The Tables Turn

Felix Raybolt started violently, and Nancy thought that he was going to faint from sheer fright. He clutched his throat and staggered back. Nancy caught him by the arm, saying, " Where have you been hiding? "

Almost at once the man recovered from the shock of the unexpected encounter, and jerked himself free. For an instant he looked at Nancy in blank amazement.

" A girl, eh? " he sneered.

Without warning he knocked the flashlight from her hand. It dropped to the ground and went out. Raybolt turned and started to run, saying grimly, " Get out of my way—mind your own business! "

Nancy did not wait to recover the electric torch, but darted after him in the darkness. She realized she could not hold this man, even if she overtook him. Her only chance to capture him lay in the possibility of his turning toward the place where she had left her chums.

She must warn them. She did not know what Raybolt might do if she made an outcry, but she must take that chance.

" Help! Help! " she screamed.

When Bess and George heard the shrill cry, they were too sleepy and dazed to be fully aware of what it meant. As soon as they realized that their chum was not with them, they clearly understood the seriousness of the situation.

" Oh, what shall we do? " cried Bess.

" Listen! " commanded George. " There is the cry again."

" It sounds as if it were over by the ruins."

" Yes, " muttered George, " and maybe the person coming up the driveway will help us."

" It might be Raybolt running away, and he could hurt us, too, " quavered Bess.

" We must take the chance, " said George, starting off. " Nancy's in trouble."

This remark electrified Bess, who in her eagerness to help rushed ahead and was the first to reach the men running up the road.

" Mr. Drew! Ned Nickerson! " the girls cried in relief.

" Where's Nancy? " the newcomers asked together.

" We don't know, " Bess offered, " but we heard her scream over by the ruins."

" We heard you and came for help, " added George.

The men had already dashed past the girls, Ned in the lead. Bess and George started after them.

" Help! Help! " came Nancy's scream again, but this time it was nearer. " Oh! Help me! "

Suddenly a man's figure came running around a bend in the road. He saw the approaching group too late to stop. He could not turn, for Nancy appeared directly behind him. He veered off onto the lawn, but it was of no use to attempt to escape.

" Hold on there, " commanded Mr. Drew sharply.

" Dad! " Nancy cried, and an instant later she recognized the second figure. " Ned Nickerson! "

Felix Raybolt was easily captured. The appearance of the two men completely sapped the man's courage. He knew that his game was up and made little protest as they led him to Carson Drew's sedan.

" Where are you taking me? " he muttered.

" To the jail, " Mr. Drew told him tersely.

" To jail? " shrieked Raybolt. " I haven't done anything! "

" Maybe not, but there is a man there who is being held in connection with your disappearance. You must exonerate Joe Swenson at once of all blame in connection with the fire."

" Swenson? " queried the captured man.

Raybolt said no more, but slumped down in the seat. His former air of confidence had left him. He looked sick and beaten. His face was grimy and unshaven and his clothing was torn and stained. Without asking him, Nancy and her friends knew that he had been hiding in the woods, living on nuts and such fruits and berries as he had found growing wild.

''How in the world did you and Dad get here at the psychological moment? " Nancy asked Ned. " You must have received my note."

" I've been gone from home since morning, " Ned explained. " About nine this evening I drove to River Heights thinking I'd see you. I was told you had gone to Mapleton. I telephoned to my mother from your house, and she gave me your message."

" When I heard what you were doing, " added her father, " I decided to come along. Nancy, you will get yourself into serious trouble one of these days. You must be more careful."

" Your father was delayed and we got a late start, " Ned went on. " When we reached here we left the car on the main road and started walking up the driveway. When we heard the screaming we started to run."

" Lucky yon did, too, " Nancy declared. " If Raybolt had got away, there is no telling what might have happened."

" You shouldn't have attempted to corner him by yourself, " Ned chided gently. " Why, you might have been hurt."

" Perhaps it was a daring plan, " Nancy admitted with a pleased little laugh, for she could tell that her friend actually was disturbed, " but it worked, and that's the most important thing."

After all, Felix Raybolt was not taken to the jail that night, for upon consultation Carson Drew's watch revealed that it was long after midnight. It was his proposal that they all spend the night at the Maplecroft, driving to the jail early in the morning. The problem of keeping watch over Felix Raybolt did not threaten to be a very troublesome one, for he had lost all sense of fight.

" That man is sick, " Carson Drew declared to Nancy. " What he needs is a good bed and plenty of wholesome food. There will be ample time tomorrow for him to tell his story."

" I was hoping we could get Joe Swenson out of jail tonight, " Nancy said hopefully.

" Too late, but we'll get there before breakfast in the morning."

Carson Drew, with Ned in his car to guard Raybolt should the need arise, started on ahead, and Nancy and her chums followed in the roadster.

At the Maplecroft Mr. Drew quickly arranged everything to his satisfaction. Felix Raybolt was given a room to himself but it was one without an outside window, and the lawyer wisely kept the key. He and Ned shared a room adjoining so that any disturbance would awaken them. Nancy and her chums selected a large room with three single beds, for they had a great deal to talk over and wanted to discuss matters together.

Before turning in for the night, or for what yet remained of it, Bess and George telephoned their parents to explain their absence. Carson Drew thoughtfully ordered a warm meal sent up to Felix Raybolt, although it was necessary to tip the cook handsomely to secure the late service.

Raybolt made no request to see his wife. Since she had retired early in the evening Carson Drew thought it would be wise to wait until morning before notifying her that her husband had been found.

