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TableofContents
TitlePageCopyrightPageChapter1-ASpookedHorseChapter2-TheWildcatChapter3-MountainMishapChapter4-Trixie,LifesaverChapter5-TheSpyingStrangerChapter6-SignLanguageChapter7-OldJoe’sSecretChapter8-PyramidofRocksChapter9-TheBlackDelugeChapter10-SpaceTripChapter11-HumanBirdsChapter12-Where?What?Chapter13-ADiscoveryChapter14-AValuableClueChapter15-LabintheForestChapter16-TheEerieCaveChapter17-Fire!Chapter18-ARewardingFindChapter19-AStrangeReunionChapter20-UFOCapture
WHEN Nancy and her friends ride deep into the Shawniegunk Forest insearchofaflyingsaucer,theyfindthemselvesinthemiddleofmorethanonemystery.Wildcats, runaway horses, deadly snakes, a disappearing Indian, and a
loveableoldnaturalistinsearchoftreasurehiddenbyhisfatheryearsbefore,keepthesleuthstangledindangerandsuspense.Finally,duringa frighteningwindstorm, the spacecraft arrives.Nancyand
Nedexperienceanunforgettable journeybeforetheyreturntosolvenotonebuttwospectacularmysteries.
Thescanning,uploading,anddistributionofthisbookviatheInternetorviaanyothermeanswithoutthepermissionofthepublisherisillegalandpunishablebylaw.Pleasepurchaseonlyauthorized
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Copyright©1980bySimon&Schuster,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Publishedin2005byGrosset&
Dunlap,adivisionofPenguinYoungReadersGroup,345HudsonStreet,NewYork,NewYork10014.NANCYDREWMYSTERYSTORIES®isaregisteredtrademarkofSimon&Schuster,Inc.
GROSSET&DUNLAPisatrademarkofPenguinGroup(USA)Inc.S.A.
eISBN:978-1-101-07759-7
http://us.penguingroup.com
1
ASpookedHorse
“Good-bye!Goodluck!Andbecareful,Nancy.Thisnewmysteryyouwanttosolvesoundsdangerous!”The words of farewell were spoken byMrs. Hannah Gruen, the Drews’
housekeeper. She kissed the eighteen-year-old, titian-blond girl and huggedheraffectionately.“I’llbeverycareful,”Nancypromised,addinglightly,“Hasanyonegotthe
bestofyourfavoritedetectiveyet?”“No,butthere’salwaysafirsttime!”HannahrepliedasNancyjumpedinto
herfather’scar.Withoutfurtherdiscussion,CarsonDrew,adistinguishedlawyer,headedfor
theRiverHeightsairport.Astheypulleduptotheterminal,twogirlssteppedoutofasedan.“BessandGeorge!”Nancyexclaimed.Bess Marvin and George Fayne were cousins and were Nancy’s closest
friends. The three girls, who were going on a camping trip in theShawniegunkForest,nowsettheirlargebackpacksandsleepingbagsonthesidewalkinfrontoftheterminalentrance.Mr.DrewandMrs.Faynesaidtheywouldparktheircarsandcomebacktoseethegirlsoff.“Ihadtoleavesomuchathome!”complainedBess.ShewasNancy’sage
andpretty—butslightlyplump.“Well,Ibroughtlotsofraingearandnotmuchelse.”Georgegiggled.She
wasanattractiveslimbrunette.“Ifitdoesn’train,I’llbeoutofluck!”“Ifitdoes”—Bessfrowned—“I’llbewetterthanaguppy.”“Youmeanawhale!”Georgelaughed.“Thanksalot,George!”hercousinreplied,narrowinghereyes.That wasNancy’s signal to lead theway to the ticket counter where the
girls’campingequipmentwasweighedandcheckedin.Theyeachpickedupaticketandseatassignment,andwalkedtothedeparturegate.Mrs.FayneandMr.Drewarrivedjustafewminutesbeforetakeoff.Asthe
boarding announcement was made, Mr. Drew kissed Nancy. “I hope yousolvethemystery,honey,”hesaidasatwinklecameintohiseyes.“Butbeonthelookoutforstrangecreaturesintheforest!”Bessshuddered.“Whatdoyoumean,Mr.Drew?”Nancy’sfatherrefusedtoexplainfurther.“You’dbetterhurry,oryou’llmiss
yourplane.”Thegirls scootedquickly through thecheck-inareaand soonwere seated
sidebysideintheplane.“Ihadno idea this tripwouldbedangerous,”Besssaid.“I thought itwas
goingtobefun.”“Itshouldbe,”Nancyreplied.“Afterall,Ididpromiseyouamystery,and
isn’tsolvingmysteriesfun?I’lltellyoumoreaboutthisonewhenwejointheboys.”The triphadbeen arrangedbyMr.Drew.Athis suggestion, thegirls had
askedtheirboyfriendstomeettheminalittletownatthefootofthewoodedShawniegunk Mountain where the small plane would land. Jan and HalDrake,theirguides,weretobetherealso.Duringthetwo-hourflight,thethreeteenagershardlyspoketooneanother.
Eachwaswonderingwhatlayahead.BessandGeorgeknewtherewasboundtobedanger—aswellasathrillingadventure—onatripwithNancy.Bythetimetheplanelanded,theboyswerealreadythere.Tall,athleticNed
NickersonwasNancy’sboyfriend.BurtEddleton,ashort,huskyblond,wasGeorge’s friend,andBess’s special companionwasblond,green-eyedDaveEvans.TheboysintroducedtheDrakes,anattractivecouplewhohadlivedinthe
areasincetheirmarriageafewyearsbefore.“I’msureallofyouaregoingtohaveasmuchfunhereaswedo,”saidJan,
avivaciousblondwithstreaksofgrayinherhair.“Welovetocampoutandridethroughthismagnificentforest.”“Soundswonderful,”Nancyreplied.“Iseverythingsetforgo?”Halsmiled.“Atyourservice.Followme.”The young people picked up their backpacks and sleeping bags and
followedJanandHaltoalongshedwhereseveralhorsesweretiedup.“Here’syourmeansoftransportation,”saidHal.Hewasatall,slenderman
witharuddycomplexionandafirmjaw.Hismouthturnedupatthecomersinanengaginggrin.
