The woman glanced up, startled. Nancy was
surprised to see that she was the woman from the
Black Snake Colony whom she had helped several
days before on the river trail! What she was do-
ing so far from her camp Nancy did not know,
but she was determined to make the most of the
opportunity at hand.
“Please get in,” Nancy urged, as the woman
hesitated. “I’m sure your foot must be paining
you. I notice that you are still limping.”
“Thanks,” the woman returned gratefully,
hobbling over to the car door which Nancy held
open for her. “I am in a hurry to get to town.”
Before stepping inside she looked quickly over
her shoulder as though fearing that someone
might observe her actions.
She sighed in relief and settled back, looking
very pale and exhausted.
“You weren’t intending to walk all the way to
town?” Nancy asked in a friendly, conversational
tone.
The woman nodded. “I had to get there some-
how.”
“But aren’t the members of your colony per-
mitted to use any of the cars I’ve seen around the
camp?” Nancy questioned, watching her compan-
ion closely and hoping that she might tactfully
glean some information.
“We aren’t allowed much freedom,” the
woman answered.
“You shouldn’t be walking on that foot yet,”
Nancy protested. “You’re apt to injure your
ankle permanently.”
“It’s nearly well now,” the woman told her,
avoiding Nancy’s eyes. “They didn’t know at the
camp that I was going to town. I-I left in a
hurry.”
Again the stranger cast an anxious glance over
her shoulder. “She obviously thinks she’s being
followed,” Nancy thought to herself. “Perhaps
she’s even running away!”
Nancy wanted to ask her companion a number
of questions but the woman’s aloofness discour-
aged her. Deciding on an entirely different
course, the young sleuth pretended not to pay
particular attention to the woman. For some time
they drove along in silence. Nancy could see that
her passenger was gradually relaxing and losing
her fear.
“Am I going too fast for you?” Nancy inquired,
thinking the time was right to launch the conver-
sation.
“Oh, no,” the woman returned quickly. “You
can’t go too fast for me.” She hesitated, and then
added, “I have an important letter to mail.”
“Why don’t you drop it in one of the roadside
mailboxes?” Nancy suggested casually. “The ru-
ral carrier will pick it up and save you a long
trip.”
“I want to get it off this morning if I possibly
can.”
“I’ll be glad to go to the post office and mail
it for you,” Nancy said, purposely drawing the
woman out.
“Thank you, but no,” the woman mumbled.
“I- I’d feel better if I did it myself.” As Nancy
did not reply, she said, “I don’t mean to be un-
grateful for all you’ve done-really I don’t. It’s
only that I mustn’t get you into trouble.”
“How could I get into trouble by helping
you?” Nancy asked with a smile.
“You don’t understand,” her companion re-
plied nervously. “There are things I can’t ex-
plain. The leaders of the colony will be very
angry with me if they find I have left even for a
few hours, and especially that I’ve mailed this let-
ter to my sister. The cult forbids communication
with the outside world.”
“I can’t understand why you tolerate such rigid
supervision,” Nancy said impatiently. “Why,
the leader of the cult must treat you as pris-
oners!”
“You’re not far from wrong,” the woman con-
fessed.
“Then why don’t you run away?”
The question startled the woman. She glanced
sharply at Nancy, then as quickly looked away.
“I would if I dared,” she said finally.
“Why don’t you dare?” Nancy challenged.
“I’ll help you.”
“No, you mustn’t get mixed up in this. Per-
haps later I can get away.”
“I don’t see what anyone can do to you if you
decide to leave the colony,” Nancy went on.
“Surely you’re a free person.”
“Not any more,” her companion returned
sadly. “I’m in it too deep now. I’ll have to go on
until Fate helps me.”
“I wouldn’t wait,” Nancy advised bluntly.
“Let me help you-right now!”
CHAPTER XIV
Disturbing Gossip