A Suspicious Groom

ON THE far side of the ring Señ or Roberto had witnessed the accident in alarm and dismay. He rushed toward Nancy, who lay still on the turf where she had fallen. As he reached her, the girl's eyelids flickered open.

«Miss Drew!» the riding master cried.

He knelt beside her, hoping that she had broken no bones and that she had not hit her head.

«Miss Drew!» he murmured over and over. «Are you all right?»

Nancy nodded slowly and struggled to a sitting position. Then, with Señ or Roberto's assistance, she got to her feet. To the man's amazement, her first words were:

«Is Belgian Star all right?»

It was typical of Nancy not to think of herself first. She had been in many tight spots while solving the various mysteries that had come her way, but the safety of the innocent persons involved had always been her chief concern. Starting with The Secret of the Old Clock, she had proved herself adept in handling difficult situations and bringing many criminals to justice. This had been particularly true in her most recent case, which had come to be known as The Clue of the Velvet Mask.

«Miss Drew,» said Señ or Roberto, «you look very pale. We'll go into my office and I'll fix you some tea.»

Nancy was not to be sidetracked in her concern for Belgian Star. The horse had left the ring and was now out of sight.

«Where did Star go?» she asked. «Is she all right?»

«Well,» said Señ or Roberto, raising his eyebrows high, «my first concern is for you. But if you insist upon knowing about the horse, we'll find out.»

Nancy managed a wan smile. «I didn't mean to seem ungrateful,» she said, «but someone hurled a rock at Star's head. It may have injured her.»

The riding master stared in amazement. «You say someone threw a rock at the horse?» he asked.

Nancy nodded. «A man was lying on the ground outside the fence. I saw him toss the rock. There it is over on the grass.» She pointed.

Señ or Roberto looked worried. «I understand now why you were anxious about the mare,» he said. «We'll look into this at once. Have you any idea who the person was?»

«No, I haven't,» Nancy replied. «I didn't see his face.»

Suddenly the riding master bellowed, «Hitch! Hitch! Come here at once!»

The stableman did not appear instantly. But after the third summons he ran from the building.

«Were you out here when Miss Drew fell?» the riding master asked him.

«Why, no, sir,» the groom replied. «I didn't even know there'd been any trouble.»

«Did you see anyone outside the fence?»

«No, sir.»

«Did Belgian Star run into her stall?» Roberto questioned him.

«Yes, she did. Star seemed pretty excited. I've been tryin' to calm her down.»

While the riding master explained to his hostler about the accident, Nancy noticed that Hitch was wearing the same kind of clothes and old soft hat as the figure she had seen on the ground. And his suit had fresh dirt on it! Nancy's suspicions were instantly aroused. She gazed beyond the fence to determine whether the man might have had time by now to make a circuitous route back to the stable.

«He could have done it easily,» she told herself, staring at the thick woods which came up almost to the fence of the riding ring. «And Hitch, is out of breath from running.»

The man who had caused the accident could have crawled into the woods and returned to the academy without being seen.

Nancy turned to Señ or Roberto, «How long was I unconscious?» she asked.

«Oh, twenty or thirty seconds—that's all,» the riding master replied.

Then Nancy turned to Hitch. «How did you get all that fresh dirt on the front of your clothes?»

Hitch suddenly looked uncomfortable. He did not reply for a few seconds. Instead he countered, «I've heard you're a detective. Is it true?»

Nancy, somewhat taken aback by his question, acknowledged that she was known as an amateur sleuth.

«Then I guess I'd better tell the truth—seein' as how you'll find it out in the end,» Hitch said. «I walked around through the woods to watch you do the circus stunts. While I was lookin', I seen a feller lyin' on the ground by the fence. The next thing I knew he threw somethin' at your horse. Then when I seen you fall off I got so scared I beat it. That's when I tripped and fell down in the dirt.»

«Have you any idea who the man was?» Señ or Roberto inquired in a cold voice.

Hitch said that he had not seen the man's face and was sorry now he had not waited to find out.

«I'm mighty glad you're all right, Miss Drew,» Hitch added, and walked back to the stable.

There was nothing more Nancy could do. Despite the groom's story, she felt sure that he was the person who had thrown the stone. But why had he tried to harm her and Belgian Star?

«I'll certainly watch him from now on,» Nancy decided.

She told Señ or Roberto that she felt fully recovered from her spill, and if Belgian Star were all right, she wanted to continue her riding lesson.

The riding master was about to demur, then changed his mind. He was a firm believer in the idea that a rider who has fallen off should immediately mount his horse again if he has not been injured.

Hitch brought Belgian Star from the stable. Nancy and the riding master carefully examined the mare's nose, and though there was a bruise on it, the horse did not seem to be suffering any pain.

«Are you game to go on with our lesson?» Nancy asked the mare, putting her arms around the animal's gracefully arched neck.