" She'll only make a scene and try to keep us from holding him, " he declared. " If we could save her any mental anguish by telling her now I'd be in favor of it, but undoubtedly she's sound asleep and better off than if she were disturbed."

Nancy and her chums were far too excited to fall asleep immediately after they jumped into bed, and for fully an hour re-lived the thrilling adventure which had befallen them. As a result, they were sleeping soundly when Carson Drew pounded on their door at six o'clock.

" Time to get up, " he cried.

The girls were dressed in fifteen minutes and ate a hasty breakfast in the dining room. Ned, upon being questioned by Nancy, admitted that he had slept very poorly. Several times during the night he had gone to the door of Raybolt's room to make sure that he was still there.

Carson Drew did not join the others until they were nearly through with breakfast.

" I've just had a session with Mrs. Baybolt, " he explained ruefully. ''She's going to be more difficult than I imagined."

" Isn't she overjoyed that her husband is alive? " Nancy asked.

" Relieved, yes, but overjoyed—well, I won't venture to say. Mrs. Raybolt is a peculiar woman. Right now she is so incensed because we are forcing her husband to clear Swenson that she can't think of anything else."

The party did not succeed in getting away before Mrs. Raybolt put in her appearance. She made a scene, arguing violently with Mr. Drew, who treated her with tolerant politeness.

" I am sorry, but it is absolutely necessary that your husband go with us to the jail, " he said firmly. " After he has cleared Swenson, then it is up to the Mapleton officials to do as they see fit."

" It's an outrage! " Mrs. Raybolt stormed.

Nancy wanted to tell her that the way her husband had acted was an outrage, too, but she restrained herself. Mrs. Raybolt was very cold to the three girls, entirely forgetting their previous kindness to her.

Felix Raybolt looked stronger after the night's sleep, and he, too, protested that he was being treated unfairly.

" I'll pay you back for this humiliation, " he threatened as they led him to the waiting automobile. " I'll show you that you can't take the law into your own hands! If I weren't half sick you couldn't get away with this! "

At the jail Foxy Felix lost some of his bluster. When questioned by the officials he unwillingly admitted that Joe Swenson had not been inside the house at the time of the explosion.

" Isn't it true that you caused the fire yourself by lighting a cigar when there was leaking gas in the house? " Mr. Drew inquired shrewdly.

" I guess maybe it was my fault, " Raybolt acknowledged.

As to his actions following the explosion, he gave evasive replies. He had been stunned at first and had staggered off into the woods. Then he had become frightened. He did not say that he was afraid to face Joe Swenson and other men he had swindled, but Nancy and the others gathered as much. Then, too, the idea of pretending to be dead had rather intrigued him.

" You carry heavy insurance? " Carson Drew guessed. " If your wife had collected, I suppose you could have made your presence known to her, and both of you lived handsomely in California or some faraway state."

The tell-tale flush told the lawyer that a chance shot had hit its mark. The truth was that Mapleton had become too warm a place for Foxy Felix. His enemies were legion and he lived in constant fear of physical violence. The fire had offered him an excuse to slip quietly away with all the old scores left unsettled. It was characteristic of him not to consider his wife's feelings.

" Well, this clears Swenson beyond a shadow of a doubt, " Lem Daffil announced at the end of the interview. " Sorry we arrested him, but you must admit the evidence pointed his way."

Joe Swenson was overjoyed at being freed, and at first could scarcely believe his ears. Bad luck had followed him for so long that he had begun to think fate was against him. The timely arrival of Mrs. Swenson and Honey made the scene a happy one. Tears came into the woman's eyes as she thanked Nancy for all that she had done.

" It's a shame that Raybolt is to go free, " Nancy said to her father. " Isn't there any charge he can be held on? "

" I'm afraid not, " the lawyer returned. " Everyone knows he has swindled folks but we have no proof."

" He should be made to repay the Swensons for the invention he took from them."

" I'd be glad to take the case if there was any evidence to base it on, but as it is I doubt that Swenson will be able to get a cent."

The lawyer took it upon himself to speak to Felix Raybolt about the matter, hoping that the man's recent experience might have had a beneficial effect upon his business ethics. He was disappointed. Physically Foxy Felix was broken, but he was still shrewd, calculating and unscrupulous.

" I'll not pay him a cent! " he fumed. " Let him say I stole his invention. He can't prove it! "

With that he departed, riding away in the big automobile which Mrs. Raybolt had sent from the Maplecroft.

" He's right, " Joe Swenson observed gloomily. " I can't prove my rights. If only I had my diary! "

" Diary? " Nancy cried excitedly. " You mean the one you lost? "

Swenson nodded unhappily.

" Yes, I dropped it that day I went to see him. I've been over the property since but couldn't find it. The diary contained a drawing and a description of the invention which together with other facts noted down would have been definite proof! "

" Then consider your case won! " Nancy exclaimed. " I have the missing diary and also the ring you lost."

" You have my diary? " the man gasped.

For answer Nancy produced the little journal.

" I slipped it into my pocket yesterday when I started for Stanford, " she explained. " Look at it, Dad, and tell me if you think the evidence will stand in court."

Carson Drew quickly thumbed the volume, but as he could make little of it, Swenson translated the Swedish and explained the drawing.

" I think you have a good chance to prove your case, " the lawyer declared. " I'll be glad to defend you."

" Perhaps it won't be necessary, " Nancy said with a mysterious smile.

She refused to explain what she meant, but her actions implied that she had some particular plan in view. The only clue to her intentions was contained in the simple remark:

" If you don't mind, Mr. Swenson, I'll keep the diary for a day or two longer. I may have a special use for it."