“Oh,howmarvelous!”Georgeexclaimed,droppingherthingsinaheapandadmiringthelineofhorses.ShepattedandspoketoeachonewhileHalandtheothersconferredoverwhichanimalstheyoughttouse.“What’sthenameofmyhorse?”Nancyasked,asshemountedeasily.“SusanB,”Haltoldherassheleanedforwardtohugthebeautiful,young
baymare.“YouandIaregoingtosolveabigmystery!”shewhisperedtoSusanB.Ned mounted his horse and rode alongside Nancy, saying, “This is
Goalpost.Appropriate?”“Appropriate, but I don’t believe it.” Nancy smiled. “Somebodymust’ve
knownthecaptainofEmersonCollege’sfootballteamwascoming.Evenso,I’msureyou’renotgoingtofindanygoalpostsintheforest.”“ButIcanrunforatouchdown!”Nedquipped.“Thesolutiontothemystery
mayberightthere.”Withinminutes the stringof riders andhorses startedoff. Itwasnot long
beforetheycametotheforestandfollowedJanupasteeptrail.Theyhadriddenaboutanhourwhenthestonypathledthemtoapleasant
spotbyamountainbrook.“Oh, doesn’t it smell wonderful here?” Bess said, breathing in the pine
scent.“Andlookatallthewildflowers.”Sweet-smelling woodbine was entwined around stately trees and white
flowerspeekedthroughgroundshrubbery.Jansignaledfortheprocessiontohalt.Theridersdismounted,allowingthe
horsestorestwhileJanunloadedasackofpicnicfoodfromoneofthetwopackhorses.Beforelettingthehorsesgraze,Halandtheboysledthemtothebrookfora
refreshingdrink.Aftertetheringtwoofthehorses,everyonesatdownonthegroundtoenjoyavarietyofsandwiches,aswellastomatojuiceandnutcake.“Now, Nancy, let’s hear about the mystery we’re going to solve,” Ned
suggested,aftertastingahamsandwich.Nancy leaned forward and spoke softly. “Dad receivedword—secretly of
course—that several people in the vicinity of Shawniegunk Mountain hadseenaUFOcomedownanddisappear.Someofthemevenhuntedforit.”“Wasitfromouterspace?”Bessquivered.“Everyone thought so,”Nancy said, causingher friend’s lookof alarm to
changetofright.“Didn’ttheynotifytheauthorities?”Burtasked.Nancyshookherhead.“Apparentlynot.Theywereafraidofbeinglaughed
at.Anyway,theyfailedtofindtheUFO.Nevertheless,theyweresureithadlanded.Therewasasimilarrumorabouttenyearsago,butnothingcameofit.”“Andwe’resupposedtofindthisflyingsaucer?”Georgeinquired.“Yes,weare,”Nancyreplied.“Notonlyfind itbut try to learnsomething
aboutthecraftandwhereitcamefrom.”Davegrunted.“Thatsoundslikeabigorder.”“Butarealchallenge,”Nedadded.ThewordswerescarcelyoutofhismouthwhenBessscreamedloudlyand
jumpedtoherfeet.“What’sthematter?”Georgeaskedhercousin.Too frightened to answer, Bess merely pointed. A snake was wriggling
awayfromher!Hal ran to see if the snakewaspoisonous.Hecalledback, “Itwon’thurt
us.”Bess was still shaking. “It cr-crawled r-right across my b-boot!” she
stammered.“Ithoughtsnakesdidn’tlikepeople.Ithoughttheystayedawayfromthem!”“That’s usually true,” Hal agreed. “But even snakes have an appetite for
goodhomecooking.”“Soyouscaredoffyoursoulmate!”Georgeteased.Ignoringtheremark,Bessdeclaredthatfromnowonshewasgoingtoeat
standingup.“AndIplantowalkaroundalot,too.”Herfriendslaughed.AsBessspoke,hereyesfastenedontheslitheringreptile. Itwascrawling
towardthehorses.“Thesnake’sgoingformyhorse!”Georgegasped.“Imuststopit!”Before she could, however, the snake paused in back of the animal, then
slowlywriggledupherrearleg.Instantlyitspookedthehorse,causinghimtothrowoffthesnakeandrunoffatbreakneckspeedintothedenseforest.“Oh!”Georgeexclaimed.“Burt,comequickly!”
Together they raced after the galloping horse but could not catch it.Meanwhile, the rest of the riders were trying to calm the other agitatedanimalsandkeepthemfrombolting,too.NedandDaveofferedtotaketheirhorsesandgoaftertherunaway.Nancy clung toher horse’s bridle and talkedgently to themare.Shewas
havingtroublewithSusanB,whoappearedtobeterrified.Finallythehorsesettleddown.
Burtwasshamefaced.“Itwassostupidofmenottotietherunawayhorsewhenshefinisheddrinkinginthestream.”“She’ssogentleandobedient,”Georgeremarkedquietly,almostunawareof
Burt’sarmaroundhershoulder.“Ihopeshecomesback.”JanandHaltriedtocomfortthedistraughtgirl,too.“Horseshatesnakes,”
Halsaid,“andwithascarelikethat,yourswouldhavepulledfreeanyway.”“Whatwouldyoudoifasnakecrawledupyourleg?”Janadded.ThismadeGeorgeandtheotherssmile.“Ithinkwe’dallrun!”shesaid.Whilethecamperswaitedforthetwoboystoreturn,theypackedup,ready
tomoveon. In twentyminutesNedandDave reappeared, leadingGeorge’smount.Excitedly,thegirlrantoherhorseandgotastride.Oncemorethegroupwasonthemove.Janledthemhigherandhigherup
themountain.AtonepointBessremarked,“I’llbettheviewfromherewouldbegorgeous
ifwecouldseethroughthetrees.”Janagreedandsaid thatbeforedark theywouldreachanareawhere they
could see formiles. “Haland I think someonecampedat the spot forquitesome time, even cleared a little section of the forest and grew a vegetablegarden.Inanycase,itwillbeagoodplaceforustocamp.”When the riders arrived at their destination, Jan suggested, “Why doesn’t
everyoneunpackforthenight?I’llstartcookingsupper.”“MayIhelp?”Bessaskedeagerly.“Ifyoulike,”Jansaid,removingasackfromoneofthepackhorses.Afewminuteslatershecriedout,“Oh,weleftourcookingutensilsatthe
picnicspot!HowcouldIhavebeensoforgetfulandleftoneofthesacksontheground?”Nancyofferedtogoback.“Notalone,”Janansweredquickly.“I’lltellyouwhat:we’lldrawlots.I’ll
getfoursticksandmarkone,thenwe’llchoosebycouples.Whoevergetsthemarkedstickwillgo.”NancywasdelightedwhensheandNeddrewtheluckystick.Instantlyshe
mounted Susan B and Ned mounted Goalpost, and they set off down thenarrowtrail.Thetrip,JanandHalfigured,wouldtakeatleastanhour.When two hours had gone by and it was dark, the riders still had not
returned.Everyonewasworried.
“NancyandNedaregoodhorsemen,”Besssaid,“but lotsof thingscouldhavehappened.”A little while later Jan lay down and put her ear to the ground. “I hear
horsescoming,”shecalledout.Asshestoodup,thecamperswerestartledbyeeriescreamsinthedistance.
2
TheWildcat
Thecampersfrozewithfearwhentheyheardthescreamsinthequietforest.Bess criedout frantically, “NancyandNedmusthavebeen attackedby a
wildanimal!Oh,what’llwedo?”“Wemustfindthem!”Georgeshouted.“I’msure,”saidHal,“thosescreamswerecomingfromthenorth.”“I’dsayjusttheopposite,”Georgecountered.“Whatdoyouthink,Burt?”“West,”heanswered,“andDavethinkseast.”Everyonefelthelpless.FinallyJanspokeup.“Ibelievethosescreamswere
fromawildcat.I’veheardsimilaronesbefore.”Besswasevenmoreterrified.“Oh,NancyandNedmayhavebeenclawed
topieces!”sheexclaimed.Georgelookedseverelyathercousin.“Don’tsaysuchthings!”sheflashed
back.“Let’shopeNancyandNedarenowherenearawildcat.”Asamatteroffactthecouplewasnotfarfromthemenacingcat.Theyhad
found themissing bag of kitchen utensils, fastened it to Ned’s saddle, andstarted back to camp.Unfortunately, they had taken thewrong branch of atrailwhichledthemawayfromtheirdestination.Unawareoftheirmistakeatfirst,theykeptriding.Finally,however,thesunsetandasdarknesscameon,thetworidersstoppedandlookedateachother.“AreyouthinkingthesamethingIam?”Nancyasked.“We’relost!”“I’mafraidyou’reright,”Nedconceded.“We’dbetterturnaroundandhead
fortheothertrail.”SusanBandGoalpoststartedoffintheoppositedirection.Afewfeetbefore
they reached the fork, Nancy caught sight of two glowing eyes and theshadowyoutlineofananimalonabranchofapinetree.“Ned!”shecalled.“Lookupthere!Somecreatureiswatchingus!”Astheboygazedupward,theanimalhissed,thenbrokethestillnesswithan
unearthlyscream.Chillswentupanddowntheriders’spines.Thefrightenedhorsesrearedandwhinnied.
