Part 6 (2/2)
”That's what we must find out,” Nancy replied, focusing her light on the walls again. ”There may be a secret exit that the-”
She ended in midsentence as a girl's piercing scream reached their ears. The cry came from outside the mansion.
”That was Bess!” Nancy exclaimed.
Fearful, the two girls abandoned the search and raced outdoors. The rain was coming down in torrents, making it difficult to see far ahead.
At first they could not locate Bess anywhere. Then Nancy caught a glimpse of her, huddled among the trees a few yards away. She was trembling violently.
”A man!” Bess chattered as her companions ran up to her. ”I saw him!”
”Did you get a good look at him?” Nancy asked.
Bess had been too frightened to do this. But she was sure she must have surprised the person who had come from the direction of the house, for he had turned abruptly and entered the woods.
”Any chance of overtaking him?” Nancy questioned.
”Oh, no!” Bess had no desire either to lead or join an expedition through the woods. ”He's gone. He knows his way and we don't. Let's go home, girls. We're wet through, and we'll catch colds.”
”I'm going back to the mansion,” Nancy announced.
”I'll come along,” said George. ”We'll hunt again for the hidden exit that the ghost at the organ must have taken!”
Bess reluctantly accompanied her friends. As they reached the ma.s.sive front door, Nancy noticed that it was closed.
”I'm sure I left it open. The wind must have blown it shut,” she remarked.
George tried to open the door. Though she twisted the k.n.o.b in both directions and pushed hard, the door refused to budge.
”Bolted from inside,” George concluded. ”The ghost isn't anxious for company.”
”I can't get it out of my mind that Blackwood Hall is part of this whole mixed-up mystery,” Nancy remarked thoughtfully. ”I wish I could get inside again!”
Nancy smiled to herself. Ned was coming to dinner. She would ask him to bring her back to Blackwood Hall that evening. Ghosts were always supposed to perform better at night!
”All right, let's go,” she said cheerfully.
Before returning home, Nancy did a few errands, so it was after six o'clock when she reached her own house. Hannah Gruen opened the door excitedly.
”Mrs. Putney has been trying all afternoon to reach you by telephone. She wants to talk to you about something very important.”
”I believe Mrs. Putney is going to attend another seance!” Nancy exclaimed.
Nancy hurried to the telephone and called the Putney number, but there was no answer.
”Oh, dear, I hope she won't be taken in again by the faker,” Nancy said to herself.
Without the slightest clue as to where to find Mrs. Putney, Nancy turned her thoughts toward the evening's plan. Ned, upon arriving, fell in eagerly with her idea of going to Blackwood Hall.
”I hope the ghost appears for me too,” he said, laughing, when Nancy had told him the story. ”Say, how about going there by boat?”
”Wonderful.”
After dinner Ned rented a trim little speedboat, and in a short time they reached an abandoned dock some distance from Blackwood Hall. A full moon shone down on the couple as they picked their way through the woods.
”Listen!” Nancy suddenly whispered.
From far away came the sound of chanting.
”It might be a seance!” Nancy said excitedly. ”If we hurry, we may get there in time!”
Running ahead of Ned, Nancy paid scant heed to the ground underfoot, and stepped ankle-deep into a quagmire. When she tried to retreat, the mud tugged at her feet. Ned caught her by the arm.
”Stay back, Ned!” she cried out.
The warning came too late. Already Ned had followed her into the quagmire. He, too, tried to extricate himself without success.
”It's quicksand!” Ned cried hoa.r.s.ely.
Inch by inch, he and Nancy felt themselves sinking lower and lower into the mire!
CHAPTER IX.
Another Seance REALIZING how serious their situation was, Ned urged Nancy to pull herself out of the quagmire by using him as a prop and jumping to firm ground.
”No, don't ask me to do that,” Nancy replied. ”I might save myself, but you would be pushed so far down, I couldn't possibly get help in time to pull you out.”
”If you don't do it, we'll both lose our lives,” Ned argued. ”Hurry, Nancy! We're sinking fast!”
Nancy refused to listen to his pleas. Instead, she began to shout for help, hoping that some of the chanters would hear her. Ned, too, called loudly until his voice was hoa.r.s.e.
No one came, and they kept sinking deeper into the quicksand. Soon Nancy was up to her chest.
”I'm afraid there's no help for us,” Nancy said despairingly.
The youth scarcely heard her, for just then his feet struck something hard and firm.
”Nancy!” he cried. ”I've hit bottom!”
Before she knew what was happening, he grasped her beneath the armpits and tugged hard. The muck gave a loud, sucking sound as it slowly and reluctantly released its hold. A few minutes later Nancy was safe and sound and on dry, firm ground, though she was plastered from heels to head with mud.
”You all right, Ned?”
”I'm okay,” he answered.
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