For answer, Belgian Star went into the ring and waited for Nancy to climb on. This time she circled the ring several times before attempting to stand up on the horse's back.

«Am I imagining it or is someone peering at me from among those trees?» she asked herself, trying to shrug off a distrustful mood.

As she rounded the curve on the next lap, Nancy was sure she was not wrong—someone was watching her. A feeling of uneasiness came over her.

Nancy had just about decided to practice stunt riding when a voice hailed her. She turned abruptly to see two girls running from the woods. They climbed onto the fence, laughing.

«Bess! George!» Nancy cried. «Where did you come from?»

She immediately turned Belgian Star around and rode up to the fence. She noticed that Bess Marvin, blond, blue-eyed, and several pounds heavier than Nancy, was holding a sketching pad and pencil in her hands.

«Hold it!» Bess ordered.

Nancy obediently sat still while her friend quickly sketched. Meanwhile, Bess's cousin George Fayne leaned over the fence and patted Belgian Star. She was slim and athletic-looking. Her dark-brown hair was cut very short.

«Pretty nice horse,» she remarked. «Is your dad going to let you buy her?»

«Oh, Señ or Roberto wouldn't part with this mare for anything,» Nancy replied. «She's a darling. I wouldn't ride any other horse out here.»

«Let's see you do some stunts,» George urged.

«Yes, please do,» said Bess. «I want to make several sketches.»

«All right,» Nancy agreed. «But, Bess, first tell me, when did you take up sketching?»

«Just this afternoon.» Bess giggled. «You might say I was inspired by reports of your fine riding.»

Nancy told the girls what had happened to her a short time ago and asked if they had seen a man running as they came through the woods. Neither of them had, but George offered to stand guard while Nancy did her trick riding.

Bess and George were amazed at their friend's proficiency as an equestrienne. Under Roberto's coaching Nancy somersaulted from Belgian Star and leaped back on the mare's back as the horse cantered around the ring.

«You're a whiz!» George said admiringly. «And you sure kept all this a secret.»

«How did you find out about my taking these lessons?» Nancy asked as the girls walked toward the stable.

«From Hannah Gruen,» George replied. «She's worried about you and this trick riding, Nancy.»

«I know Hannah is concerned,» the pretty sleuth answered. «But I've promised not to break any bones.»

Nancy introduced her friends to Señ or Roberto. Then she told them about the bracelet she had received from Aunt Eloise. Nancy asked the riding master if he had ever seen or heard about a horse-charm bracelet which had been presented to some circus performer by a queen.

«Why do you ask?» Señ or Roberto wrinkled his brow, as if trying to remember something.

Nancy related the mysterious story connected with the bracelet. Señ or Roberto said, upon reflection, that he had heard such a tale but could not recall who had told it.

«I seem to recollect, though,» he added slowly, «that the story involved a strange disappearance. Whether it was the bracelet or the owner or the giver I don't know.»

He called to Hitch and asked him whether he had ever heard about a horse-charm bracelet. The riding master briefly recounted what Nancy had told him. The stableman looked first at Nancy and then at his employer. Finally, in a gruff tone, he replied:

«Yes, I heard about a bracelet like that pony one when I was workin' for Sims' Circus.»

«Do you remember who told you?» Nancy asked.

The groom thought for several seconds, then said he could not recall.

Shrugging, he added, «You know how it is in the circus. All kinds o' stories get around.»

Although Nancy was disappointed not to learn more, she was hopeful of being able to question various members of Sims' Circus the next day. By the following evening she might have the answer to the riddle of the bracelet!

For this reason getting up at four thirty the next morning did not seem like such a chore. Teddy was sitting on the doorstep when Nancy arrived at the Browns'. The two set off for the circus grounds in Nancy's convertible.

It seemed as if all the children in River Heights had gathered to watch the big tents being put up. They were running in every direction so as not to miss anything. The good-natured workmen did not seem to mind the excitement and confusion.

Nancy had a hard time keeping track of Teddy. For a while she held onto his hand, running along with him as he darted from place to place.

A short respite came as he paused to watch the elephants being watered in a large tent. It was a thrill for the small boy when a man handed him a bucket and asked if he would like to let Old Jumbo, the biggest elephant, drink out of it.

«Can I really!» Teddy cried gleefully.

Just then a girl's voice called, «Hi, Nancy!»

It was George. She had her little nephew in tow. The two girls chatted for a few seconds, then Nancy turned back to watch Teddy. He was not in sight!

«Oh, my goodness!» Nancy said, worried. «I thought he was giving the elephant a drink.»

She looked around the tent. Not seeing Teddy there, Nancy dashed outside. Her eyes roamed over the crowd. Finally she spotted the red-haired youngster and hurried toward him.

But before Nancy could reach him, she was horror-struck to see a large pole on a truck next to the boy begin to slide. If he did not get out of the way, it would strike him!

«Teddy!» Nancy screamed. «Run!»