The Message In The Hollow Oak Part 23

"I see what you mean."

Ned insisted upon going first but told Nancy to stay close behind. As the couple advanced deep into the wooded area, they saw the stolen camper.

"You'd better stay out of sight while I investigate," Ned told Nancy. "If those thieves are around, they may try to harm you. They didn't see me last night so I could pretend I was just walking in here."

No one was in sight and a knock on the rear of the camper brought no response. Nancy climbed up to the driver's seat to see if she could find a clue.

"The keys are in the ignition," she called down. "Ned, we'd better take them and phone the police."

Ned agreed this was the thing to do. He pocketed the keys and the couple rode back to Walmsley. Nancy telephoned State Police Headquarters. The same officer whom she had talked to before answered.

"This is Nancy Drew again," she said. "I found the camper in a patch of woods about five miles outside of Walmsley. It's on the right going toward the dig."

The captain was astounded and said he would send two men over at once. "You and your friend had better wait in Walmsley and meet them."

The time went by quickly. When the officers arrived in a car, Nancy and Ned climbed aboard the motorcycle, and led the way to the hidden spot.

There was still no one around the camper. The troopers made a search for footprints but learned little.

Finally one said, "I'll drive this camper into town." He told his partner to take the police car. Nancy and Ned walked back to the road and went off on the motorcycle.

Everyone at the dig was eager to find out what they had learned about the intruders. The story amazed them.

Bess murmured, "To think that those horrible men were so near us all last night! Goodness only knows where they are now. Maybe very close!"

Burt and Dave as well as George had become intrigued with the art of digging. Theresa had explained to them how to go about it.

After lunch Nancy asked them if they would like to continue working there instead of searching for the hollow oak.

"Do you mind?" George spoke up.

"Of course not," she answered.

Bess wanted to make some special dessert for supper and begged to be excused from the sleuthing trip.

Julie Anne spoke up. "Art and I would love to go with you and Ned," she said. "He'll be here any minute."

Nancy said she thought this would be great. But deep in her heart she wondered if it would be. Or would a strained atmosphere develop? She did not reveal her thoughts and directly after lunch the four started off. Ned drove the old truck near the place where they had seen the spearheads.

"Wait here," Nancy requested. "I want to run down that incline and see if the spearheads are still there."

She found that they were, and was leaning more and more to the theory that Bob Snell had intended them to be a guide or signal. She returned to the others.

"Since the row points in an easterly direction, let's go that way to look for Bob," Nancy suggested.

Ned chuckled. "This is the end of our smooth ride," he told Julie Anne and Art. "From here on expect some bruises!"

He turned off the road, went down the incline, and through a field from which oats had been harvested. The truck b.u.mped along. On the far side of the farmland Ned turned left around a patch of thick woods through which the vehicle could not go. Nancy spotted an overgrown footpath. The four young people climbed out of the truck and followed it.

Suddenly they emerged at the edge of a huge rocky pit. "It's an abandoned quarry," Ned remarked.

"And full of icky water," Julie Anne added.

Nancy was looking toward a sign near the far end of the old quarry. She hurried over to see what it said. The words had been crudely painted. The young detective caught her breath as she read:HOLLOW OAK AND ITS TREASURE AT

BOTTOM OF PIT.

CHAPTER XVII.

Unexpected Plunge

THE four searchers stared at the sign which had been stuck into the ground near the edge of the quarry.

"It can't be true," Ned said. "If anyone had found the treasure, why would he throw it into the water?"

They all gazed below. The water was murky and full of lime.

Art went over to examine the sign more closely. Presently he remarked that it looked newly painted.

"But by whom?" Julie Anne asked. "Nancy, what's your theory?"

"I have two," the young detective answered. "One is that the printing was done by Kit Kadle. He hoped that if I got this far, my search for the hollow oak would stop here. It means he must be somewhere in the vicinity."

"And what's your other theory?" Art queried.

"That when Bob Snell was kidnapped, he was brought past here and his abductors put up the sign to fool us so we wouldn't go looking for their hideout."

Nancy said she could not believe her search for Bob and for the hollow oak had ended in failure. "I'm going on farther to investigate!"

"But which way?" Ned asked.

While Nancy was thinking this over, the young people heard a crackling of twigs. Turning, they saw a huge dog bounding in their direction. Now he began to bark excitedly.

"He looks vicious!" Julie Anne exclaimed.

Everyone gazed around for a place to get out of his way. There was none. They had taken only a few steps when the great dog reached them. In a sudden lurch he leaped on Nancy. She lost her balance, stumbled backward, and fell into the quarry!

Julie Anne screamed. She and the boys watched, horror-stricken, as Nancy hit the water and disappeared.

Ned started down the steep embankment, while Art yanked a coil of wire from a pocket. Using it as a whip, he finally drove off the attacking dog. As it ran away, whimpering, Nancy's head appeared above the water.

"Oh, Nancy! Thank goodness!" cried Julie Anne. She was near tears.

"Are you all right?" Ned called down.

"Yes," Nancy replied. "Is everybody okay? Where's the dog?"