The Clue In The Old Stagecoach Part 15

Nancy looked directly at Audrey Monteith. "I really must ask you to leave," she said firmly. She walked to the door. When they still did not come, she went into the hall. The Monteiths realized their dismissal was complete and finally followed her. As soon as they were outside, Nancy stepped back in and bolted the door.

"Such pests!" she thought, and went into the girls' room.

Her friends were peeling off their costumes, but thinking that the Monteiths might be listening outside, made no comment regarding the couple.

"I brought up a letter for you, Nancy," said George. "It's on the bureau."

Nancy picked it up. "Ned Nickerson!" she told herself. "Good!" Ned, an Emerson College student, had been dating Nancy for many months and had helped her solve several mysteries.

Nancy was delighted with the contents of the letter. Ned had written that he and possibly Burt, who dated George, and Dave, a special friend of Bess's, would come to Camp Merriweather for a couple of days at the beginning of the next week.

"That's just a few days from now!" Nancy thought.

After Bess and George had removed their "Monteith" make-up and were putting on sports-type evening dresses, Nancy peeked into the hall. Their unwelcome callers had disappeared. Coming back, she told the girls what Ned had written.

Instantly Bess, blus.h.i.+ng a little, said, "Yum, that's super news." And George added, "It sure is. But, Nancy, what are you going to do about Rick?"

Nancy pretended to look worried, then said, "Some situations just solve themselves."

Before the girls left the room, George asked, "Nancy, what do you think the Monteiths are up to?"

The girl detective admitted that she was completely puzzled, except that the couple seemed to want to know where she, Bess, and George would be at all times.

"And that gives me an idea," Nancy said. "Why don't we turn the tables and shadow those two for a change?"

"Hypers!" said George. "Why didn't we think of that before? It's a swell idea."

It was decided that as soon as they met Rick, Jack, and Hobe, they would take the boys into their confidence and ask them to do a little spying. Among the three couples they were to keep the Monteiths in sight at all times.

Rick and the other boys were delighted with the plan and Rick remarked, "We thought it was high time you let us know where you've been running off to."

After dinner, while the three couples were talking in the lobby, the Monteiths walked up to them. In their conversation, Nancy and her friends tried to make it appear as if they could hardly wait for the orchestra to start playing and that they would be the last ones to leave the garden when the music stopped. Nancy wondered if it were her imagination or did Ross and Audrey seem to heave a sigh of satisfaction at hearing this?

At intervals during the evening the three couples met and exchanged information. Audrey and Ross were being elusive, darting in and out of the hotel, among the dancers, and even into the woods beyond. It was noticeable that they danced with no one else and even chatted very little with other people.

"I'm sure they're planning something," George remarked with determination.

"Yes, we mustn't lose them," Nancy replied.

A few minutes later as she and Rick were dancing near a path that led from the garden directly to the parking lot, they saw Ross and Audrey suddenly leave the dance floor and disappear. A moment later they emerged onto the path leading to the parking lot.

"There they go!" Nancy told her partner, and together they hurried up the path after the couple.

"I'll go down to the main road and watch which way they turn, while you get your car," Rick offered.

Within a minute Nancy had joined him at the entrance. He jumped in, pointing to the right. "That's their car down there. They sure left in a hurry."

Nancy put up the top of the convertible to make the automobile less conspicuous, then sped after them. The Monteiths headed directly for the road near which the explosion had taken place that afternoon. They pulled the car to the side of the road and turned off the lights.

As Nancy came closer, Rick said, "There they go across that field."

"They must be heading for the spot where the cave-in was," Nancy remarked.

She found a place a short distance in back of the Monteiths' car where she could park the convertible without its being seen by them should they return. Then she and Rick jumped out and started to follow the couple. Each carried a flashlight but were afraid to turn them on for fear of being discovered. There was moonlight, although it was obscured at times by clouds.

About halfway to the cave-in, Nancy suddenly stopped and whispered, "Someone's behind us."

"And someone's at that cave-in to meet the Monteiths!" said Rick.

The couple wondered if they would be trapped. Rick, wis.h.i.+ng to protect Nancy from any harm, felt they should hurry away. But the young sleuth was determined to find out what was going on.

"It's okay with me," said Rick. "You keep looking ahead and I'll try to spot the person in back of us."

"All right," said Nancy. "And we mustn't forget how voices carry. Perhaps we'd better not talk any more."

Silently the two moved ahead until they were very close to the cave-in. Now they could hear two men's voices and knew that the Monteiths had met someone.

By this time the person following Nancy and Rick seemed much closer. Instinctively Nancy and Rick looked around for a place to hide. There was none. Nancy signaled to Rick that their only chance to keep from being seen by the oncoming person was to drop to the ground and remain motionless in the tall gra.s.s.

Seconds after they had done this, a tall, well-built stranger stalked by them. Apparently he was not aware of their presence, for he did not stop. He joined the other three at the cave-in and more conversation went on. To her disappointment, Nancy could not distinguish a word.

"I'm sure something sinister is afoot," she thought. "I must find out what it is!"

She began to inch forward along the ground to reach a better listening post. Rick followed.

CHAPTER XII.

The Rescue

Quickly and silently Nancy and Rick pulled themselves to the edge of the cave-in. Looking into the gaping hole, they saw Ross and Audrey Monteith and the tall stranger making their way down the side. The trio's flashlights were being beamed in all directions. There was no sign of the first man and Nancy and Rick decided he must have left.

"I wonder what those three are looking for," Nancy asked herself.

Ross was tapping his cane here and there. Sometimes he would leave it in one spot for several seconds. Rick's eyes were glued on this maneuver.

"I wish I could get my hands on that cane," he told himself. "It's not an ordinary one. If it doesn't contain a Geiger counter, there's something else inside."

As the trio reached the bottom of the cave-in, they started to talk. Nancy and Rick did their best to hear what was being said but nothing intelligible came to their ears except one phrase:

"We'll have to try another place."

What could this mean? Nancy wondered. Were the trio merely searching for something much as looters might? Or was there more to it? Nancy's mind even toyed with the idea that the Monteiths and their friend had caused the explosion hoping to find something. Having failed to uncover whatever they were looking for, were they going to attempt another dynamiting?

"I'm probably letting my imagination run away with me," Nancy thought. "Anyway, I've told the police my suspicions."

The young sleuth tried to convince herself that she had done her part. But the thought kept recurring to her that perhaps she should get in touch with the authorities again.