The Golden Charms

«OH, NANCY, I worry so about your doing that trick riding,» remarked Hannah Gruen, looking fondly at the slender, attractive girl in jodhpurs and tight-fitting coat.

Eighteen-year-old Nancy Drew was about to leave the house for a morning riding lesson. She had paused to look at the mail on the front-hall table.

«Who knows, Hannah, the trick riding may come in handy some day when I have a mystery to solve,» she replied to the Drews' housekeeper. Putting an arm affectionately about plump Mrs. Gruen, who had acted as mother to her since Mrs. Drew's death many years before, Nancy added with a smile:

«If you're worrying about my safety, I haven't had a spill in months. Señ or Roberto is too good a teach— Why, look!» she interrupted herself. «Here's a letter and the mystery package from New York!»

«What do you mean, Nancy?»

«Didn't I tell you, Hannah? Aunt Eloise sent a card saying she was mailing me a gift that has an unusual story.»

Nancy opened the letter from her aunt and began to read part of it aloud:

«—and the shopkeeper, who purchased it while on a buying trip in Europe, said it had been presented to a woman circus performer by a queen who loved horses. For some unknown reason the performer had to sell it but would not reveal her true identity. According to the story, however, she needs help badly—»

As Nancy paused, Hannah Gruen remarked with a sigh, «And I suppose that you're going to try to find this circus performer and help her out of her troubles. That's what you always do. Well, open the box and let's see what the mysterious gift is.»

Nancy unwrapped several layers of tissue paper before she came to Aunt Eloise's present. Then, holding up an exquisite gold bracelet, she exclaimed:

«Look at all those darling little horse charms on it! One, two, three, four, five of them! Oh, oh, a sixth one is missing.»

«It doesn't matter,» said Hannah. «The bracelet's beautiful enough without the other horse.»

«Yes, it's perfectly lovely.»

Nancy slipped the dainty bracelet over her wrist and held up her arm to look at the effect. The tiny horses gleamed in the light and seemed almost alive, they were so perfectly wrought. Each displayed a different gait, and all were gracefully poised.

«I wonder which gait the sixth horse had.» Nancy mused.

«There are only five, aren't there?» Mrs. Gruen asked.

«Yes. It's possible the missing figure wasn't a horse at all,» Nancy said.

Turning the bracelet around and around, Nancy continued to admire it and to scrutinize the piece of jewelry thoroughly for any sign of a clue to the original owner—the person who now, according to the story, needed help. There were no initials on the bracelet, and the simple scroll design on the wristlet did not seem to indicate that the engraving contained the answer to the secret.

«Do you suppose the circus performer was a European?» Nancy asked, «or an American who was acting over there?»

«Now, Nancy,» said Mrs. Gruen, «you know I wouldn't have the least idea.»

The girl's blue eyes suddenly sparkled and she snapped her fingers. «I can start sleuthing right away by asking Señ or Roberto some questions. You know, he used to be with Sims' Circus.»

«Yes, and I wish he'd never left it and opened that riding academy here in River Heights,» Hannah declared. «Then you wouldn't have learned how to ride without a saddle and jump onto a moving horse and—»

Nancy laughed. «It's fun. And by the way, did you know Sims' Circus is coming to town tomorrow?»

«You bet it is,» said a young voice from the back of the hall.

The others turned to see six-year-old Teddy Brown, a neighbor, who had come in the back way. The red-haired, freckle-faced boy was grinning broadly.

«And don't forget, Nancy,» he went on, «you promised to take me to see the circus men put up the tents and everything.»

«That's right, Teddy. We'll leave your house at five o'clock tomorrow morning.» Nancy tweaked his nose affectionately. «That's very early. Sure you'll be up?»

«You bet! I'll be seeing you at five tomorrow morning.»

The youngster ran off as quickly as he had appeared. As the back screen door slammed behind him, Nancy removed the bracelet and handed it to Hannah Gruen.

«Please put this away for me,» she requested. «I shan't be gone long.»

«And promise me you'll be careful,» the housekeeper pleaded. «I wouldn't want your father to come home from his trip and find that you—»

«Don't say it, Hannah!»

Nancy kissed her and promised to be careful. Seated in her blue convertible, her blond hair blowing in the soft summer breeze as she drove along, Nancy made a charming picture. But her expression was serious and her thoughts were on the circus performer. The young detective wondered what kind of misfortune she had met.

Ten minutes later Nancy parked the car in the driveway of the riding academy and walked to Señ or Roberto's office. Hitch, the stableman, greeted her in his usual glum manner. The groom, whom Nancy knew only by his nickname, never changed his dour expression.

«The boss ain't here,» he muttered.

«When will Señ or Roberto return?»

«How should I know?» the unpleasant man grumbled. He suddenly shook his finger at Nancy. «If you know what's good for you, Miss Drew, you'll stay away from circus ridin'.»

«Circus riding?» Nancy asked, puzzled. «I haven't been doing any circus riding.»

«Yes, you have, too.» Hitch's voice was rising angrily. «That's what Roberto tries on everybody who shows a leanin' for it. But I'm tellin' you, quit it! Stop now! Right now!»

Nancy stared in amazement at Hitch, whose eyes were blazing. What could be back of his outburst, she wondered. A hatred of Roberto?

«Nobody what ain't been brought up in a circus has got any right to try imitatin' circus folks!» Hitch shouted. «I tell you—»

The tirade ended abruptly when the stableman saw Señ or Roberto walking across the outdoor riding ring toward his office. The irate helper ambled off, saying he would bring her mare. Nancy stepped outside.

«Good afternoon, Miss Drew,» the riding master said with a smile. «Sorry to be late.»

«I didn't mind waiting,» Nancy replied. «Hitch and I were talking. He—er—seemed a bit upset.»

«About the circus, no doubt,» Roberto commented. «Hitch will never get over his dismissal from Sims'. He doesn't talk about much else.»

«I presume he's rather keyed up because the circus is coming here tomorrow,» Nancy remarked.

«To tell you the truth, Miss Drew, Hitch is beside himself. He has declared he won't go near it, but I wonder if he can resist. Anyway, I'm going. I want to see what acts they have now and say hello to my old friends.»

As Roberto finished speaking, Hitch led Nancy's mare into the ring. The beautiful gray horse nuzzled the girl as she stroked the animal's velvety nose and murmured:

«Belgian Star, you sweet old thing! We're going to have a good lesson today.»

Nancy swung into the saddle and walked her horse counterclockwise several times around the ring. Then Señ or Roberto called out:

«Trot!»

Automatically, Nancy sat still for a few strides, then started posting, remembering to take the up motion when the mare's left foreleg was forward in order to get the correct diagonal. The riding master smiled in satisfaction at the rhythm and grace of Nancy's performance.

Next came the canter. Half an hour later, Nancy was ready for stunt riding. First, Hitch removed the saddle, looking darkly at Nancy as he carried it away.

Once more she mounted the horse, this time with only the blanket between her and the mare. Nancy slapped her gently on the flank and the horse began to canter slowly. Being an ex-circus horse, Belgian Star was considerate of her rider.

She seemed to know just the right speed to use, too, as Nancy stood up on the mare's back. Keeping her balance, Nancy went twice around the enclosure. On the third lap she caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure crouching on the ground outside the split-rail fence.

The next moment, a rock sailed through the air directly at Belgian Star's head. The horse reared almost straight up, and Nancy was thrown off.