he and his cousins had spent little time alone together since their grandmother 's announcement . and i could have said something to him before he left , but i do n't know . whenever anyone else said that to him , he groaned . all this went through her mind in an instant . you would be surprised as to what has relevance to my investigation . she clutched the edges of her seat . leave no trace behind was her motto in the forest . science has advanced man 's understanding of himself and the natural world . 