Студопедия

Главная страница Случайная страница

Разделы сайта

АвтомобилиАстрономияБиологияГеографияДом и садДругие языкиДругоеИнформатикаИсторияКультураЛитератураЛогикаМатематикаМедицинаМеталлургияМеханикаОбразованиеОхрана трудаПедагогикаПолитикаПравоПсихологияРелигияРиторикаСоциологияСпортСтроительствоТехнологияТуризмФизикаФилософияФинансыХимияЧерчениеЭкологияЭкономикаЭлектроника






The Ghost Dogs of Whispering Oaks






 

Strong winds spattered the windshield of Nancy’s car with autumn leaves. The girl detective fought to steady her swaying convertible.

“Wow! Some wind! ” said George Fayne, a close girlfriend, who was in the rear seat with her cousin Bess Marvin.

George said to a pretty companion beside Nancy, “Sally, do you really mean that none of your family has ever dared stay all night at Whispering Oaks? ”

Sally McDonald Butler glanced uneasily at the thrashing trees and continued her story. She was a childhood friend of Nancy’s, and desperately needed her help to solve the mystery surrounding a farm owned by her family.

“Since the death of my great-grandparents who built the house, no one has ever stayed there after dusk.”

She nervously fingered her long dark hair.

“What is everyone afraid of? ” George persisted. Sally looked at her carefully, as if to see if she could be trusted.

“The farm is haunted by ghost dogs! ” she finally blurted out.

George’s eyes widened, while Bess started. Nancy already knew part of the story, so she gave her full attention to the difficult driving.

“Why do you want to go there? ” Bess asked, bewildered.

“I saw the farm only once when I was younger— and I fell in love with it, ” Sally explained dreamily. “I wish my husband, Jeff, and I could live there. But first, ” she added, determination in her voice, “I must see for myself if the story of the horrible dogs is true.”

Bess stared out the window. Persistent wind lashed the trees. She shivered at the thought of the haunted farmhouse ahead.

“Look out! ” she screamed suddenly.

With a tremendous crack an enormous tree came hurtling toward the girls!

The car leaped forward. Nancy had already floored the accelerator. The great oak crashed to the ground, inches behind the car. Nancy braked and turned to her white-faced companions.

“That was close, ” George said shakily as the girls eyed the massive trunk.

“It’s a warning! ” Sally whispered hoarsely. She seemed strangely unnerved.

“The wind blew it over, ” Nancy insisted, trying to calm her, but Sally seemed unconvinced. She warily eyed the swaying branches.

“Let’s go see why it fell, ” Nancy suggested.

As the girls got out of the car, the sharp breeze whipped their hair. Slender and athletic George was first to reach the base of the tree.

“Look! ” she cried. “The tree was cut down! ” The others rushed forward.

Nancy knelt to look. “Somebody deliberately chopped this tree so that it would fall on us, ” the young detective announced grimly. “The cuts are still fresh.”

“Not someone! ” Sally shrieked. “The ghosts! We mustn’t go on! ” Tears welled in her eyes.

“Let’s go back to the car, ” said Nancy gently, putting an arm around her friend. She realized how much courage it had taken for Sally even to attempt the journey. Now the strain was beginning to show.

Inside the car, Nancy smoothed her strawberry-blond hair. “It’s impossible to go back, ” she stated. “The road behind us is blocked completely. The way ahead leads directly to the farm.” She looked at Sally. “And, spooks or no spooks, I want to know why someone tried to stop us from reaching the house.”

“So do we! ” cried Bess and George.

Sally managed a nervous smile.

“Then on to Whispering Oaks, ” declared Nancy, starting off.

“Those ghostly dogs had better beware, ” George said with a grin. “Nancy Drew is coming! ”

They rode on for less than a mile. “There it is! ” Bess cried excitedly.

Through dense oak trees an old stone farmhouse came into view. Two chimneys flanked the two-story building. White painted trim-work made a becoming contrast to the gray stone.

“It’s just as I remember it! ” Sally cried with delight. “That igloo-shaped building through the trees to the right is the spooky ice house. The hill to the left was my favorite place for rolling down that time I visited.” She giggled. “Oh, and you can barely see the lake beyond the house.”

“It’s enchanting, ” Nancy murmured.

Sally leaned forward excitedly as they drew close. Suddenly her face fell. The others, too, stared in dismay.

Everywhere the grounds were overgrown. Shutters hung crazily from broken hinges. The paintwork was peeling badly.

“The barn! ” cried Sally, horrified. The others observed the charred remains through the trees. “The farm looks almost evil now, ” Sally choked through tears. Everywhere, the atmosphere was one of decay and neglect.

