Part 26 (2/2)
”Maybe he's the person I heard,” Bess whispered.
”All the more reason for us to pretend to be leaving in case he's watching us,” George spoke up.
The girls left the ruins without turning on their lights, stumbling and falling over the debris. They went down the driveway, but before reaching the end, Nancy said, ”Let's leave the tools here, go into the woods, and sneak back toward the ruins.”
They hid the pick and shovels and retraced their steps. Nancy found a place behind a clump of bushes only a short distance from the ruins. The shrubs concealed the girls, yet disclosed a view of the driveway and the woods. Nancy and her friends settled themselves as comfortably as possible. But from the first, insects made it plain that they resented the intrusion.
A half hour pa.s.sed, then an hour. The girls were startled several times as twigs crackled or dead limbs of trees crashed in the breeze.
”The bugs have nearly eaten me up,” Bess complained, ”and my back feels as though it were broken.”
”You'll become paralyzed after another hour or so.” Nancy grinned.
”How long do you propose staying here?” George demanded. ”It must be almost midnight now.”
”It isn't ten o'clock yet.” Nancy laughed.
”Well, I don't think Mr. Raybolt is coming or he'd have been here by this time,” Bess said sleepily. ”Why don't we go home?”
”I want to stay a while longer,” Nancy returned quietly.
Again the girls became silent. Bess and George, having accustomed themselves to their hiding place, stretched out and left Nancy to keep watch. They were no longer nervous or afraid-only weary of an adventure which had gone stale.
Presently George became very quiet and then fell asleep. Bess's eyes closed, too, and soon she was in a deep sleep.
How long the cousins slept, they had no idea. But suddenly they were awakened by a scream, and the sound of running feet on the driveway.
”Nancy!” cried George, jumping up. ”What has happened?”
There was no answer.
”Nancy!” called Bess, grabbing George by the arm.
Still there was no answer, and the two girls realized that their friend was no longer with them. Where was she? Who had screamed? Who was coming up the road in such haste?
CHAPTER XX.
A Surprising Victory
WHILE the cousins had been asleep, Nancy had taken matters into her own hands. Her mind had been too active for her to feel sleepy. As she watched, first the woods, then the driveway, then the burned house, she suddenly became aware of footsteps.
”Maybe that's Ned,” she thought hopefully.
The masculine figure was still too far away for Nancy to be able to discern who it could be. While she waited with bated breath, the man paused. She was about to awaken Bess and George when it occurred to her that they might speak aloud and warn the oncoming figure of their presence.
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