“We’dbetterrunforit,”Nedsuggested,urgingGoalposttogofast.“It’sawildcat!”Thegleamingeyes in the tree fascinatedNancy.Asshe rodepast thecat,
shewondered if the beastwould spring at her and SusanB.Nancy’s heartpounded.Suddenly she and Ned were startled by the sound of a sharp whistle
followedbythesoothingvoiceofaman.“Now, Kitty, behave yourself!” he said coaxingly. “Stop trying to scare
folks!”Atoncetheglowingeyessankback.Evidentlytheanimalhadjumpedout
ofthetreeanddisappearedintothedarkforest.“Who’sthere?”Nedcalled,asheandNancystopped.“OldJoe,”camethereply.Alightwasshonein theriders’direction.Acoupleofminutes latera tall,
slendermanofaboutseventyappeared.Hishairwasgrayandhehadabeardthatwasasunkemptashisclothes.Washeoneofthe“strangecreatures”herfatherhadwarnedherabout?Nancywondered.The man’s friendly smile, however, and his kindly blue eyes made her
dismisstheidea.“Howdy!”hegreetedthecouple.“Whatareyoufolksdoingridingaround
inthedark?You’restrangershere,aren’tyou?”QuicklyNancyexplained,thenintroducedherselfandNed.“We’recamping
withagroupoffriendsalittlewayupthetrail.”Ned added, “You calledyourselfOld Joe.Will you tell uswhat your full
nameis?Anddoyoulivearoundhere?”“MyfullnameisJosephAustin.Folksinthevillagegavemethenickname
ofOldJoe.Ikindoflikedit,soIkeptit.Irarelyusemylastname.”“Bytheway,manythanksforscaringoffthathissingcreature,”Nancysaid.
“Whatwasit?Awildcat?”“Yes.”“Weweresurehewasgoingtoattackus.”“Oh,Kitty,asIcallher,wouldn’tattackunlesssomethingbotheredher.”“Well,shesurewasn’tfriendlytous,”Nancygrumbled.OldJoelaughed.“Oh,ithadnothingtodowithyoudirectly.Ihaveadog,
Trixie.ShewasteasingKitty.Isuspectedthat,andcameupheretoseewhatwas going on.Then I heardKitty scream, and hurried. Imust say itwas asurprisetomeetyoufolks.”“Youmentionedadog,”Nedsaid.“Oh,TrixieistoosmarttoletKittygetthejumponher,”OldJoereplied.
“She likes to teaseKittybutwhen thewildcatgets enoughof it, shehissesandspitsat thedog,evenscreamssometimes.KittyandIhaveknowneachother for a long time. In fact she was just a kitten when we first becameacquainted. Hermothermust have abandoned her and she kind of broughtherselfup.Ileavefoodoutforherupnearmycabin.It’ssomedistancefromhere.Youmustcomeandvisitmethere.”OldJoeexplainedthathewasanaturalistbypreference.“Iwasinbusiness
onceinthecitybutIdidn’tlikeit.AssoonasImadeenoughmoneytoretireIcameupherewhereIusedtospendmysummersasaboy.“Now all I do is study the behavior of wild animals toward man. Most
won’tattackunlessthey’reextremelyhungry,orareprotectingtheiryoung,orarefrightenedorthreatenedbyahumanbeingoranotheranimal.“Of course, this doesn’t apply to tigers,” the naturalist added. “They’ll
attackfornoreasonatall.”Nancyremarked,“Wildcatsandtigersarerelated,though,aren’tthey?”“They’re distant cousins. I’m glad there aren’t any tigers in the United
States.Youknow,”hewenton, “so far as isknown,man isnot thenaturalsourceoffoodsupplyforanyothercreature.Ibelievethatman’sworstenemyismanhimself.”Nancy andNed liked the elderly gentlemanmore andmore. Hewas not
onlyanaturalistbutaphilosopheraswell.“We’reheadingforourcamp,”Nancysaid.“Wouldn’tyouliketoridealong
andmeetourfriends?”OldJoechuckled.“I’dlikethatverymuch,buttotellyouthetruth,Iprefer
walking.”HeandtheridersfollowedthetrailwhichNancyandNedhadmissed,and
shortlytheyarrivedatthecamp.“Oh,thankgoodness,you’reallright!”Besssaid,huggingNancy.EveryonewasoverjoyedtoseethatsheandNedandthehorsesweresafe.
They also were delighted to meet Old Joe, who captured their heartsimmediatelywithhisquietsenseofhumorandevidentloveofnature.
Thecampershadbuiltafireandnowtheyallsataroundit,listeningtothecomfortingcrackle,whilesupperwasservedtothelatecomers.“I don’t buymuch food from the store,” Old Joe said. “I get practically
everythingIeatfrominthewoods.”Bess’seyesopenedwide.“Youmeanyoumighteatwildcatmeat?”Theman’seyestwinkled.“No,butIdocatchrabbitsandgroundhogs.One
ofthebestdishesyou’deverwanttoeatisgroundhogstew.”ThatdidnotsoundappealingtoBess,butshekeptsilent.OldJoesaidthere
wasgoodfishinginthemountainstreamsandallsortsofdeliciousberriesandplants.“Oneofmyfavoritedishesisstewedwildroseleaves.”AlthoughBessknewshewasbeingteased,theplumpishgirldecidedthatif
sheatesomeofthisnaturalfood,thescalemightreflectthebenefits.Shewasalways making promises to herself to modify her eating habits, but neveractuallyfollowedthrough.The rest of the campersweremore interested in hearing aboutOld Joe’s
adventures in the forest.Heentertained themwithwildlife stories includingoneabouthisrescueofabearcub.“Gothimself caught in somebody’smakeshift trap. I sethim freebutyou
knowwhat?Hefollowedmehome!CraziestbearIevermet.Well,Ifiguredhewashungryso I fedhimand toldhim to scat.Butnextmorninghewasscratchingatthedoorjustlikeapuppy.”“Doeshestilllivewithyou?”Bessaskedinamazement.“Oh,no.Heonlystayedwithmeuntilhewasoldenoughtogooutintothe
forestandforageforhimself.Neverdidseethatbearagain,soIimaginehesurvivedonhisown.”Now the elderlyman stoodup and saidhemustgetback tohis cabin. “I
expectallofyoutocomeoverandvisitme.Mylittlecabinandeverythinginitishandmade,”heremarked.“I’mratherproudofmyaccomplishmentsandI’d likeyou tosee them.You’vesharedyour foodwithme, sonow it’smyturntofeedyou.”The campers thanked Old Joe for the invitation, then said good night.
SuddenlyGeorgestoppedhimandasked,“Haveyoueverseenaflyingsauceraroundhere?”Thecamperswaitedbreathlesslyforananswer.
3
MountainMishap
OldJoelookedatthegroup,startled.“You’veheardabouttheflyingsaucer?”heaskedinsurprise.“Ithoughtonlyafewnativesknewaboutthat.”Nancytoldthenaturalistthataclientofherfather’shadcontactedhimand
divulgedthesecret.“Dadisalawyer.Hesaidpeoplearoundherewhoknewabouttheflyingsaucerwereafraidtoreportitforfearofbeinglaughedat.”OldJoesmiled.“Ithinkthat’spartiallytrue.Asformyself,Inevercouldbe
surewhetheritwasarealunidentifiedflyingobjectfromouterspaceorsomegovernmentexperimentalaircraft.”“Thenyou’veseenit?”Nedasked.Thenaturalistsaidindeedhehad.“Thesaucerusuallyappearsatnightand
hasverybrightlights.I’veseenonlywhitelights,butsomefolkssayattimesthey’rered,othertimesgreen,andevenyellow.“Onemanreportedseeingthewholesaucerturnbrightred.Itlookedasifit
werereadytoburnup,butthethingflewawayanddisappeared.”Old Joe’s listenerswere intriguedby the strange story.Allof themhoped
thatthemysteriousflyingsaucerwouldreturnsoonsothey,too,mightseeit.Daveasked,“Dothepeoplewhohaveseenitthinktherearehumanbeings
aboard?”Thenaturalistsmiledandshrugged.“Nobody’severseenanyonecomeout.
ButI’dsayonething.Ifhumansareaboard,theymustbethebestpilotsinthewholeuniverse.”Burtaddedwithachuckle,“Andthey’reflyingasupercraft.”OldJoesaidhereallyhadtoleave.Againheinvitedthegrouptocometo
hislogcabin.“I’llshowyousomecrudedrawingsImadeoftheflyingsaucer.“That’s great!” George remarked. “It’s too bad you didn’t take any
photographsofit.”Thenaturalistsaidthatsomeofthelocalpeoplehadtriedto,buttheirhigh-
speedcamerashadbeenunabletocaptureanythingbutablur.“That’sstrange,”Nancyremarkedunderherbreath.