“Let’s go inside, ” suggested Nancy as she pulled up to the front door. The girls unloaded the car and went inside. The floor boards creaked as the visitors entered the living room.

“Ugh! ” George exclaimed, picking a hanging cobweb from her short dark hair.

The girls surveyed the room. Yellowed sheets covered the furniture. Thick dust lay everywhere. Outside, the wind howled. Loose shutters rattled and beat against the house.

“It’s no better in here, ” George declared.

“This place is spooky, ” Bess said and shivered. The room was chilly.

“I think it’s lovely, ” Nancy protested. “Although it does need a little housework, ” she admitted.

“A little? ” Sally laughed quietly.

Nancy grinned. It was good to see her friend smile. “Well, at least we can make it more livable.”

The girls opened the supplies they had purchased along the way at the general store.

“George, why don’t you make a fire, ” Nancy suggested.

She herself filled and lit the kerosene lamps. Handing one to Bess, she said, “You can put the food away and start supper, while Sally and I uncover the furniture.”

“My favorite room: the kitchen. Just lead me to it, ” Bess joked, and Sally directed her through a door on their left.

“What’s behind the other door? ” George questioned.

“The library. My great-grandparents loved to read.”

Despite frequent sneezes, the girls soon completed their job. They all agreed that the work had brought a cheerful change.

“I’m sorry the house is so primitive, ” Sally said, as they warmed themselves before the fire. “There’s no electricity or telephone. Even the kitchen stove is wood-burning.”

“Speaking of stoves, ” Bess said hopefully, “I’m starving! ”

In no time, they were busy eating a delicious meal of lamb chops with mint sauce, mashed potatoes, and string beans. George tutted disapprovingly as her blond cousin reached for a second helping of apple crisp. Bess, who ignored her, tended to be slightly plump.

Dishes clean, the girls settled before the fireplace.

“Tell us about the farm and its ghostly canines, ” Nancy coaxed.

Sally glanced outside uneasily at the darkening sky and began. “It was my father’s grandparents, Ezra and Pollyanna McDonald, who lived here. They loved the solitary beauty of the mountains.” Sally sighed. It was a love she plainly shared. “The farm was alive then with horses, cows, chickens, cats, and goats.” She giggled. “The McDonalds kept a large flower and vegetable garden. I believe their pet goat once tried to eat half of it—non-stop! ”

Her companions grinned, but Sally’s face clouded. “The McDonalds also raised black Labrador retrievers. A year before the couple died, a female dog whelped four unusually large males.”

“What does that mean? ” Bess asked.

“To whelp is to give birth, ” Sally explained. “The four dogs became the McDonalds’ constant companions. They ruled Whispering Oaks. No one ever entered the farm without the dogs’ approval.”

“What happened to them after the McDonalds’ deaths? ” Nancy asked.

“The dogs were brokenhearted. They refused to eat. Tragically, they died one after the other.” The girls were moved with sadness. “Trass Sabuch, who looked after the farm, buried them behind the ice house.”

Nancy leaned forward. “Are they the dogs that haunt Whispering Oaks? ”

Sally nodded and took a long breath. “It was months before the McDonald will could be read. When it was, ” she continued with emotion, “it contained their fondest wish. They wanted their beloved dogs buried with them on the hill.”

Nancy frowned. “Then the dogs were buried in the wrong place? ”

“Yes! ” Sally cried. “That’s why they haunt us. We followed the rest of the will. Four specifically inscribed headstones were placed over each grave, but it was too late.”

“Why did it take so long to read the will? ” questioned the young detective.

“Because it was missing for a while, ” Sally responded. “And there’s something else that’s still missing, too. The McDonalds had exact images of each of the dogs cast in four-inch-high solid old.”

“They must be worth a fortune! ” George gasped.

Sally nodded. “They would be, except that to this day their whereabouts are a mystery.”

“This house is full of mysteries, ” Bess remarked.

Nancy sat lost in thought. Then she asked, “Who first saw the ghosts, and when did the haunting begin? ”

“Trass Sabuch, ” Sally responded. “The night he buried the dogs. At exactly nine o’clock, the hour when the dogs usually came in for the night, he heard whimpering. Puzzled, he looked toward the graves. There, among the trees, he saw four pairs of yellow eyes. Suddenly the creatures rushed at him. The howling and snarling were horrible. He rushed back inside and shut the door. In a flash, the house seemed surrounded. They clawed and scratched, throwing themselves against the doors and windows. The noise was terrifying. Finally the dogs retreated to the hilltop. There, over the graves of their dead masters, they howled mournfully until dawn.” She drew a breath. “Trass never saw their bodies and in the morning he could find no tracks, but the house was covered with claw marks. That day he moved to a cabin on the far side of the lake and never set foot on the McDonald property again after dark.”

