Salty's Plight

The three girls raced madly to the front wall of the estate. Clutching vines to pull themselves up, they reached the top and scrambled over. Then they paused for breath.

«What a narrow escape!» Nancy murmured. «Daniel Hector saw me!»

«Did he recognize you?» Bess asked. «We have never really been introduced and I only turned around briefly when I first realized he was there.»

«What did you do with the metal box?» Bess queried.

«I hid it. But not these.» Nancy produced the photographs and the diary from beneath her sweater. «I still have the evidence!» «Great!» George said. «But what's next? We're a long way from the boat.» After catching their breath, the girls debated what to do. They were worried about Salty and what might have happened to him. To reach him they would have to go far out of their way through jungle growth next to the estate. «And there's a chance,» said George, «he's in trouble and might not even be where we left him.»

«We'll have to return to town and rent a boat,» Nancy concluded.

The trio walked as fast as they could and made their way to the main highway. Bess pointed out that public transportation was infrequent along this route.

«Last time I was here I thought the bus would never come,» she said.

The girls waited impatiently for twenty minutes. They were almost in despair when Nancy saw a familiar car headed in their direction. «It's Lieutenant Masters!» she cried, holding up her hand to signal the officer. The young woman stopped. «Hop in,» she invited, and Nancy introduced her friends. «Did you go to Heath Castle?» the officer asked. «Yes,» Nancy said. «We found several good leads. In fact, we were following one this morning. Salty came with us.»

«Salty?»

«He's the singing clam digger of Muskoka River,» Bess explained. «We left him on the beach. He may be in the hands of the thieves by now!»

Quickly Nancy explained the situation and asked the officer if she could arrange to send out a police boat to rescue Salty. «I'd like to go along if they'll let me,» Nancy added. «I'm worried and feel responsible for him.»

«We'll go too, if we may,» put in George. Lieutenant Masters radioed headquarters. In a few minutes she had arranged for the girls to accompany the rescue party. «But be careful,» she warned them. «Meanwhile, I'll tell the chief to search for Biggs and Cobb.»

On their way to the police dock, Lieutenant Masters said that she had planned to stop at the Drew home to discuss the problem of Joan Fenimore and Teddy Hooper.

«I had hoped Joan wouldn't play with Teddy any more,» said Nancy.

«I'm inclined to think she may have tried not to,» the officer said slowly, «but - well, here's the story. Teddy really causes me more worry than a dozen other boys on my list. He hasn't been to school for three days. It does no good to talk to his mother. She always sides with Teddy. I'm convinced she's unsuited to look after him.» «I'll say she is,» George burst out, and told Lieutenant Masters about her stolen clothes. «We're sure he took them,» she concluded. Nancy said, «He's friendly with Biggs and Cobb.» She explained about Teddy and the two men at the castle.

The lieutenant listened seriously. «I'm afraid the boy may be a thief,» she agreed. «This morning I caught him trying to sell a pearl at Weatherby's curio shop. When I asked him where he had gotten it, he refused to answer me. Maybe he was the one who snatched your purse, Nancy. Anyway, when I took him home, his mother said she knew nothing about the pearl. Teddy finally said that Joan Fenimore had given it to him, but she denied this.»

«What a pity he's involved her,» Nancy said. «She's too nice a child.»

A few minutes later Lieutenant Masters pulled up to the dock, where two officers were waiting in a motorboat.

The girls were introduced to Lieutenant Carney, a stocky, muscular-looking man, and Officer Mellon, who was tall and soft spoken. The girls climbed aboard and the craft roared off. In a short time they reached the Heath estate. The rented motorboat was anchored in the same spot but there was no sign of Salty and his rowboat!

«He wouldn't have had time to row home,» Bess said, worried. «And we didn't pass him on the way.»

Lieutenant Carney cast anchor and everyone waded ashore. They started an intensive hunt. Before long George spotted the sailor lying motionless near the entrance to the cloister. She gasped. But suddenly he sat up and looked at her. «Thought ye'd never come,» he muttered. There was blood on his face and shirt. «Salty!» exclaimed Nancy, who had hurried over. «You're hurt!»

Her cry brought Lieutenant Carney on the run. Salty stood up and insisted he was all right, though he was somewhat unsteady. «What happened?» Nancy asked, and Lieutenant Carney pulled out his notebook. «I was diggin' for clams when a couple o'men an' a boy seemed to come right out o' nowhere. They asked me who I'd brought to the Heath gardens.»

«Did you tell them?» Bess asked. «No, but they said they'd beat me up if I didn't an' then go after the intruders themselves.» «I tried to argue 'em out o' it, but they was stubborn as mules. When they started to go after you, I tried to stop 'em.»

«But there were three against you!» George said.

«Ye're right. Fraid I got knocked out. But I come to pretty soon; in fact, just in time to see one o' the rascals takin' my boat.» Salty told how he had seen one man going through the section of wall with the stone steps beyond and decided to follow. But the sailor had gone no farther than the opening before everything went black again before his eyes. «Later I come to,» he said, «but I couldn't seem to move for a while. Somewhere in the garden I heard two men talkin'. Nancy, you must be very careful from now on,» he warned. «Those guys are plannin' to kidnap you!» Lieutenant Carney spoke up. «We'd better get back to headquarters, Salty. You can give us a description of the men there. Also I want you to see a doctor to make sure you're all right.» In a few minutes the police boat was skimming down the river with Salty aboard. Nancy and her friends took the rented craft back to Campbell's Landing, then headed home in her car. It was midaftemoon when Nancy reached her house. She found Mr. Drew there, looking through some old newspapers. He and Nancy ate a late lunch while she eagerly showed him the photographs and the diary from the Heath estate. «You certainly had an exciting time,» her father remarked. «But I have some interesting news, too.»

Nancy's eyes lighted with curiosity. «Something that will help solve the mystery, Dad?» Her father nodded. «It concerns Juliana's missing nurse.»

«Emily Foster?»

«Yes. I've located her. And here's the best part. Tomorrow morning she'll see you and tell you all she knows!»