“I’llgiveyoudirectionstomyplace,”OldJoesaid.Heaskedforpaperandpencil,anddrewamapoftrailstohiscabin.Whenhefinishedthezigzaggingline,helookedsquarelyatNancy.“IhaveamysteryofmyownthatI’dlikeyoutosolve,”hesaid.“I’lltellyouaboutitwhenyoucometoseeme.”Intrigued by the prospect of another mystery, Nancy wondered what it
mightbe,butOldJoegavenohints.Thecampersdecidedtheywouldcallonhimthenextmorning,andthenaturalistwasdelighted.After he had gone, Nancy thought excitedly, maybe Old Joe’s mystery
concernshiscabin.Hedidmakeapointoftellingusthateverythinginit ishandmade.Thefollowingmorningthecamperspackeduptheirbelongings.Janmade
surethistimethatnothingwasleftbehind.“Allset!”shecalledatlast.Everyonemountedahorse.Halrodeinfront,carryingOldJoe’smap.Itled
themontoanarrowsidetrailwhichapparentlywasadrybrookthatbecameatorrentofwaterwhentherewerecloud-burstsormeltingsnow.Nowthepathwasfilledwithsmallstones.TheridershadnotgonefarwhenNed,whowasfollowingNancy,suddenly
criedout,“Goalposthasgonelame!”At once, Nancy reined in Susan B and dismounted quickly to examine
Goalpost’shooves.“There’s a stonewedged in this one,”Nancy said, as she carefully lifted
Goalpost’srightforeleg.Shehurriedback toherhorse,opened the saddlebag,and tookoutahoof
pick.WithNed’sassistance,shemanagedtodislodgethestone.Shepattedthehorse’snoseandgavehimalittlehug,saying,“Nowdoyou
feelbetter,youniceoldthing?”Nedsmiled.“Thanksforyourhelp,Nancy.”He,too,pattedtheanimal.Bythistimetheirfriendswereoutofsight.WhenNancyandNedcaughtup
withthem,thegrouphadstoppedtodiscusswhattheyshoulddonext.“Theforestisbecomingmoreandmoreimpenetrable,”Halannounced.“It’s
impossible for the packhorses to get through because the trees are so closetogether.IsuggestwetiethemhereandgoontoOldJoe’swithoutthem.I’llcheckourwalkie-talkiesincasewegetsplitup.”Heexaminedthecompactradiotelephonesthatwerebeingcarriedinhisand
Jan’ssaddlebags.“They’reokay,”Halsaidafewminuteslater.“Let’sgoon.
If any place is too narrow to pass through, pull your legs, saddlebags, andstirrupstothebackofyourhorse.”Besscalledoutfromtherearoftheline,“Wherearewegoing?Idon’tsee
thetrailanymore.”“That’s true,” Hal replied somberly. “From here on it seems to be just a
seriesofdeertracks.Let’shopethey’llleadusrighttoOldJoe’scabin.”Ten minutes later George, who was riding directly behind Hal, pointed
ahead.“Nowwhatdowedo?”sheinquired.As the others drew near, they could see an enormous fallen tree trunk
blockingtheirpath.Itsdiameterwashigherthanthebacksoftheirhorses.“Whatamonster!”Daveexclaimed.“Iwonderhowtallthetreewas.”Thegroupdismounted,tiedthehorses,andspreadoutalongthegianttrunk.Nedremarked,“Myguessisthatthisoakmustbeoverfiftyfeetlong.”Bess stoodback to admire it, saying, “What a gorgeous tree itmust have
beenwhenitstood.Howolddoyouthinkitis?”“Anybodyknowhowtoreadtreerings?”Nedasked.Jan made her way to the end of the trunk where it had broken off.
Unfortunately the tree had splintered apart and the rings could not be readaccurately.“Sorry,”shesaid.“ProbablyOldJoecantellusbecauseitlooksasthough
thetreetrunkhasbeenlyingherealongtime.”“One thing is certain,” Hal added. “It wasn’t sawed down. The tree fell
eitherbecauseitwasdiseasedorbecauseitwasstruckbylightning.”Burthadwalkedtotheotherendofthetreeandannouncedthatitwouldbe
impossibletogetthroughthelimbsandbrancheswithoutalotofhacking.“Wemust have taken awrong turn,” the boy said. “If Jan’s right, then I
doubtOldJoewouldhavesentusthisway.”Janconsultedthehand-drawnmap.“Let’sclimboverandgotherestofthe
wayonfoot,”shesuggested.“Yes, let’s,”Bessagreed.“We’vebeenridingforhoursandI’mstarved. I
betOldJoewillhaveagoodlunchforus.”HercousinGeorgeteased,“Ihopeyou’lllikethemenu.Remember,helives
on goodies from the forest. You’ll probably have a broiled bullfrog, tastywormsalad,andfordessert,persimmonstopuckeryourtongue.”
Everyone except Bess laughed. She made a face. Now the campersscrambledupthetrunkandsatastrideitthebesttheycould.Totheirdismaythegroupdiscoveredtheywereattheprecariousedgeofa
steepdeclineatthefootofwhichtherewasarushingstreamfilledwithrocks,someofthemlargeandtreacherous.Janasked,“Whatdoyousay,everybody?Dowegoaheadorturnback?”Forseveraluneasysecondsnooneanswered.ThenNancysaid,“Ithinkwe
shouldtryit.OldJoeisexpectingusandremember,hewantstotellusabouthis personalmystery. I’m dying to learnwhat it is so I can try to solve it.Besides,IwanttoseehissketchesoftheUFO;don’tyou?”Nedconcurred.“Isn’tthatthepurposeofthistrip?”Theothersagreed.Jansuggestedtheygoinpairs.“Takeitslowandeasyon
the descent. Remember the saying, ‘Haste makes waste,”’ she cautioned.“Let’shopewecanwalkalong the stream,which I think is theoneonOldJoe’smap.”Ned jumped down first and caughtNancy’s hand as her feet touched the
ground.TheDrakeswentnext,followedbyGeorgeandBurt.Noneofthemhadmishaps.“Our turn,”Dave toldBess. “There’s nothing toworry about. I’ll go first
andcatchyou.Okay,partner?”Beforehejumped,Davepausedforananswer.SuddenlyBesssaid,“Wait!I—I’msodizzy.”Instantly she lost her balance and rolled off the trunk down the
mountainside. There were fewer trees and bushes on the slope, evidentlybecauseofloggingoperations.Bessbegantotumblefaster.“Oh,no!”Davecriedout,jumpingoffthetrunk.Hedashedafterherandcaughthisfootinatrailingvinethatalmostcaused
him to plunge headfirst. By now, Bess was far ahead of him and rollingrapidlytowardtheturbulentrock-filledwater!
4
Trixie,Lifesaver
QuicklyDaveregainedhisbalance.HedugbothheelsintothemountainsideasherantorescueBess.Shewasonlyafewfeetawayfromthedangerousstream!Toofarawaytoassistthehelplessgirl,theothercamperswatchedinhorror.
WouldDavereachBessbeforeshe fellamong the jaggedrocksand injuredherselfbadly?Shemightevendrown!Withoutanywarning,alargeretrieverboundedfromamongthetrees.With
lightning-fast leaps, the dog got to Bess. She grabbed the girl’s belt in herteeth, braced herself against the hillside, and stoppedBess’s descent in thenickoftime.“Oh,thankgoodness!”Georgemurmured.
WithinsecondsDavewasbendingoverthegirl.Shewasunconsciousandbadlyscratched.“Bess!Bess!”hecriedout,pattinghercool,clammycheeks.Thedognowstoodalongsideher,whiningandlookingatDavefororders.By then, Nancy, Ned, and the other campers had hurried back along the
stream. Jan, who said she was a nurse, examined the unconscious girl forbrokenbonesandconcludedtherewerenone.
