Part 15 (2/2)
She told him about the pet.i.t-point pattern on the ha.s.sock. He smiled and remarked that she certainly was a thorough and discerning detective.
”We'll take the horse, carriage, and furniture with us,” said Officer Wagner, ”and would you like us to return the horse and buggy you rented?”
”Yes, thank you,” Ned said, and told the policemen where they would find the carriage.
The officers said they would explain what had happened to the owner. Ned asked them to have the man send him a bill and gave his address.
After the police had gone, Nancy and Ned decided to go to the dance and find their friends. They went outside, and for the first time realized that Ned's car was not there. They concluded that their friends must have gone back to the Glicks'.
”But how are we going to get home?” Nancy asked.
”Surely somebody here will give us a lift,” Ned suggested.
They walked to the barn door and stepped inside. They had no sooner appeared than one of the Amish girls who was dancing stopped short and shrieked.
Pointing a finger at the couple, she cried out, ”The witch girl! The witch boy! They've flown back here to hex us!”
The dancing ceased abruptly and the musicians stopped playing. There was a surge of unfriendly looking young men and women toward Nancy and Ned. Fearfully the couple wondered what was going to happen!
CHAPTER XII.
A Hideout
WEARY from the experiences of the evening, Nancy was in no condition to cope with the oncoming hostile group. But Ned instantly took command of the situation.
”Stop!” he cried, holding up his hands.
As the young Amish couples paused, he told them that all the talk about the witch girl and boy was utterly ridiculous. Furthermore, both he and Nancy might have lost their lives because of the foolishness of one of their drivers.
There was silence for a moment, then one of the boys called out, ”Ya, but I go by the old ideas. This girl makes trouble, ain't?”
”On the contrary,” Ned said in a loud voice so that all could hear him. ”Nancy Drew is doing your neighborhood a favor. She has just found a horse and a carriage that was stolen from some of your people.”
The dancers exchanged glances of amazement. The girl who had made the original statement about Nancy being a witch girl withdrew from the forefront of the group, embarra.s.sed. Ned went on to tell the whole story.
”Nancy is an excellent detective,” he stated firmly in conclusion, ”but she is not a witch girl. And now, tell us where our friends are. We would like to go home.”
Some of the people in the group shook their heads, then most of them turned away. The music started and the dancing began again, but several young men approached Nancy and Ned and offered to drive them wherever they wanted to go.
”I am sorry about what happened,” one of them said. ”We thank you for what you have done.”
Ned was about to accept the offer of a lift when he and Nancy heard the sound of a familiar car motor. Looking outside, they saw Ned's convertible come to a stop. Bess and George, spotting the missing couple, quickly climbed out and rushed over to them.
”Oh, I'm so glad you're all right!” Bess exclaimed, hugging Nancy.
George added, ”You scared us out of our wits. We heard you had an accident, and we saw the overturned buggy. We couldn't find you.”
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