Part 26 (1/2)
”Roger Hoelt will return here someday and find this,” Bess said dejectedly. ”He will be a rich man and all of us will be dead!”
George chided her cousin for such melancholy thoughts. ”We'll signal and get out of here yet!” she said with determination.
Fortunately, dusk came early. Nancy climbed to the table top and held the lantern up to the ventilator. Pa.s.sing one hand in front of the light at intervals, she gave the SOS signal. Over and over she repeated this until her arms were weary. George climbed up to relieve her, then Bess. They all knew the call. Manda marveled at such efficiency.
”I hope someone sees it soon and understands,” she said.
At this moment, the girls heard heavy footsteps on the attic steps and caught their breath. Was Roger Hoelt returning with reinforcements? Would the girls be further harmed? Would he now be the possessor of the secret in the table and take advantage of it?
The key turned in the door. The girls stood together, ready to defend themselves. The door opened. To their relief, they saw two police officers-Wagner and Schmidt.
”Oh, boy!” George cried out. ”I never was more glad in my whole life to see anybody!”
”Were you giving an SOS signal?” Officer Wagner asked.
”Yes,” said Nancy, and she quickly told the police how they had been imprisoned by Hoelt. Then she showed the policemen the note about the crystal cave.
”I can hardly believe all this!” said Officer Wagner. ”Nancy Drew, it is remarkable how you have solved this mystery.”
”But it isn't completely solved,” the girl detective replied. ”We still have to find Mr. and Mrs. Hoelt.” She said that possibly they were in her car, which had been stolen.
”A very good deduction,” Officer Schmidt said. ”We haven't received word that your convertible was picked up.”
As the whole group hurried down the stairs and went outdoors, Nancy asked the policemen if they had seen Mrs. Glick and her son Henner.
”No,” Officer Wagner answered. ”Are they here too?”
”I don't know,” said Nancy, explaining that the Glicks had come to the schnitz with the girls but had stayed behind near the witch tree.
”They may be prisoners,” she said. ”We'd better go there and look.”
They hurried along with the policemen, who beamed their bright flashlights ahead. As they approached the witch tree, the rays of light picked out the woman and her son, gagged and bound to the tree trunk.
The two were quickly released; then stories were exchanged. Mrs. Glick said that when Nancy had gone off she and Henner had stayed behind to watch the deaf-mute boy so he could make no trouble.
”But he got away just before Mr. and Mrs. Hoelt drove in with Nancy's car,” Mrs. Glick went on. ”We tried to escape, but they caught us. They had another man with them.”
”I'll report all of this at once,” said Officer Wagner. Over his shortwave car radio, he sent a message to headquarters, giving a full report and requesting that every road be covered until Mr. and Mrs. Hoelt and their companion were apprehended. Then he added, ”We'll drive Nancy Drew and her friends home before we return.”
Mrs. Glick wanted to take the horse and buggy, but the officer suggested that she leave them until morning. They all crowded into the officers' car, which was parked on one of the little-used roads.