Meanwhile,NancyandGeorgetookwadsoftissuesfromtheirbackpacks,dipped themin thecoldwater,andapplied themtoBess’s foreheadand thebackofherneck.NedandBurtdaubedmorecoldwateronherscratchedfaceandarms.PresentlyBessopenedhereyesbutsaidnothing.Nancy whispered to her, “I’m so glad you aren’t badly hurt, Bess.Why
don’tyoulierighthereuntilyoufeelbetter?”For nearly tenminutes, Bess rested, then opened her eyes again. Finally,
withDave’shelp,shesatup.“Idon’tthinkI’dbetterwalkanyfarther.Youallgoalongwithoutme,”she
saidquietly.Justthenshenoticedtheretriever.“Wheredidyoucomefrom?”sheaskedthedog,whowaswagginghertail.“Shesavedyourlife,”DavetoldBess,andexplainedwhattheanimalhad
done.“Idon’tknowwhereshecamefrom.”Besshuggedthebeautifuldogandthankedher.Inreply,thelovelyanimal
leapedoutofhergrasp,thenranbackandforthalongthestream,barking.“Whyisshedoingthat?”Bessasked.Nancy guessed that the retriever wanted them to follow her. “Are you
Trixie?AreyouOldJoe’sdog?”thegirldetectiveasked.Theanimalwaggedhertailbrisklyandgaveanumberofshortbarks.Nancy laughed. “I think this is Trixie and she wants to take us to her
master’scabin.”Shepatted theanimal.“Okay,Trixie.Waituntilweget thehorsesandthenyouleadustoOldJoe.”JansaidshewouldstaywithBessuntiltheothersreturned.“Isuggestthat
youleaveoneofthewalkie-talkieswithussowecancommunicatewithyouifnecessary.”Burtreminded,“It’sgoingtobetoughgettingthehorsesdownhere.They
can’tclimboverthattreetrunk.We’llhavetobypassitsomehow.”“Right,”Daveagreed.“Wedon’twantanybrokenlegs.”Ittooksomedoingtobringthehorsesdownthemountainside.Whenthey
allarrived,oneofthewalkie-talkieswasunpackedandleftwithBessandJan.The other campersmounted and followed Trixie. She stayed close to the
bankofthestream.Thegoingwasroughbutuneventful.As a crudely built log cabin came into view, Trixie hurried on alone,
barkingwildly.OldJoecameoutside immediatelyandwelcomed thegroupwithabigsmile.
Aftercountingthenumberofvisitors,heasked,“Wherearetheothertwo?”NancyexplainedandaddedthatTrixiewasindeedaheroine.Thenaturalistpraisedhispet.“Isenthertofindyoufolks,”hesaid.“Iwas
afraidyoumightgetlost.Evidentlyshemetyouattherightmoment.”Heinvitedthegrouptotieuptheirhorsesandcomeintothecabin.Ashe
had told them, it was very unusual. It consisted of a single room witheverythingheneededinit.Inonecornerstoodahand-carvedwoodenbed.Thecoverlethadbeenmade
fromwildgoathide.Severalbearskin rugs layon the floor.Thewallswerecoveredwithdeerheads,andstuffedchipmunksandmountedbirdsadornedthewindows.Therewasahugestonefireplacenexttowhichstacksofwoodwerepiledhigh.A largewooden dresser stood along onewall of the room.On topwas a
smallwoodenbarrelholdingabeautifulbouquetofwildflowers.“Thisislovely,”Nancyremarked,leaningovertosmellthem.Old Joe opened the top drawer to display thewooden forks, knives, and
spoons he hadmade. Some of themwere short and others very long. Thelatter,heexplained,wereusedforholdingmeatoveranopenfire.Were the blunt-looking knives sharp enough to cut meat? the onlookers
wondered.Thenaturalistreadtheir thoughtsandsuggestedthat theboystrythem out. Ned picked up one and examined the edge. He almost cut hisfinger!“It’ssharpallright,”hecommented.OldJoelaughed,thensaid,“Iguesswe’dbettergetsomelunchready.”He
called to Trixie. “Go fetch us some fish from the stream,” he ordered,explainingtohisguests,“Sheisanexpertatcatchingtroutinherteeth.Whenshebringsthemuphere,howaboutyouboyspreparingthemforcooking?Doyouhavehuntingkniveswithyou?”“Yes,”theychorused.“Good.Thenyougirlscansetupa three-leggedspit tohangthefishon,”
OldJoesuggested,“whiletheboysgathersomedrywoodfromtheforesttomaketheoutdoorfireforcookingit.”“Allright,”Nancysaid,“butfirstIwanttocheckonBess.”She soon made contact with her walkie-talkie. Bess said she was better.
“ButIgotreallyscaredwhenwesawagiantstaringatusfromamongsometrees.”
“Awhat?”Nancyaskedindisbelief.“Agiant.He’sareal tallIndianwithhishairpulledoverhalfhisface.He
hadonsomekindofsuitmadeofleaves.”“Soundsstrange,”Nancycommented.“Didhetalktoyou?”“Sort of,”Bess said, “butwe couldn’t understand him.”Nancy suggested
thatperhapsthemanwasspeakinginhisnativeIndianlanguage.“Probably,” Bess replied, adding, “He didn’t hurt us. In fact he gave us
somelunch.Hethrewahandfulofdeliciousnutstous,thendisappearedintotheforest.”Whentheconversationfinished,NancyaskedOldJoeifheknewwhothe
giantIndianwas.“I’mnotsure,”herhostanswered,“butifhe’swhoIthinkheis,theIndian
is harmless. Evidently he has lived in the forest all his life. I rememberhearingabouthimwhenIwasayoungman.Theauthoritiestriedtocapturehimbutnevercould.Sincehewasharmless,theyfinallygaveup.”Georgeasked,“Didyouevercatchaglimpseofhim?”“Notformanyyears,”theelderlymanreplied.GeorgenextaskedthenaturalistifanyotherIndianslivedinthearea.Old
Joeshookhishead.George giggled. “Then maybe he doesn’t belong here. Perhaps the
spaceshipdroppedhimoff!”Nedgrinned.“Sonowwehaveanewkindofspaceman.AnUnidentified
FlyingIndian!”Astheotherslaughed,Trixieboundeduptothemwithalargetroutinher
mouth.“Gooddog,”OldJoepraisedher.“Ithinkthere’senoughfoodhereforallof
us.Youwon’thavetogetanymore.”Nedtookthefish.Hecutofftheheadandtailandthrewthemaway,then
expertlyslitthefishopenandremovedallthebones,thencuttherestofthetroutintosmallpieces.Soonthespitwasputupandthefirestartedunderneathit.OldJoehooked
thechunksoffishontothespursofthethree-leggedrig.Thewelcomearomaofcookingfishfilledtheair.Uptonowtherehadbeenagentlebreeze,butsuddenlythewindblewhard,
toppling over the spit and the fish. The burning wood scattered. Nancy
quicklygrabbedanearbybucketofwateranddousedtheremainingflames.“Arewegoing tohaveacyclone?”Georgeasked,gazingat thedarkened
sky.OldJoe lookedworried.“Idon’tknow,”heanswered,“but this isexactly
whathappenedoncebeforewhentheflyingsaucerappeared.”