Chills ran down the girls’ spines.

“Trass Sabuch told us that it was the dogs’ mistaken burial that had caused the haunting.”

“And your family believed him? ” Nancy asked.

Sally shook her head. “My grandfather was skeptical. He tried to stay one night, but had exactly the same experience.”

Suddenly the front door crashed open. Wind swirled through the room. The dying fire roared to life. Sally screamed. Bess gasped and clung to her startled cousin.

Nancy dashed to the door and bolted it securely. Darkness had fallen. The young detective glanced at the time. Five minutes to nine! The others, too, had noticed the approach of the haunting hour.

“Let’s play a word game, ” Nancy proposed abruptly. Bess and George stared at her in disbelief.

George sniffed. “Nancy Drew, you have had some crazy ideas, but—”

“It’ll be fun, ” she interrupted, “and distracting, ” she added, nodding toward Sally. Her chums looked. Sally was staring anxiously out the dark windows.

The game began, moving slowly at first, but picking up as everyone started to relax.

“Famous names beginning with William or Bill, ” Nancy proposed. “William Shakespeare, ” she offered.

“My favorite author, ” Sally joined in.

Nancy was relieved. “I would have loved to live at the turn of the sixteenth century when his plays, like Hamlet, were first performed, ” Sally continued.

“William McKinley, ” said George next. “Twenty-fifth president of the United States.”

Bess thought for a moment. Finally she said, “William Dunbar.”

“Who’s he? ” George challenged skeptically.

“The best football player at Dave’s school, ” was the retort.

Nancy and George snickered. Sally was told that Dave Evans was Bess’s special friend. Soon everyone was laughing, including the mischievous Bess.

Suddenly Sally sat bolt upright. The color drained from her face. The others stared at her.

“Hear them? ” she asked.

In a moment, the spine-chilling sounds reached their ears. Somewhere off to the side of the house agonized whimpering echoed through the trees.

“The ghosts! ” Sally hissed.

The pitiful crying suddenly erupted into savage barking and growling. Chills again ran down the girls’ spines. Nancy leaped to the window. The others seemed frozen. She gazed toward the ice house. Her breath stopped. There, among the dark trees, four pairs of glowing yellow eyes stared back at her!

“The ghost dogs! ” George gasped.

By now Nancy’s companions had ventured up behind her. Sally trembled violently as the girls huddled together. They watched in strange fascination while the eyes circled around. The black of the night was a flawless background. The pale moon could cast no light on the creatures. The eyes seemed to float without form. All at once, the ghosts advanced. The horrible sounds grew louder and louder.

“Oh! ” Bess shrieked. She fled to the nearest corner and covered her eyes.

The others seemed transfixed. Suddenly the eyes vanished. The noises stopped. An eerie silence enveloped them. The girls inched forward. They craned their necks and peered out into the darkness.

Just then something huge and inky-black banged against the glass. Snarling and barking, the creature clawed wildly at the window. Sally screamed. The four girls staggered backward as the window shuddered violently.

The dogs had surrounded the house! Eyes appeared at every window. Spine-chilling scratching and clawing sounds filled the air. The barking and snarling grew to an unbearable pitch. Terrified, the girls backed into the center of the room. Yellow eyes stabbed the darkness. There was another crash. The front door buckled. Then the handle rattled furiously. Bess wailed.

An eternity seemed to pass. Suddenly the sounds faded. The attack stopped. The dogs were moving away! Bess lifted her head. She opened her mouth, but Nancy raised her hand for silence. They listened. The four ghostly animals could now be heard up on the hill. There, as the story foretold, they began to howl mournfully.

The ordeal had been exhausting. Nancy gently placed Sally on the sofa. Bess and George collapsed into chairs.

There must be an answer to this haunting, Nancy mused. I intend to find it, she resolved suddenly and started for the door.

“Nancy! ” Sally cried. “Don’t you dare go out there.”

Her friend was becoming hysterical, so Nancy quickly reassured her. “I’ll wait. I’ll wait, ” she promised soothingly. Bess and George also seemed relieved.

“Let’s get some sleep, ” Nancy suggested.

“If we can, ” Bess said shakily. The distant howling continued.

Nancy was glad that her friends fell asleep the moment they tumbled into bed.

The young detective, however, was restless. I wanted to get a closer look at those ghosts, she thought impatiently.

Nancy puzzled over the girls’ ordeal until dawn. Suddenly, she realized the howling had ceased. Not waking the others, she stole out into the cool morning.

Fog swirled among the trees. Persistent wind whipped the branches. Nancy was suddenly startled by whispering voices.

