Part 10 (2/2)
”The place must be on fire!” George exclaimed. When still no sound came from inside, she could stand the strain no longer. ”I'm going to break in!” she decided.
She flung herself against the locked door, but it scarcely budged. Looking about, she found a rock the size of a baseball. She let it fly at the window nearest the door. The gla.s.s splintered and the stone carried with it the black curtain that had covered the window. With a stick she poked out the jagged bits of gla.s.s that still clung to the pane. When the smoke had cleared, George stuck her head through the opening.
The one-room interior was deserted, and there was no fire, not even in the big stone fireplace! A few wisps of smoke remained. But it did not smell like wood smoke.
”I didn't dream up that smoke,” George thought, growing more uneasy all the time. ”But the door was locked and I saw no one leave.”
Time dragged on, and still Nancy did not return. Finally, after an hour had elapsed, George, alarmed, tramped back to the road where they had taken leave of Bess.
She was about to start for River Heights on foot when the convertible came into view around a bend. Bess pulled alongside.
”Do you know anything about Nancy?” George asked quickly.
”Why, no.”
Her cousin related the strange story of the cabin and Nancy's disappearance. Bess, too, was greatly concerned.
George hurled a rock at the window ”And I didn't bring anyone along, either,” she wailed. ”Mr. Drew was called out of town unexpectedly, and I couldn't find Ned.”
”Just when we need them so desperately! Did you find the car owner's name?”
”Yes, it belongs to Mrs. Putney ! But what are we going to do about Nancy?”
”I think Mr. Drew should be notified if we can possibly get word to him. Hannah may know where to reach him by telephone,” said George.
The girls made a hurried trip to the Drew home. The housekeeper told them that the lawyer had departed in great haste and was to send word later where he could be reached.
”I really don't know what to do,” Hannah Gruen said anxiously. ”The Claymore Hotel has been trying to get in touch with Nancy, too. The chief clerk there wants to see her right away. We'd better notify the police. I dislike doing it, though, until we've tried everything else.”
No one had paid the slightest attention to Togo, who was lying on his own special rug in the living room. Now, as if understanding the housekeeper's remark, he began to whine.
”What's the matter, old boy?” George asked, stooping to pat the dog. ”Are you trying to tell us something about Nancy?”
Togo gave two sharp yips.
”Say! Do you suppose Togo could pick up Nancy's trail and lead us to her?” George asked.
”When she's around the neighborhood, he finds her in a flash,” Hannah Gruen said. ”Nancy can scarcely go a block without his running after her, if he can get loose.”
”Then why don't we give him a chance now?” Bess urged. ”Maybe if you get something of Nancy's, a shoe, perhaps, he might pick up the scent-”
”It's worth trying,” the housekeeper said, starting for the stairway.
She returned in a few moments with one of Nancy's tennis shoes, and announced she was going along on the search. Taking the eager Togo with them, the group drove back to the spot where Nancy was going to investigate the tire marks. George dropped the shoe in the dust.
”Go find Nancy, Togo!” Bess urged. ”Find her!”
Togo whined and sniffed at the shoe. Then, picking it up in his teeth, he ran down the road.
”Oh, he thinks we are playing a game,” Mrs. Gruen said in disappointment. ”This isn't going to work.”
”No, Togo knows what he is doing,” George insisted, for in a moment he was back.
Dropping the shoe, the dog began to sniff the ground excitedly. Then he trotted across the road and into the woods, the others following. Reaching a big walnut tree, he circled it and began to bark.
”But Nancy isn't here!” quavered Bess.
Suddenly the little dog struck off for some underbrush and began barking excitedly.
CHAPTER XV.
Two Disappearances ”TOGO'S found something!” Bess exclaimed, following George, who was parting the bushes that separated them from the dog.
George uttered a startled exclamation as she came upon Nancy stretched out on the ground only a few feet away. Togo was licking his mistress's face as if begging her to regain consciousness.
Just as Hannah Gruen reached the spot, Nancy stirred and sat up. Seeing her dog, she reached over in a dazed sort of way to pat him.
”h.e.l.lo, Togo,” she mumbled. ”Who-How did you get here? Where am I?” Then, seeing her friends, she smiled wanly.
Observing that she had no serious injuries, they pressed her for an explanation.
”I don't know what happened,” Nancy admitted.
On the ground near the spot where the cabin road crossed another dirt road, she had found the familiar Three Branch insigne.
This time, a tiny arrow had been added. Without stopping to summon George, Nancy had hurried along the trail until she came upon another arrow.
A series of arrows had led her deeper into the woods. Finally she had come to a walnut tree nearly as large as the famous Humphrey Walnut.
The tree had a small hollow s.p.a.ce in its trunk. It contained no message, however. She had been about to turn back when a piece of paper on the ground had caught her eye. Examination had revealed that it was a half sheet torn from a catalog.
”It matched that sc.r.a.p of paper I found in the clearing near the Humphrey Walnut,” Nancy said.
Obviously the sheet had been ripped from the catalog of a supply house for magicians' equipment. One advertis.e.m.e.nt offered spirit smoke for sale.
While Nancy had been reading, she had heard footsteps and looked up. Through the woods, some distance up the path, she had seen a young woman approaching. Hastily Nancy stepped back, intending to hide behind the walnut tree.
At that moment something had struck her from behind.
”That's the last I remember,” she added ruefully.
”Who would do such a wicked thing?” Mrs. Gruen demanded in horror.
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