Nancy Drew #31. The Ringmaster’s Secret. Carolyn Keene

She walked off, heading for a pay telephone which hung on the wall. Since she had no coins, Nancy called to Ned to bring her some.

“I’ll call Chief McGinnis for you,” he offered. “See if you can get anything out of Hitch.”

Returning to the prisoner, Nancy asked him why he had tried to strangle her with the whip at the circus.

The man’s eyes nearly bulged from his head. “How’d you know I did that?” he asked.

Nancy did not reply. Instead she asked, “You know the police are looking for you. If you had no reason to run away, why did you leave Señor Roberto’s employ?”

“I don’t have to work here if I don’t want to,” Hitch said stubbornly.

“Did you have any reason for throwing the stone at me and injuring the rider at the circus, except that you don’t like people to do trick riding?” Nancy questioned the man.

“I ain’t talkin’.”

Ned returned in a few moments. He told Nancy that Chief McGinnis himself was coming out to the riding academy to take charge of Hitch. While waiting for his arrival, Nancy and Ned discussed the case. Presently Ned remarked:

“I’m surprised that a stable with such valuable horses as these would be left unguarded.”

“You’re right,” said Nancy. “Roberto has an apartment upstairs, you know. He must be away.”

The more Nancy thought about this, the more she became convinced that Roberto would not leave the stable unguarded. If he were going to absent himself, he would arrange for some friend to stay there.

“Ned,” she said, “I’m worried. Would you mind going upstairs? I’d like to be sure that Roberto is not here.”

Ned looked at her, reading the ominous thought in her mind. Without answering, he clicked on a second-floor light and dashed up a pair of narrow stairs which led from the stable. A moment later he cried out:

“Nancy, come up here quick!”

CHAPTER XIV

The Clue in the Scrapbook

The sight that met Nancy’s eyes as she reached the second floor of the academy made her wince. On the floor lay Señor Roberto, bound and gagged!

He wore no shirt and across his chest, as well as his face and neck, were a series of red, angry welts. Apparently he had been cruelly whipped!

By now, Ned had removed the gag. Nancy sprang forward to help untie the bonds that held the man’s arms close to his side. Next, they cut the cords which bound his ankles together.

“I’ll get some water,” Nancy offered, “and see if I can find the first-aid kit.”

“I think Roberto should go to a hospital,” Ned told her.

“The police will be here any minute. Perhaps they’ll take him,” she suggested.

On the first floor of the stable Nancy found a first-aid kit. She carried it upstairs and used an antiseptic salve on the riding master’s welts. Ned gave him a dose of aromatic spirits of ammonia.

But Roberto did not regain consciousness and both were relieved when Captain McGinnis and two policemen arrived. Since Hitch was well tied up, they turned their attention to Señor Roberto.

“This man is in bad shape,” the chief remarked. “Clem,” he said, addressing one of his men, “drive Señor Roberto to the hospital at once, and then return here.”

The two policemen carried the riding master to their car and drove off.

Chief McGinnis now turned his attention to Hitch. He asked Nancy and Ned if the man were responsible for Roberto’s condition.

“We haven’t had a chance to ask him,” said Nancy. “We just found Señor Roberto a few minutes ago.”

The chief, with Ned’s help, removed the straps from the groom and the officer began to interrogate him. Hitch insisted that he knew nothing about what had happened to Roberto. The officer tried a new tack:

“Suppose you tell your whole story and you’d better stick to the truth. It’ll go easier with you in court.”

Hitch became sullen and for several minutes would say nothing. But after Chief McGinnis had shot questions and accusations at him for nearly ten minutes, Hitch finally broke down. Suddenly he screamed:

“I hate Sims’ Circus and everybody in it!”

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