“Who’s there? ” she demanded. Sheepishly, she realized it was the wind in the trees.

She laughed. “No wonder it’s called Whispering Oaks, ” she said in relief.

The amateur sleuth examined the house. It was covered with deep claw marks. Below them were old, weathered grooves.

The dogs have been here before, she concluded, just as Sally had said.

Nancy scanned the ground. There were no tracks. So far, the evidence confirmed the old family story. Suddenly, something on the ground caught her sharp eyes. She kicked aside fallen leaves. The soil has been overturned, she realized excitedly, and the disturbed earth forms a sort of path to the ice house.

Nancy followed the marks. Soon she found herself faced by a chilling sight. Behind the ice house, in the pale light, four inscribed gravestones stood side by side.

Nancy read the names aloud: KOSOB, SHROSE, DRAGENS, and NESCAIN. Puzzled, she memorized the dogs’ strange names. I must ask Sally about them, she resolved.

Again, Nancy contemplated the pathway. There was a flaw in the story. They’re not tracks, she mused, but these ghosts do disturb the ground as they move. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted. Through the trees she was startled to see two men talking. Nancy ducked into nearby foliage.

Stealthily she crept forward. When she got as close as she dared, their voices reached her.

“You’d better buy plenty of them, ” the older man said in a stern tone. “We don’t need trouble with those girls here.”

Nancy did not like the way the tall, powerful man said, “those girls.” He had graying red hair and a cruel-looking mouth. His dark eyes shifted nervously.

His younger companion looked worried. He stifled a yawn. This angered the other.

“Now get going, ” he growled, “and don’t you dare miss him.”

The younger man was dark and, although smaller, seemed equally powerful. His face was kinder, but Nancy was sure the two men were related.

Who are they? she wondered shifting her position. Just then a loud crack resounded through the woods — Nancy had stepped on a fallen branch.

The two men started, then disappeared. Nancy burst from her hiding place to follow, but they had vanished. She walked pensively back to the graves. I wonder who the “him” is they’re afraid of missing?

Nancy decided to return to the house. Again, she passed the strange igloo-shaped ice house. Curious, she ventured to the opening and peered down into the cool darkness. Suddenly, she was pushed roughly from behind. With a cry, the young sleuth disappeared down into the dark hole.

 

Meanwhile, inside the house, Nancy’s absence began to alarm her companions. “Where can she be? ” Sally wailed. “What if she went outside before daylight! ”

“Nancy wouldn’t break her promise without a good reason, ” declared George quickly.

“I never should have brought us to this place, ” Sally berated herself.

“I think we ought to start looking for Nancy, ” Bess insisted. The ordeal of the previous night was still fresh in her mind.

George agreed. “It was broad daylight when someone tried to push that tree onto us. Nancy could be in real trouble.”

The girls nervously began a search of the grounds. The dull morning and chilling winds made them shiver.

Apprehensive, they walked up the hill. The top was bare except for a large headstone. They proceeded along the lake.

“Look! Footprints! ” George cried suddenly. “They’re Nancy’s sneakers! ”

The three girls separated, calling her name loudly.

“… the ice house, ” came a distant reply.

They ran to the structure. “Nancy? ” Bess called through the opening.

“Get me out of here, ” she begged from below. “It’s creepy.”

Relieved, Sally and Bess ran for a rope and flashlight.

“What happened? ” George called down as they waited. Nancy told her all about what had happened. “Do you think those men pushed you? ” George asked, frowning.

Before Nancy could answer, Sally and Bess returned, breathless. Nancy hugged the wall so the flashlight could be thrown down safely.

Quickly she explored her icy prison. The round ice house was made of stone and extended deep into the cold ground. Leaves covered its floor. Fortunately, they had cushioned Nancy’s fall.

She pushed some aside. To her surprise most of the stone slabs had been removed from the floor and deep holes had been dug into the ground. She looked at the walls. There, too, stones were missing, revealing similar holes.

Finally a rope snaked down to her, and she was pulled to the top.

“I thought you’d never find me, ” Nancy gasped as she reached her friends.

“Not another word, ” George commanded. Shivering, Nancy was led back to the house and a roaring fire in the fireplace. Only after some breakfast did they allow the girl detective to tell her story. She ended by thanking her rescuers.

“You could have been seriously injured, ” Sally said with concern. “It was probably that ’tree chopper, ’ ” George remarked, “or those strange men you saw.”

“But those men are Trass Sabuch’s sons, ” Sally protested. “My family trusts them completely.” She apologized for not warning the girls that the men still lived nearby. “The older man, Red, worked here with Trass as a boy. Jimmy, the younger one, joined Red after Trass’s death. They keep an eye on the farm now.”

