandy cried. "Over here!"
Vinnie tried to sneak away, but the captain saw him.
"Stop! Where are you going?" shouted Skull-Crusher.
A fat pig blocked the captain's way.
Vinnie ran and made it to the back door.
"Mandy, I have to ask you something," he gasped.
Mandy grabbed his hand and started running.
"Ask me later, Vinnie.
Right now, we have to run!"
They kept running until they reached an open field.
It looked like a shipyard.
"Why is the captain so angry?"
Mandy asked, taking a deep breath.
"Somebody took his bear charm," said Vinnie.
"He thinks we did it!"
"His charm? You mean this?"
Mandy took the little carved bear from her front pocket.
"So you have it!" Vinnie shouted.
"Old Dirk gave it to me!" Mandy cried.
"Well, we have to give it back," said Vinnie.
"And we have to get out of here."
Vinnie pulled the photo out of his pocket and studied it.
The sail in the photo was still glowing yellow.
"It shows a ship with sails," he said.
"But I didn't see any sails."
Mandy pointed at the photo.
"What are those glowing things on the ship's side?
They look like big round plates."
"I don't know," replied Vinnie.
"But I think we should head back to the harbor."
"And return Skull-Crusher's charm," said Mandy.