accept their share of the counterfeit bills, they
would doubtless remove their masks. How would
the girls escape detection then?
Nancy realized the situation was becoming
more serious. She and her friends must escape
before the actual distribution of the money be-
gan. If only Al Snead would move away from the
door!
One thought comforted Nancy. Joanne was on
guard outside the cave. If worst came to worst and
escape was cut off, Joanne undoubtedly would be-
come alarmed and hurry back to the farmhouse
for help.
“We may have to make a dash for it!” Nancy
warned George in a whisper. “If that man moves
away from the door, be ready!”
Al Snead did not move, however, and it seemed
to the girls that he was watching them. They
wondered if their whispering had made him sus-
picious.
Bess trembled slightly, and moved nearer
Nancy. Maurice Hale had finished counting the
money, and, glancing over the assembly, an-
nounced in a commanding voice:
“Well, those of you who haven’t removed your
masks had better do it one by one. I want to be
sure no one is here who shouldn’t be!” He
pointed to Bess. “You first!”
Nancy and her friends felt themselves go cold.
They were trapped! There was nothing they
could do now but make a wild dash for safety.
“Readyl” Nancy muttered under her breath.
Before the girls could put their ideas into ac-
tion, they were startled by a loud commotion in
the tunnel. An instant later the guard, who had
been stationed at the entrance of the cave, burst
into the chamber. He was half dragging a young
girl who fought violently to free herself.
The victim was Joanne!
CHAPTER XVIII
Prisoners
Nancy’s first impulse was to dash forward and
try to help Joanne. But instantly she realized the
foolishness of such an act. George half started to-
ward Joanne, but Nancy restrained her.
“Wait!” she whispered tensely.
If the situation had been grave before, it was
even more serious now. With Joanne captured
there was no one to go for help! The girls must
depend entirely on themselves to escape from
the cave. No one at the farmhouse knew that they
were doing anything more than watching the
Black Snake Colony from a safe distance.
“Let me go!” Joanne cried, struggling to free
herself.
“Where did she come from?” Maurice Hale de-
manded unpleasantly.
“I saw her hiding among the bushes,” the
guard informed him. “She was spying! But she
got just a little too curious!”
“Spying, eh?” A harsh expression crossed the
leader’s face. “Well, we know what to do with
snoopers!”
“It’s all a mistake,” Joanne murmured, on the
verge of tears. “I didn’t mean any harm. I’m Mrs.
Byrd’s granddaughter and I was merely curious to
know more about the cult.”
Even as Joanne spoke, her eyes traveled about
the room, noting the stacks of money and the
queer printing presses. She tried not to show that
she understood their significance, but it was too
late. The leader had seen her startled expression.
“So?” he drawled smartly. “This time your
curiosity has been the means of getting you into
serious trouble. You’ll learn, by the time we get
through with you, not to meddle in affairs that
don’t concern you!” He turned quickly to Snead.
“Al, see that no one leaves this room!”
“Yes, Chief,” the guard answered.
Nancy wondered what he had in mind. Just
then Maurice Hale continued in a cold, harsh
voice:
“Just to make sure that other spies haven’t
been pulling a fast one on us, I’ll have everyone
remove his mask at once. Be mighty quick about
it tool”
“No!” Bess whimpered aloud. Then, realizing
what she had done, she covered her mouth and
sank back against the wall.
All heads turned in her direction. Nancy and
her friends had deliberately delayed in removing
their masks, but now Nancy knew their effort to
gain time was doomed.
With Al Snead still blocking the door, things
looked black. Most of the others already had
stripped off their headgear.
In addition to Maurice Hale and Al Snead,
Nancy immediately recognized Yvonne Wong
and Pete, the man who had spoken to her on the