Nancy listened thoughtfully. The dogs were apparently spectres, but whoever was trying to harm the girls was very real. They would have to live close by. Red and Jimmy were obvious suspects. But why would they not want us here? Nancy reflected.

As the girls exchanged guesses about the incident, Sally was quiet. Suddenly, she said, “It’s too dangerous here. Ghosts haunt us at night and now someone tries to harm us during the day. I think we should leave. We’ll walk down to the store and intercept my husband. Once we’re there, we can phone Red and Jimmy. With their help Jeff could move the tree so we’d be able to come back for your car, Nancy. Then, we’ll leave this farm to its ghosts—forever! ” Her eyes brimmed with disappointed tears. The others were stunned.

“Sally, we want to stay, ” Nancy assured her. The others nodded. “We’ll make a bargain, ” she urged. “If we can’t solve the mystery before Jeff arrives, we’ll go back.”

Sally hesitated a few seconds, then gave each one a grateful hug and agreed.

“I’d like to solve the mystery surrounding this place, ” Nancy quickly said. “Tell me, why are those holes in the floor and walls of the ice house? ” Her friends could offer no explanation.

“We could ask Red or Jimmy if we see them, ” Sally suggested.

“We’d better get him to move the tree for Jeff in any case, ” Nancy added as she scribbled on some paper. “What do you think of our ghosts’ names? ” They stared at the four words in puzzled silence.

“We were instructed to put the dogs’ correct names on the stones, ” Sally said. “They were always called by nicknames. My grandfather eventually found the real names on their pedigree papers.”

“They sound like Indian deities, ” Bess remarked, “not names for pet dogs.” All the girls agreed the names were unusual.

“Did the will leave instructions for their own epitaphs? ” George asked.

“Yes, but I don’t remember the inscriptions, ” Sally answered.

“Let’s go see them, ” Nancy urged.

The four girls soon reached the hilltop gravestones. Below the conventional inscriptions were the enigmatic words:

“Whosoever loves us shall hold us forever through the pages of time.”

“That’s weird, ” Bess commented.

“I wonder if it’s a clue, ” Nancy said as she started down the hill. George, an experienced camper, suddenly exclaimed, “Someone has been digging around here! ”

Nancy was startled. “Why do you think that? ”

“Because everywhere there are signs of quickly covered holes.”

Nancy examined the ground where George was pointing. “You’re right, George. It does look as if someone has been looking for something around here.”

“But what? ” Sally demanded.

“Another mystery, ” Nancy replied, staring into space. “Maybe whatever it is has some connection with that episode in the ice house.”

The girls finally returned to the house. They shuddered as Nancy pointed to the splintered claw marks. She also related her discovery of the pathway of disturbed soil.

Sally sighed. “This detective work only seems to uncover more mystery.”

“That’s it.” George grinned. “We find the clues, then Nancy figures it all out.”

The young detective seemed not to hear her. She was deep in thought.

“Tell us more about the missing gold statues, ” Bess begged Sally as they ate lunch.

“Well, my grandfather thought that they were still somewhere at Whispering Oaks. That’s really why he went to the farm that night. He was worried, though, and none of us has looked for them since.”

All at once Nancy had an inspiration. “What did the McDonalds enjoy most in their lives? ” she abruptly asked Sally.

Sally thought for a moment. “Probably their family, then Whispering Oaks, their dogs, horses, the garden, and reading.” To prove this, she led the girls to the library. Every foot of wall space was covered with shelves of books. Each shelf was labeled.

“Canines, Horses, Gardens, ” Bess read.

“What are you up to? ” George asked Nancy. The young detective wore a knowing smile and her eyes twinkled.

“I have a hunch the golden statues are hidden right here in this farmhouse, ” she announced.

Settled before a crackling fire, Nancy revealed her theory. “The McDonalds hid the valuable statues at Whispering Oaks after they were made. They wanted only your family to have them, Sally, so in the will they placed instructions concerning where to find them.”

“So where are they? ” asked George impatiently as the others nodded.

“The key is the answer to the riddle of the gravestones, ” Nancy said mysteriously. “’Whosoever loves us shall hold us forever through the pages of time, ’ ” she recited. “But we still have to figure out the dogs’ mysterious names before we find the key to where the statues are hidden.”

Suddenly there was a heavy thud against the house. Nancy bounded to the window and threw it open. Dry leaves rushed through the casement. Warding them off with her hand, she peered outside. Nothing!

I wonder if someone was listening outside the window, Nancy thought. Red or Jimmy? And if so, why?