5
TheSpyingStranger
Theskybecamemoreovercastand thewindblewstrongerby themoment,whippingleavesoffthetrees.Everythingthatwasnotstationarywasthrownhelter-skelter.OldJoecriedout,“Watchforabrilliantlightinthesky!”Every few seconds the campers gazed upward as they scurried around,
trying to savewhat theycould.The tripodhadcollapsedandscattered.Thepiecesoffishhadsailedthroughtheairanddisappeared.“Thefireisspreading!”Daveexclaimed.QuicklyheandBurtstampedoutbitsofburningwoodthathadblownfrom
theembers,whileNancyandGeorgerescuedseveralhandmadebirdfeedersfromvarioustrees.In the meantime, Ned had gone to quiet the nervous horses, who were
whinnyingandstampingexcitedly,tryingdesperatelytobreakloose.“Whoathere,Goalpost!”hecommandedfirmly.Theanimalobeyed.Thishadacalmingeffectontheothersuntilsuddenly
Nancygasped.“Thelight!”sheexclaimedandpointedtothesky.“Herecomestheflying
saucer!”The whirling object hurtled through the sky, its two headlights flashing
brilliant beams across the treetops. Almost instantly the UFO disappearedfromview,andthewindstoppedblowing.“Wheredidtheshipgo?”NancyaskedOldJoe.“IreckonitlandedinDismalSwamp,”hereplied.“That’swherethesaucer
wentlasttimeitcame.”“Where’sthat?”theyoungdetectivequestionedhim.Thenaturalistpointed.“Theswampisbetweenthismountainandthenext
—way down in the valley.” The other mountain, he noted, was calledTeepeeskunk.“AlongtimeagoatribeofIndianslivedoverthere.Theyusedtocatchskunksandsellthefurintown,sothenativesgavethemountainthat
name.”Thecamperslaughed.“AndIsupposeDismalSwampisprettydismal.”Georgegrinned.“Verydismal,”theelderlymanreplied.“Nooneevergoesneartheplace.It
smellsmightybad.Ifyou’replanningtotakealookatthemysteriousflyingsaucer,you’dbetterwearagasmask!”Nancy held her nose and giggled. “I don’t care what it smells like,” she
said. “Imust go there and investigate.Otherwise, howwillweknow if thespacecraftreallycamefromouterspace?”George said she wondered how Bess and Jan had gotten through the
windstorm.“Ithinkweshouldcallthemrightnowonthewalkie-talkie:”Ned pulled it out of his backpack and tried to signal Bess and Jan. He
pushedthebuzzerbuttonagainandagain,buttherewasnoresponse.“Maybe something happened to them,” George remarked in a worried
voice.Nancy,too,wasveryconcerned.“Wemustfindthemrightaway!”shesaid
andturnedtoOldJoe.“I’msorrytoleaveinsuchahurry.Ipromisetocomebacksoontohearaboutyourmysteryandhelpyousolveit.”“Thankyou.There’snorush.Themysteryhasbeenwaitingalongtime.”Hal,acapablewoodsman,offeredtoleadthesearchforhiswifeandBess.
“Icanmakeexcellenttimealone.Justfollowmytrail,”hedirected.“I’llleavebluechalkmarksontrees.”Old Joe said he certainly hoped the missing campers were all right.
“Perhaps they found shelter from the wind inside a cave or among sometrees,”hesuggestedhopefully.“I’msorryaboutlunch.Butwaitaminute.I’llgiveyouallsomethingtoeatontheway.”Hescootedintohiscabinandreturnedinafewminutes,carryinghandfuls
ofsomethingwrappedinhugegrapeleaves.“Ithinkyou’llenjoyeatingthispheasant meat I cured. I bagged the little fellow right here in front of thecabin.”The campers thanked him, then Hal trotted off on his horse. Before the
otherscouldcatchuptohim,hewasoutofsight.ApparentlyHalhadchosenashortcutbacktowhereJanandBesshadbeenleft.Theridersfoundthemselvesjumpingoversmallfallentreesandsplashing
throughrivulets.AlthoughHal’spathwasfairlyvisible,thegrouprealizeditwashardonthehorsesandstoppedtorest.
Admitting shewas as tired as her horse,George sighed. “I thought Iwasprettytough,”shesaid,“butthisforestalmosthasmebeat.”Burt laughed, tweaking her chin affectionately. “Coming from you that’s
quiteanadmission.”For a few moments no one had much to say. Finally, Ned stood up.
“Everybodyset?”He led theway, stopping frequently to identifyHal’s trail.Thebluechalk
marksseemedratherfaintandfarapartasunderbrushtrampledbyHal’shorsehadbeguntospringback.Whenallofthemwereatlastconvincedthattheywerelost,Nancynoticed
asmallgougeonatree.“Thisisnew,”sheobserved.“MaybeHalranoutofchalkandmadethisnickasamarker.”Followingthedirectionitindicated,theridersfinallyreachedthespotabove
theriverwheretheyhadleftBessandJan.Halwasthere,talkingwiththem.NancyandGeorgedismountedatonceandranuptheshortslope.Bothgirls
criedout,“Bess,areyouallright?Thewindstormdidn’tinjureyouandJan?”Besssmiledweakly.“Iwouldn’tsayI’mallright,butIfeelbetter.”Hal suggested they leave theirhorseson some levelgroundhehad found
beyond the slope.While the boys took the animals there, Jan explained toNancyandGeorgethatthestrongwindandovercastskyhadfrightenedbothof them.“Wewerefearfulwemightbeblowninto that rockystreamsowedecided to climb a little higher up the mountain. We found shelter in anoverhang.”Shesaidtheirhorseswerenervousbutwereallright.“I’msorelieved,”Georgesaid.When the boys returned, Ned asked, “Is your walkie-talkie broken? We
couldn’treachyou.”Besssaidtheyhadnotheardit.“Iguessthewindmadetoomuchnoise,or
maybethesounddidn’tcarryintotheoverhang.”Nedexplainedthattheyhadn’ttrieduntilthewinddieddown.Heexamined
the set and found a loose wire that he immediately reattached. He askedNancytotrycallinghim.Nowthebuzzerworkedperfectly.Bess told theothers that the Indianwith the longblackhairhad spiedon
themagain.“Thistimehewasn’twearingthesuitofleaves.Hehadonashortdeerskin
jacket and long pants made of the same material. I’ve decided he’s rathernice-lookingafterall.IjustwishhecouldspeakEnglish.”Dave pretended to be jealous. “I’m very glad the Indian doesn’t,” he
muttered,causingablushtocreepoverBess’sface.“Oh,Dave,”shesaidshyly.Burt cleared his throat, equally embarrassed. “Iwonderwhere the Indian
comesfromandwherehehidesout.”Hal replied, “Possibly he’s a descendant of the Indians who used to live
aroundhere.”“Youmean,”Davespokeup,“thatthetribelivessomewhereelsenow,but
hehasreturnedheretoseewherehisforebearslived?”Halnodded.“Maybetheguy’sahermit,”Davesuggested.“Youcan’ttellwhetherornot
heunderstandsEnglishjustbecausehewon’tspeakit.”Burtconcurred,adding,“Hecouldbedeafanddumb.”“Couldbe,”Bessagreed.Janhadpickedsomedeliciouswildstrawberries.Asthecamperssatonthe
groundtoeat them,theconversationturnedto theflyingsaucer.NancytoldJan and Bess about their visit with Old Joe and his story of the spaceshiplandinginDismalSwampbetweenthemountains.George addedquickly, “According toOld Joe the swamp smells horrible.
Maybeithasgasinit.”“ThenI’mgoingtokeepaway,”Bessannounced.“Well,I’mnot,”Nancysaid,“andthesoonerIgo,thesoonerIcansolvethe
mysteryoftheflyingsaucer.”“WhereisDismalSwamp?”Janasked.“IneverheardofitandI’vebeenin
thisforestmanytimes.”Nancy pointed in the direction thatOld Joe had indicated. “I guesswe’ll
havetoreturntoourothercampsite,thentraveldownthemountainsidefromthere.”“It’stoolateinthedaytogototheswampnow,”Nedtoldher.“Howabout
goingearlytomorrowmorning?”Nancynodded.“But,”sheadded,“supposetheflyingsaucertakesoffinthe
meantime?Wemaymissanopportunitytosolvethemystery.”
