hard that she nearly cried out in pain.
Precious minutes were lost as she carefully felt
along walls for a door to the grounds. At last her
efforts were rewarded. With a deep sigh of relief,
she rushed into the open.
“What an adventure!” Nancy shuddered.
“Now if only I can find George and Bess!”
Nancy made her way back to the tool house.
It was empty. From there she walked toward the
main gate, but because of weed-grown paths and
treacherous rocks it took her quite a while before
she saw the vague outline of a wall ahead of her.
“I hope it’s close to the gate,” she thought.
“Oh-”
Something was moving through the bushes. In
an instant the stillness was broken by the sharp
barking of dogs.
“Can I make it?” Nancy wondered. She leaped
for the wall and scrambled up just as the two
hounds arrived. Breathlessly she dropped to the
other side. Five minutes later she came to the car.
To her amazement and delight George was hud-
dled on the back seat. She was half asleep.
“George!”
The girl sat bolt upright. “Nancy!”
“I’m so sorry I left you,” Nancy apologized,
then asked, “Where’s Bess?”
“Gone to get your father. What in the world
happened to you?”
“Plenty. But first, tell me what time Bess left.”
“It seems hours ago. It’s a long walk to a bus
or a phone. Somebody should be here any minute,
though.”
As the girls sat in the car, they told each other
their adventures.
“After Bess left,” George concluded, “I heard
a noise in the distance. I hid in the bushes near
the gate. Mr. Hector drove out. While he was
locking the gate, I peeked into his car to see if
you were there. I really expected you to be lying
on the floor, bound and gagged!”
“I was a prisoner, all right, but not tied up.”
“I’d like to find the boy who took my clothes,”
George said grimly.
“Did you recognize him?”
“I never saw him before. He was about twelve
years old. But I’d like to wring his neck.”
“I spotted him from the tower,” Nancy said.
“He looked like Teddy Hooper, but I’m not
sure.”
George changed the subject. “Where do you
suppose that man in the tower came from. No one
besides Hector drove in here.”
“He must have entered from the beach, the way
the boy did,” Nancy replied.
Headlights cut the darkness. Was it Carson
Drew? Or was Daniel Hector returning?
The two girls ducked out of sight. The car
stopped and Bess alighted.
“Why, George is gone!” she exclaimed.
“No, she isn’t,” her cousin spoke up, coming
out of hiding.
Nancy was already running to the car from
which her father had stepped. In an instant she
was in his arms.
“Why, Dad, you’re trembling!” she said.
“Nancy, Nancy, I’m so glad to see you. You
gave me such a fright. Where-?”
“I’m sorry I made a mess of things,” his daugh-
ter apologized. “But maybe you’ll forgive me
when you hear what happened.”
“Tell me about it on the way back. Bess can
drive George and herself home in your car. We’ll
follow them, and you can take the car the rest of
the way.”
On the drive to River Heights Mr. Drew lis-
tened to Nancy’s story without comment. “I’m
convinced,” she concluded, “that a group is
searching for something at Heath Castle. The
walls there aren’t crumbling from age. They’re
being tampered with!”
“I agree it looks mighty suspicious,” Mr. Drew
said. “And Daniel Hector seems to be involved.
But suppose you put the whole case out of your
mind until you’ve had a square meal.”
Upon reaching home, Nancy went directly to
the kitchen. Hannah Gruen, who had been nearly
beside herself with worry, embraced the girl.
“You poor child!” she said. “I’ll fix you a warm
supper right away.”
Hannah hastened to prepare the meal. Too
hungry to wait, Nancy helped herself to a glass of
milk and a few cookies. As she ate and drank, she
related her adventure to the housekeeper.
“Oh, Nancy!” Mrs. Gruen sighed. “Your love
of mystery will prove your undoing! You must be