Nancy returned and put the dogs’ names in front of the girls. Bess grabbed a dictionary. For a while, they studied the strange words.

“Those ghosts could tell us the answer, ” George remarked with a grin.

“Maybe they’re trying to! ” Nancy cried to the others’ astonishment. “What if Trass was wrong and the dogs haunt the farm because their statues have not been recovered by the McDonalds? They try to enter the house to tell us that the statues are inside.”

Sally seemed struck by what her friend had said.

“I have a plan, ” Nancy continued. “I want to watch the ghosts tonight.”

“Nancy, please don’t take any risks, ” Sally implored. She was still convinced that the ghosts were evil.

“Jeff will be here by then, ” Bess reminded her. “He’ll help us.”

“George and I will slip outside before nine and hide, ” Nancy planned, “where we can watch as the ghosts move toward the house. I’m sure it will give us some answers.”

“Thanks for volunteering me, ” George said with a smirk.

Sally jumped as a loud knock sounded at the door. Expecting Jeff, she ran to it. Red Sabuch loomed into the room. He spoke to her, then left hurriedly.

“Jeff is going to be late, ” Sally announced with dismay. “Jimmy has just returned from the store. Jeff is there, but his car has broken down. When Jimmy left him an hour ago, Jeff told him he would try to arrive here before dark.”

“I’m sure he’ll make it, ” Nancy said encouragingly.

“Did you ask Red about all the digging? ” George asked, pursuing Nancy’s discovery.

Sally answered distractedly. “He knows nothing about it … told me girls who stay in haunted houses often imagine things or exaggerate them … and promised to help move the tree.”

George was incensed. “Imagine—exaggerate! I think those holes mean that Nancy isn’t the first one to think the missing statues are here.” The others agreed.

Nancy thought of the stranded Jeff. She had hoped he would be here to help with her daring plan.

“Let’s find hiding places while it’s still light, ” she suggested. “I’ll watch the gravesite. George, suppose you keep an eye on the house.”

The two girls went outside while the others prepared dinner. Eventually Nancy and George found suitable hiding places.

“Nancy, look over there! ” George whispered suddenly. The Sabuch brothers were watching them intently. When they saw the girls staring back, they hurried away toward their cabin. Nancy and George exchanged suspicious glances and went back inside.

Over dinner the four girls discussed the plan. They agreed to use flashlights for signaling: two flashes, all clear; the light left on, trouble.

Two hours passed. A pitch-black night descended. Jeff had not arrived. Sally paced the floor.

“We’d better hide, ” Nancy finally announced. “It’s already twenty minutes to nine.”

As Sally wrung her hands, Nancy tried to reassure her. “Jeff should be here any minute.”

Their companions remained visible in the house while Nancy and George crept silently out the side door, which they left unlocked in case they had to return in a hurry. Soon, they settled in their hiding places.

No moon, Nancy thought. A perfect night for ghost watching.

However, she could barely distinguish the four gravestones from her position.

For what seemed hours, the girls waited. Suddenly, Nancy caught her breath. Four pairs of yellow eyes materialized over the graves. Her spine tingled.

Despite the horrible whimpering of the dogs, Nancy edged forward. She had to see these canine ghosts. Their eyes began roving round and round. A cacophony of chilling sounds now surrounded Nancy. She inched closer and closer, her own eyes glued to the creatures. Unfortunately, one foot caught on a fallen branch. With a muffled cry, she fell heavily to the ground.

The sounds stopped. The four pairs of eyes turned in Nancy’s direction. She dared not even breathe. Motionless, the creatures scanned the trees where she lay. Suddenly they moved directly toward her!

Nancy scrambled to her feet. The horrible sounds again resounded through the woods. A cold fear gripped her. Two pairs of eyes vanished. Nancy whirled around. Snarling, the two creatures now stood directly behind her!

In desperation Nancy bravely raised her flashlight, prepared to fight off the animals. Something abruptly caused her to lower the weapon. One of the approaching eyes flickered. Then it disappeared. Only three eyes glared at her. Nancy pointed her flashlight. Summoning courage, she turned the powerful beam directly on the mysterious creature. What she saw made her gasp. But at that instant a heavy blow hit her from behind. Nancy crumpled to the ground, unconscious!

 

Sally and Bess watched frantically from the window. They knew something was terribly wrong. The dogs had suddenly disappeared. Through the trees only the steady beam of a flashlight pierced the darkness.

“What shall we do? ” Bess wailed helplessly.

Sally was as white as a sheet. Both girls seemed immobile.

Presently, soft scratching sounds broke the eerie silence. The girls were seized with terror. With a groan, the front door slowly began to open. Sally screamed. Bess panicked and threw her flashlight against the door. There was a crash as it shattered against the wood.