“We’lljusthavetotakethatchance,”hesaid.Besssuggested,“Whydon’tafewofyoustartoutnow?I’llstayhereuntil
morning. Ican’twalk toofarandIstilldon’t feelup to ridingahorse.Toomanybruises,”sheaddedwitharuefulsmile.“I knowwhat youmean,”Nancy said kindly.Undecided aboutwhatwas
besttodo,shethenappealedtoJanandHal.“We’reinyourhands.Youknowmoreaboutthisforestthanwedo.Whatdoyouadvise?”Sincealltheirsupplieswerestillwiththepackhorses,thecouplesuggested
theysetupcampatthespotwheretheyhadleftthetwoanimals.“Thatwaywecanallsticktogethertonight,”Janadded.Bessgroaned.Jan saidquickly, “Youwon’thave towalka step if it bothersyou.These
huskyboyscancarryyou.Ionlyhopethehorsesandthefoodaresafe.”Nedgrinned.“Shallwedrawlots?”“Notonyourlife!”Davereplied.“I’llcarryheralone.”“Piggyback?”Bessgiggled.When the group was ready to leave, Bess suddenly shrieked. The others
whirledaroundandstaredather.“Nowwhat’swrong?”Georgeasked,alittleannoyedatafurtherdelay.Terrified, her cousinmotioned toward the trees. “There he is again!” she
said.“TheIndian!”Alleyesturnedtowardtheclumpoftrees.Indeed,themysteriousmanwas
standingthere,motionless,staringatthem.“Oh!”thecampersgasped.Hisrighthand,heldhigh,claspedahugerock.Washeabouttothrowitat
them?
6
SignLanguage
TheIndianstoodquitestill.Hedidnot lowerhisupraisedarmor throwtherockheheld.“He’sweird,”Besswhispered.Forafewsecondsthecamperscontinuedtostareathim,fearfulofhisnext
move.Hewasmuscular, and though theEmerson football players felt theycouldputupastrongbattle,theywonderedifhemightdefeatthembysomeunusualstrategy.Nancy was the first to make a suggestion. “Let’s try to be friendly and
approachhimwithourhandsoutstretched.”Besswasnot so sure thiswasagood idea. “Suppose—supposehe’s from
outer space,” she said. “There’s no telling what magnetic power he mighthave.Hecouldmesmerizeallofus.”
ThisstruckGeorgeasafunnyidea.Shesaid,“Oh,sure,andakillingboltofelectricitymaycomeshootingoutfromhisbodyatanyminute—z—z—z—lookout!”Burtmuffledachuckle,adding,“Doyouthinkthat’shisspaceshipdownin
theswamp?Helookstoobigtoliveinit.”Bess knew theywere teasing her but ignored it. She had seen the Indian
before the saucer arrived. Then a thought struck her:Maybe the spaceship
camebackforhim.Hemightevenbeplanningtokidnapusandtakeusawayinit!As the Indiancontinued to stareat thegroup,DaveglancedatBess, as if
readingherthoughts,andexclaimed,“Watchout!Hemayhypnotizeyou!”BessmadeafaceatDave,thensaid,“Okay,Nancy.Whydon’tyouandNed
approachtheman?”The couplewalked forward, slowly.Nancy held a shining gold disc on a
chainwhichshehadremovedfromherneck.Perhaps,shethought,theIndianwouldbeinterestedinthenecklace.Inch by inch, she and Ned continued toward him. The Indian remained
immobile.Hestaredatthejewelrybutdidnottakeit.Finallyhelettherockdroptotheground.Nedsighedinrelief.“Maybeheintendstobefriendly,”hemurmured.AsNancysteppedcloser,shesmiledandsaid,“Hello.”ThegirldetectiverepeatedthegreetingseveraltimesassheandNedcame
rightup to theman.Hestilldidnotmove,but just lookedstraightat them.Wouldheattack?Theonlookerswatchedwithbatedbreath.NowNedpointedtohimself,sayingoverandover,“Ned.Ned.Ned.”Finally the Indian gave a slight smile and then pointed to Nancy. Ned
compliedwiththesignlanguage.“Nancy.Nancy.”Everyonewasdelightedandstartedtoapplaud,butJansignaledforsilence.Ahushfelloverthegroupasthemanpointedtohimselfandsaid,“Shoso.”The camperswere thrilled.Again theywanted to clap, but Jan shook her
head. She was afraid that loud applause might frighten the man away andsendhimracingoffintotheforest.NowShosolaidafingergentlyonNedandrepeatedhisnameseveraltimes.
Inturn,heandNancypointedattheIndianandsaid,“Shoso.”Henoddedandsmiledbroadly.Helookedupattheskyandsaidsomethingunintelligibletothem.“What’shetryingtotellus?”NedaskedNancy.Theyoungsleuthadmittedshewaspuzzled.“Maybehe’lltellussomemoreinsignlanguage.”Presently Shoso twirled quickly with his arms above his head. Still the
couplelookedpuzzled.Shosorepeatedthemotion.
“IthinkIgetit,”Nedremarked.“He’stryingtoimitatethewindstorm.”Nancyagreed.“ButIjustcan’tfigureouthismessage.”Shoso seemed disappointed and thought a few seconds. Then he leaned
down,puthishandsontheground,andgallopedabout.Suddenlyheranoffashortdistanceintothetrees.Nancy snapped her fingers. “Ned, I think Shoso is trying to tell us
somethingaboutourhorses.”“We’ll soon find out,” he replied, “if we use some sign language of our
own.”HeleanedoverthewayShosohaddoneandtoldNancytohoponhisback
asifshewereridingahorse.AsNancydidthis,shelaughedandsaid,”Isurefeelsilly,butifitworks,I
don’tmind.”Bythistimetheothercampers,nolongerafraidoftheIndian,begantoroar
withlaughter.“Youtwooughttojointhecircus,”Burtcalledout.Georgescoffed.“Akindergartencircus.”Ned andNancy played their partswell, ignoring the jibes. Shoso nodded
happilyandpointedinthedirectionwheretheboyshadleftthehorses.“Somethingmust have happened to them!Maybe they’ve been injured!”
Nancyexlaimed,jumpingoffNed’sback.“Orperhaps they ranaway,”he replied. “Wedidn’t tie themall.We let a
fewgraze.”“Yes,”Burtagreed.“Theymayhaveinjuredthemselvesbeinglooseinthis
forest.I’venoticedplentyoftrailingvines.”“Don’tsaythat,”Besspleaded.“Ican’tstandtoseeananimalhurt.”Withoutwastinganotherminute,all thecampersandShosorushedtoward
thespotwherethesaddlehorseshadbeenleft.Twoofthemweregone!“Oh,what’llwedo?”Besswailed.“I blame myself,” Dave said. “I suggested we let some of the animals
graze.”“We’reallguilty,”Burtadded.“Wedidn’thavetotakeyouradvice.”Nancy noticed with relief that her lovely Susan B was still there with
Goalpost standing next to her.Unfortunately the horsesBurt andDave had
beenridingweremissing.Halsuggested thatpossibly theanimalshadgonebacktotheoriginalcampsite.Jansaid,“Ihaveahunchtheymayhaverejoinedthepackhorses.”“Oh,Ihopeyou’reright,”Bessanswered.“TheyhaveallthefoodandI’m
starved.”Halsaid thathewaslessconcernedwith theirsupplies.Hehopedthat the
greatwindandtheblindingbrightlightsofthesaucerhadnotfrightenedthepackhorsessomuchthattheyyankedthemselvesloosefromthetieropes.Although thecampershadhad little toeat thatday, theyknew theirmain
jobwastofindthehorses.Shososeemedtofeelsorryforthegroup.Hebeckonedthemtofollowhim.
BurtandDaverodedoublewithGeorgeandBess.The Indian led themdirectly toward the campsitewhere theyhad left the
packhorses.TheroutewasmuchshorterthantheonethegrouphadtakenthatmorningwhileheadingforOldJoe’s.“Oh, thank you,”Bess called to him, then remembered that he could not
understandherwords.Hewavedanddisappearedfromview.Nancy and her friends rushed to the areawhere the packhorses had been
tied. To everyone’s dismay, the missing saddle horses were not there.Moreover,bothpackhorsesweregoneandsowerethesupplies!
