The Message In The Hollow Oak Part 15

Both Bess and George expressed their deep concern for Nancy.

"Maybe you're not safe anywhere around here," Bess added.

Nancy, happy at being reunited with her friends, laughed it off. "Kit Kadle would have to be the world's best swimmer to get out to the towboat. I understand swimming in the Ohio is dangerous because of step-offs and strong undercurrents."

Presently the group reached the motel and the new arrivals added their bags to the other luggage. Together the eight visitors strolled around the small town. Many of the houses were modest frame structures, but on a lovely tree-lined street they found several Victorian mansions.

One stately red-brick house was open for inspection and they took the tour. As they walked through the handsome high-ceilinged rooms, Bess kept her eye on Art. It had not taken her long to realize that the young man had become very fond of Nancy and resented Ned's being there. She was intrigued at the way he found excuses to speak to Nancy whenever Ned was not nearby.

At first Ned did not seem to notice this, but he soon realized the situation. From then on the two boys did not say a word to each other.

"Hm!" Bess thought. "Here's a problem in jealousy!"

She decided to do something about it. While they were admiring the silver tea service in the dining room, Bess said to Art, "Julie Anne is a great girl, don't you think?"

"Why-uh-yes," he answered.

Nancy overheard the remark and was fearful something unpleasant might happen to ruin the trip. Quickly she interrupted.

"Art likes everybody, so it's hard for him to be nicer to one person than another."

The young man paused a moment. "I guess that's right," he replied and walked off.

Nancy took Bess aside. "Please don't say any more. Apparently you've seen a little tension here. I'm hoping Art will pay more attention to Julie Anne, but I can't rush it."

Bess nodded "I wouldn't want to start anything for the world."

Nancy and her friends had an early dinner at a small restaurant, then hailed a taxi. They picked up then luggage and the boys' sleeping bags, and rode to the rivertiont. A tugboat took them out a short distance to a white towboat with red trim. How spick and span it looked!

A broad-shouldered man with a ruddy face met them on a narrow deck and helped the girls aboard. "Welcome to the Sally O," he said. "I'm Captain Boge."

Ned introduced the visitors, and the captain led them into a galley. A pretty, middle-aged woman in a pink housedress was taking a pan of hot rolls from a s.h.i.+ny oven.

"This is our cook Mattie," said the captain. The woman chuckled. "I'm everything," she said. "Housemother and nurse, too. If you want anything let me know. And help yourselves to cake and fruit any time." She pointed to the food on the side counter.

"Oh, my diet!" moaned Bess.

The captain led his pa.s.sengers to an upper deck and showed them a deluxe double bedroom with its own adjoining lounge and bath.

"This is for the girls," he said. "You boys will use your sleeping bags on the afterdeck." He grinned. "If it rains you can duck into the engine room."

"This is great," said George. "I never knew towboats were so beautiful."

After freshening up and changing to pants suits, the girls joined the boys in the pilot house. Captain Boge was there. Before they could speak to him, the boat was suddenly shaken by a terrific jolt.

"Nothing to worry about," the captain a.s.sured them. "We're shaping up, that's all."

From the wide front window he pointed to a tugboat maneuvering the huge barges into position. Fascinated, the visitors watched the sure-footed crew roping them securely together.

"We call this wiring 'em up," said the captain. "It takes a long time because we have to be sure they all fit together and will ride without bucking."

At twilight the job was finished. The towboat started slowly upstream, pus.h.i.+ng fifteen barges ahead of it, three abreast. Some were empty, others filled with grain and coal.

Looking behind, the boys noted where the blue-gray water of the Ohio met the muddy Mississippi. "That's quite a sight," Dave remarked.

Ahead were low tree-lined banks. Soon these vanished into darkness.

Here and there the young people saw the lights of small towns or a brilliantly lighted cement plant on the sh.o.r.e. Now and then the red and green lights of another boat approached and the captain blew a deafening blast on his horn. At midnight the weary pa.s.sengers went to bed.

Around noon the next day Captain Boge said they were near Cave in Rock. He pointed out a quarry on the Illinois sh.o.r.e. "I'm leaving my bow barges off there, and taking on two others, so I'll be tied up a couple of hours. If you want to visit the cave, go out to that first barge and jump off when it's against the dock." He gave them directions to the rocky cavern.

The visitors followed his advice and walked along the edge from one barge to another until they came to the end. When this barge was maneuvered into place, the pa.s.sengers jumped off and started for Cave in Rock. They walked along the tree-lined bank. When it became rocky they climbed upward and soon emerged from the woods a few yards from the mammoth cave.

Nancy suddenly put up her hand for everyone to halt. "Listen!" she said. "I think I hear a cry for help."

CHAPTER XII.

Rewarding Search

As the eight friends stood listening, the cry was repeated.

"That sounds as if it came from up there somewhere," said Nancy. She pointed to the top of the bluff above the cave.

The group hurried up a series of stone steps at one side of the huge opening to the cliff top. n.o.body was around.

The searchers fanned out and looked in the surrounding woods but found no one, and finally met again at the foot of the steps.

"Somebody else may have discovered the person who needed help," Nancy suggested.

Ned looked at her searchingly. "Do you suppose the cry was made to get us up to the bluff and keep us away from Cave in Rock until someone who didn't want to be seen got out of there?"

Nancy agreed that this was possible. "But how could anyone know we were coming?" she asked.

Just then they saw a boy of fourteen racing across the top of the cliff and yelling. Apparently he was shouting to a friend.

"There's the answer," Nancy commented, then added, "Let's have a look at the cave now."

Following her and Ned, they all climbed up to the wide clearing in front of the huge cave mouth.

"I can see why this was a great place for pirates," Dave declared. "It's halfway between the bluff top and the river. With a lookout up on the cliff n.o.body could take them by surprise."

When the young people entered the shadowy cavern, their voices resounded strangely. They walked up the gradually sloping floor toward the rear.

"I've read about this place," said Julie Anne. "Prehistoric Indians used it, too. And in 1831 the cave was the hideout for a gang of counterfeiters."

Bess s.h.i.+vered. "And now maybe Nancy's enemies are staying in it."