“Hey! What’s going on? ” a surprised male voice cried out.

“Jeff! ” Sally exclaimed as he hesitantly entered.

She ran to her husband and collapsed in his arms. Color rushed to Bess’s face as she sputtered an apology.

“Now calm down, ” the tall, attractive man said gently, “and tell me what happened.”

The girls hurriedly briefed him. Jeff’s face showed deep concern. From the moment Sally voiced her plan to visit Whispering Oaks, he had scoffed at the ghostly danger. Now he was sure that Nancy and George were in serious trouble.

“You stay here, ” he commanded. “I’m going to look around.” He took Sally’s flashlight. “Now I’m really sorry I didn’t get here this morning.”

Sally and Bess looked puzzled.

“Didn’t Red give you my phone message that I’d arrive at noon instead of six? ” Jeff asked.

Sally frowned. “He told us around six that when Jimmy left the store at five o’clock, you —”

“Five! ” Jeff exclaimed. “I met a man who told me he was Jimmy Sabuch at eleven-thirty this morning. I stopped to buy something. When I came out, he was standing there with packets of batteries in his hands. My car wouldn’t start, so he offered to take a message back to you.”

“Why did Jimmy go down to the store this morning and wait until six to tell us you were there? ” Bess questioned.

Jeff frowned. “I don’t know. What I do know is that it took all day to repair a mysterious hole in my gas tank. At the time, I thought a malicious prankster had done it. Then, I finally arrive, and someone has chopped a tree down over the road. I had to walk the rest of the way! ”

“But Sally told Red to move that tree hours ago! ” Bess said in a strained voice. “And we already had bought plenty of batteries at the store.”

Jeff was furious. The conclusion was obvious.

“But why would Red and Jimmy want to prevent you from reaching us? ” Sally asked anxiously.

“I intend to find out, ” he declared angrily, “then call the police. Nancy and George’s disappearance may not be so mysterious.” Following Sally’s directions, he stormed off toward the Sabuch cabin.

 

Nancy’s eyes fluttered open. She blinked to confirm that she was in total darkness. Her head reeled as she tried to use all her senses. The young detective was bound and gagged, propped against a wall on a hard floor. She could smell mothballs. Restricted hand movements told her that the walls and floor were wooden. I’m probably in a clothes closet, she reasoned, still groggy. Suddenly to her left she caught the scent of George’s shampoo.

George! Nancy remembered at once. Her head cleared as she wriggled toward her friend. Abruptly, she collided with George’s inert form. Nancy placed an ear to her body. She was still breathing.

I must get us out of here, Nancy thought frantically. George could be seriously hurt!

Suddenly, angry voices reached her ears. She moved with difficulty to what was apparently the door. Red and Jimmy Sabuch were outside! They were arguing.

“I’ll never give it up! ” Red shouted.

“But she saw me! ” Jimmy returned angrily.

Nancy could now clearly recall what her light had revealed. The ghostly creature before her had been a man, his body completely covered in black material. On each hand was a black glove with two yellow eyes attached.

“That girl has ruined everything! ” Red shouted back. “They’ll all pay for her snooping, ” he snarled.

“Don’t hurt them! ” Jimmy cried out. “Dad would never have approved of this. He only scared people so he could look for the gold statues. You’re going too far. If you hurt them, ” he warned, “I’ll—”

“You’ll what? ” Red taunted. “Leave? ” Then he added, “Okay, brother, we’ll both leave, but with those statues! ”

“What are you going to do? ” Jimmy asked worriedly.

Red gave a cruel laugh. “I hate to admit it, but that pesky detective is getting pretty close to where the gold is. We’ll find it first though … you wait! Now put our things in the old trunk, ” he shouted, “and light that fire. We’ll burn everything, including that Drew girl! ”

Fire! Nancy thought desperately. Her heart was pounding.

She strained at her bonds. To her amazement, they fell away easily! With no time to wonder why, she removed the gag and groped for George. Her ropes, too, were only loosely secured. Nancy was bewildered. In a flash, she had broken open the flimsy closet door. She rushed to the small fire the Sabuch brothers had started and quickly extinguished it with a bed pillow. She snapped on a nearby lamp. A gasp escaped her lips. Smoke emanated from a smoldering rag in a large ashtray.

Jimmy? Nancy wondered. She touched, smelled, and then tasted the clear liquid sprinkled over the furniture. He used water instead of kerosene, she realized with relief. He never even tried to burn us.

At that instant, a tall sandy-haired man burst into the cabin.

“Nancy Drew? ” he panted.

“Jeff Butler? ” she returned.

“Am I glad to see you! ” he cried.

