“The 2 we think means B!”
George sat up. “You mean the B with the wavy
line over it might signify the Black Snake Col-
ony?”
“Yes. Oh, George, this connects the Hale Syn-
dicate with the nature cult here. Now the mes-
sage reads: “Maurice Hale calling Black Snake
Colony meeting-”
“And the 18. How about that?” George asked.
—
“Not too hard to guess, George. The 18 is the
letter R, and could stand for Red Gate Farm.”
“Nancy, you’re a whiz, as I’ve often told you,”
her friend declared.
The young sleuth smiled, then said wistfully,
“If I could only have had another second to copy
the next few numbers, I might have known the
exact time.”
“What happens now? Will you notify the po-
lice?”
At that instant Nancy and George heard soft
birdcalls. “No time to phone now,” Nancy said.
She grabbed two of the costumes and dashed
from the room. George followed with the others.
As prearranged, the girls left by the kitchen door
to avoid the boarders. Mrs. Byrd had been told
that the girls might go up the hillside to watch
if the nature cult put on a performance.
Nancy and George joined the other girls and
they all scurried toward the woods. It was very
dark beneath the dense canopy of trees, and Bess
gripped Nancy’s arm. Joanne was familiar with
every path and led the way toward the hillside.
A weird cry broke the stillness. Involuntarily
the girls halted and moved closer together.
“What-was-that?” Bess chattered.
“Only some wild animal,” Nancy reassured
her. “Come on!” she urged. “We must hurry or
we’ll miss the ritual!”
The girls went through the dark forest as fast
as they could. The moon was rising, and ghostly
rays of light filtered through gaps in the foliage
overhead. A faint breeze stirred the leaves into
what seemed like menacing whispers. The girls
finally reached the river trail and followed it.
“We must be careful now,” Nancy warned in a
low voice. “We’re drawing near the colony. The
cult may have a lookout stationed during the
night ceremonies.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Joanne murmured.
“I almost wish I hadn’t come,” Bess whispered
nervously. “I had no idea it would be this dark.”
“What were you expecting at nine-thirty at
night?” George chided in as low a tone as possi-
ble.
“It will be lighter when the moon rises higher,”
Joanne told her. “Still-if you want to turn
back-”
“No, I’m going through with this masquerade
if the rest of you are!” Bess retorted stalwartly.
Nancy hoped fervently it would remain a mas-
querade. She was firmly convinced now that the
Black Snake group were unscrupulous people
working with, or at least friendly with Maurice
Hale. Nancy now felt convinced that the mystic
rites were nothing but a sham.
Fortunately, for Nancy’s purpose, the hillside
was covered with large rocks as well as dense
shrubs which would provide temporary hiding
places. As the girls stole cautiously up the steep
path, they could see cult members still congregat-
ing.
“We’re in plenty of time,” she thought.
The girls separated, George and Bess crouch-
ing behind a huge rock. Joanne and Nancy took
cover behind a heavy growth of shrubs and tall
grass.
For nearly ten minutes the girls watched as
figures milled about the hillside. Then they
heard the sound of cars approaching.
“They must be coming up through the pasture
again,” Joanne said, listening intently.
An instant later she and Nancy saw the head-
lights of three automobiles.
“Look!” Joanne tugged at Nancy’s sleeve.
“More members are coming out of their tents!”
The two girls watched the white-robed figures
walking slowly toward the brow of the hill, where
the three automobiles had parked.
“I wonder if one of the newcomers is Maurice
Hale,” Nancy thought.
She and Joanne were too far away to hear what
was being said, but they could see distinctly.
They watched as a group of men and women,
twelve in number, stepped from the cars. Nancy
could not distinguish any of their faces.
The new arrivals quickly donned white gar-
ments and headgear similar to the outfits Nancy
and her friends had made, then joined the other