The strange woman in Nancy’s car seemed to
waver for a moment, as if about to accept the
girl’s offer of help. Then she shook her head.
“No, I won’t drag you into it!” she said with
finality. “You don’t know what you’d be getting
into if you helped me. Why, if they even learn
that you’ve aided me in mailing this letter-”
Nancy saw the woman shudder. For one fleet-
ing instant she, too, felt afraid-afraid of some-
thing she could not define.
The young sleuth realized that the woman was
trying to warn her of danger. Nancy knew the
wise thing to do was forget all about the nature
cult and the strange things which apparently
went on in the hillside cave. Yet, she felt that she
was on the verge of discovering an important
secret.
Nancy’s companion was obviously relieved
when the car rounded a bend and brought them
within sight of town. “If you’ll just drop me off
at the post office, I’ll be most grateful,” the
woman said.
“May I take you back with me?” Nancy asked.
“I’ll be returning in less than an hour.”
“No, I’ll walk back.”
Nancy saw that it was useless to protest and let
the matter rest. She made no comment.
After leaving her passenger in front of the post
office. Nancy continued down the main street to
the supermarket. Later, while she waited in the
check-out line to pay for her groceries, two
women took their places behind her. They were
talking earnestly together, and did not pay any
attention to Nancy. She, in turn, did not notice
them until one of the shoppers began to speak on
a startling subject.
“It beats me the way those people carry on,”
she heard one of them say. “You’d think Mrs.
Byrd would turn them out!”
Instantly Nancy became alert.
“I suppose she needs the money,” the other
woman responded, “but someone should speak to
her about it. The idea of those folks capering
around in bedclothes! They must be crazy!”
“That’s just what I think!” the first woman re-
marked. “If I lived near that farm I wouldn’t feel
safe! And I don’t think it’s decent for a law-
abiding community like ours to have folks like
that around. I’m going to get a big group together
and call on Mrs. Byrd to tell her what we think,
of her!”
“I’ll certainly join you,” the woman said.
Nancy felt the situation was becoming serious;
that the criticism of Mrs. Byrd would grow even
sharper. It the two women carried out their
threat, the consequences might be very unpleas-
ant. Prospective Red Gate boarders might change
their minds! The colony might take reprisals!
“One thing is certain,” Nancy decided. “Our
costumes must be ready by tonight in case the
colony members have a meeting.”
She paid for the groceries and went directly to
the material shop, where she bought several
yards of white muslin, then started for home.
Driving back to Red Gate Farm, Nancy kept a
sharp lookout for the woman from the Black
Snake Colony, but she was nowhere along the
road. “I wish I could have talked to her more. It
might have helped in my plan to attend the
ceremony.”
Joanne, Bess, and George were just returning
from the woods with pails brimming over with
luscious-looking berries when Nancy drove into
the barnyard. As they started to help her carry
in the packages, Karl Abbott Jr. rushed gallantly
from the house to assist. He glanced curiously at
the soft, fat one which Nancy kept tucked under
her arm, but she did not give any explanation of
its contents. Besides, the elder Mr. Abbott and
Mrs. Salisbury were within hearing distance.
Immediately after a late lunch and some pleas-
ant conversation with the guests. Nancy excused
herself and summoned the other girls to her
room. There she unwrapped the material and
brought out scissors, needles, and thread.
“We must work like mad,” she said, “in case
there’s a meeting tonight.”
With great excitement and anticipation she cut
out the first costume which was to serve as an en-
tering wedge to the nature-cult ceremonial. As
Nancy worked, she told the story of her adven-