Nancy did not waste words as she and Jeff exchanged stories. In a moment, Jeff was on the phone to the police. Nancy gave George first-aid as she lay on the couch. After Nancy was assured that the other girl was all right, the three anxiously hurried back to the farm.

Dawn broke as Whispering Oaks came into view. Nancy dashed ahead. The house seemed strangely quiet. Suddenly the Sabuch brothers staggered out of the front door. Red wielded an ax in one hand, and a book in the other.

“I won’t let you do it! ” Jimmy hollered as the men struggled.

Suddenly Red saw Nancy and the others. Realizing he was trapped, he gave his brother a hard shove, dashed to his truck, and sped away.

“He won’t get far, ” Nancy said as they reached Jimmy, a police siren wailing in the distance.

“I know, ” Jimmy mumbled. “I never moved the tree.”

Nancy smiled at Jimmy as they helped him into the house. Sally and Bess rushed forward. They had been cowering in a corner, terrified. There was a confusion of voices. Finally, Nancy managed to settle everyone into chairs. The complete story was revealed.

“So all along, the Sabuch family were pretending to be ghosts to scare us away! ” Sally exclaimed.

“That’s right, ” Nancy said. “They needed a way to look for the statues. I don’t think Jimmy wanted any more to do with it, though.” She glanced at him. He seemed exhausted.

At that moment a police car pulled up. Two officers escorted Red Sabuch into the house. His face was livid.

“We apprehended him down the road, trying to move a tree, ” one officer explained.

“I told you to move that thing! ” Red screamed at his brother.

“Jimmy didn’t want you to get away, ” Nancy defended him.

Red’s face became almost purple with rage. He lunged at Nancy, but the officers restrained him.

“I’ll tell you everything, ” Jimmy suddenly declared. “My father knew that the McDonalds had hidden the golden statues on the farm. When they died, Trass became obsessed with the idea of having the gold, but he needed a safe way of searching for it. Then, Red invented the story about the mistaken burial. He was always clever! Our father buried the dogs up on the hill as the McDonalds wished. But Red told him to tell the family that by mistake he had buried the dogs behind the ice house. Then, the two of them moved away from the farm and circulated the story about the ghost dogs. Red thought of the idea of the battery-powered gloves with eyes. He was also good at imitating animal sounds. Later, after I joined him, we played tapes from hidden speakers in the trees.”

“What about the claw marks? ” Nancy asked.

“Those were made with a little steel rake placed in the gloves. Red was scared when you arrived, ” he continued. “He tried to stop you with that tree. He also sent me down to the store to stop Jeff and buy fresh batteries. We used to listen at windows. Red was really worried because he could see that Nancy was too smart, so he pushed her down into the ice house to hurt her. That was when I decided I had had enough. I didn’t move the tree and I never replaced the batteries in the gloves.”

“You also helped us escape from your cabin, ” Nancy added, relating the incident to the police.

“You idiot! ” Red shouted.

The police led both men away, after explaining that because of Jimmy’s conduct, they were sure the judge would deal lightly with him.

Alone again, Sally beamed at Nancy. “Now we can finally live in this grand old place! ” she cried.

“It’s a shame the statues were never found, ” George remarked sadly.

Nancy’s eyes twinkled again. “I think I know where they are, ” she said, smiling. “And I think Red, with my help, was very close to finding them—judging from what was in his hand.”

The others stared at her. The young detective wrote the letters of the dogs’ names on four separate pieces of paper and handed them around.

“Rearrange the letters, ” she instructed, “and see what common words you can come up with.”

In a moment, KOSOB, NESCAIN, DRAGENS, and SHROSE became BOOKS, CANINES, GARDENS, and HORSES.

“Where have we seen books marked canines, gardens …”

“In the library! ” Sally cried excitedly. “The statues must be behind those labeled shelves. Nancy, you’re a genius! ”

The young people hurried to the library. When the three shelves marked canines, gardens, and horses were removed, a small door was revealed. Nancy pushed and prodded. Suddenly she found the spring. With a click, the door swung open. In an alcove were the exquisite gold statues of the four dogs!

The amazed onlookers carried the heavy treasure to the living room. Sally was teary-eyed. She threw her arms around Nancy.

“Thank you, ” she whispered. “Thanks to all of you.”

“I don’t know what to say, ” Jeff added emotionally.

“Just tell us that we can visit the farm again soon, ” Nancy said with a grin. “It would be lovely to return and hear only the whispering oaks … not howling dogs! ”

 






© 2023 :: MyLektsii.ru :: Мои Лекции
Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав.
Копирование текстов разрешено только с указанием индексируемой ссылки на источник.