7
OldJoe’sSecret
“Fourofourhorsesgone!”Georgeexclaimed,sighingdeeply.“Andallourfoodandclothes!”Bessmoaned.Thecamperswerenonplussed.Whatweretheygoingtodowithoutthem?Hal remarked, “Judging from the frayed ropes, I’d say the animals went
wild.”“Then there’s no telling how far away they went,” Nancy commented.
“MaybeShosoknows.”TheIndian,however,wasnotinsight.“He’sthemostelusivemanI’veevermet,”Besscommented.Nancyvisualizedthetall,erectfigurestalkingthroughtheforest.Exceptfor
the deeper color of Shoso’s skin, his black hair and dark eyes, hewas thesame type of outdoorsman as Old Joe. The girl wondered if all naturalistsweresimilarinstature.Hal,inthemeantime,wastryingtoreassurethecampersabouttheirhorses.
“Sometimestheyreturntotheirriders.”“That’sright,”Janagreed.“We’llmanagesomehow.IfOldJoecansubsist
inthisforest,socanwe.Nevertheless,Nancywasdisappointed.“Iwassohopingallofuscouldgo
to Dismal Swamp. After all, my main reason for coming here was toinvestigatetheflyingsaucer.Bynow,itmayhaveleft.”“Idoubtit,”Nedremarked.“I’msurewewouldhaveseenittakeoff.”Nancywas not so certain of this. Perhaps themystery ship had unknown
powersthatallowedittodepartsilentlyandinvisibly.“We’llgettotheswampsomehow,”Nedassuredher.Theyboth lookedforhoofprints toseewhichway themissinghorseshad
gone.Thesearchindicatedthatthepackanimalsandridinghorseshadrunoffin separate pairs. But the hoofprints of all four led to the bank of a smallstreamwheretheprintsended.Evidentlythehorseshadwalkedthroughthewater.Itwasgrowingtoodark,however,tocontinuethehunt.
Jansaid,“Let’sfixagoodmeal.Thatwilllivenourspirits.”“Fixitoutofwhat?”Bessasked.“Theforest,”Jan replied.“I suggestwesplitup incouplesandforage for
food.InanhourIwouldbetwe’llhaveagreatdinner.”Georgelaughed.“I’llfeellikeaforagingcow.Moomoo.Comeon,Burt.”Jan asked Bess andDave to stay nearby in case any of the horses came
back.Shesmiled.“Thistime,pleasetiethem.”“Youbet,”Davepromised,stillupsetaboutbeingpartlyresponsibleforthe
tworunawayanimals.Hal and Janwent off in one direction,Nancy andNed in another.To the
youngsleuth’sdelight,shediscoveredahugepatchofwildblueberries.“ButwhatcanIputthemin?”sheasked.Nedpulledalargebrownhandkerchiefoutofhispocket,filledit,andtied
the four corners together.Before the hourwas up, the couple had gatheredwildscallionsandgrapesaswell.Whentheyjoinedtheirfriends,NancyandNedwereamazedatthevariety
of food the others had brought back. George and Burt, both mushroomexperts, had collected and peeled a large quantity of mushrooms. Hal hadchasedandcaughttworabbitswhichhehaddressedandcutintopieces.HehadskeweredthemontoasturdybranchbrokenfromasaplingandwasnowcookingthemeatoverasmallfireDavehadbuilt.HeandBesshaddiscoveredasassafrastreeandchippedoffpiecesofbark
which theymixedwithwater in a camper’s abandoned canteen.Bess set itoverthefiretobrewintotea.The meal was enjoyable and satisfying. The group discussed the day’s
eventsandfinallytheconversationturnedtothemissinghorses.George said, “I thinkwe shouldn’t dismiss the possibility that theywere
stolen.”The remark shockedeveryone. If thiswere true, theymightneverget the
horsesback!“But who would steal them?” Ha! asked. “Very few people roam this
mountain and I saw no footprints where the horseswere tied. Besides, thefrayedropesseemedtoindicatethattheyyankedthemselvesloose.”Bess asked, “Even if you found footprints, how could you tell that the
personwhomadethemhadriddenaway?”
Halsmiled.“Youdon’tstepoverahorse’sback.Youhoistyourselfupsoyou’dmakemoreofadepressionintheground.”Bessgiggled.“IguessIstillhavealottolearnabouthorsedetectivework.”ItwasdecidedthatHalandBurtwouldstarttohuntforthemissinganimals
after breakfast the next morning. Hal said they would pick up the searchwherethehoofprintsended,ridethroughthestream,andtrytofindoutwherethehorseshadleftthewater.“We’ll takeoneof thewalkie-talkiesalong,”Burtsaid,“soyoucan letus
know if any of the animals return, or ifwe find any of themwe’ll contactyou.”Davecalled,“Biggamehunters,bring’embackalive!”“Shush!”saidBess.“Youmakemeshiver.”Thatnightthegroupcollectedpineneedlesandsleptonrefreshingbedsof
pine.Thenextmorning,asdaylightfiltereddownthroughthetrees,BurtandHalrodeoff.Thecamperswhowereawakewishedthemwell.“Watchoutforwildcatsandsnakes!”Besswarned.Burtlaughed.“Idareanysnaketotrybitingthroughthesehikingboots.”The searcherswere gone several hours but did not call in a report. Then
suddenlyGeorgeexclaimed,“Listen!Ihearhoofbeats.”Tobesure,shelaydownandputhereartotheground.“Yes,Ihearatleast
twohorsescoming,”sheannounced.Everyone expected to see Hal and Burt, but to their amazement Old Joe
appeared.Hewasleadingthetwolostsaddlehorses!“Howwonderful!”Nancycalledoutassherantopatthem.“OldJoe,where
didyoufindthehorses?”Hernewfriendgrinned.“Theycametomycabin.Guesstheywerehungry
for something sweet and thoughtmaybe I’d feed them,which I did. I gavethemmaplesyrupcandy.How’dtheygetawayfromhere?”NancyandNedtoldhimthestory,addingthatHalandBurthadgoneoffto
lookforthefourrunawaysandthesupplies.OldJoebecamephilosophical.“Horsesarefunnycreatures.Younevercan
besurewhatthey’rethinking.Sometimestheydon’tdoanythingunusualforalong,longtime,thensomethingwillfrightenthemandthey’lltakeofflikethey’dgonecleanbeserk.”As the campers crowded around the kindly man, Bess asked him if he
wouldlikeadrink.“Wehavewaterandcoldsassafrastea.”Shegiggledandtoldaboutthecampers’supperthenightbefore.Thenaturalistchuckled.“You’llbeforestfolkbeforeyouknowit.”Thenhe
thanked them and said he had had a good breakfast. “But I brought yousomething.Ikeepafewhensinacagenearmycabin.Trixiestandsguard,ofcourse.Shechasesthewildanimalsaway.Ihavesomehard-boiledeggsforyou.”Aseachpersontookaneggtoeat,Georgeremarked,“ToobadBurtandHal
aren’there.Ithinkweshouldtrytocontactthemonthewalkie-talkieandtellthemthatthetwosaddlehorsesareback.”Nancy tried tosignal the twosearchers,but therewasno response.Again
and again she called in vain and finally asked Dave to examine theinstrument.“Itseemsokay,”hereported.“I’mpuzzledwhyHalandBurtdon’tanswer.”OldJoespokeup.“Maybeyourfriendshavegoneoutofrange.Ormaybe
therearetoomanytreesinthewayofthesignal.”Whentheoldnaturalistsaidheoughttobeleaving,Nancyrememberedthat
theyhadnotyetheardabouthismystery.Sheaskedhimaboutit,andhewasdelightedthatsheremembered.Hebeganby explaining that he andhis parents lived in the citywhenhe
wasaboy.“However,myfatherwasagreatnatureloverandusedtobringmetothis
forest.Igrewtoloveitasmuchashedid.Aftermymother’sdeathmyfatherand I came here more often. In fact, we once spent several months in theforest.Thatwaswhenthemysterybegan.“Onedaysoonafterwearrived,myfatherseemedworried.WhenIasked
himwhatthetroublewas,hetoldmethathewascarryingalotofmoneyandvaluablesecretpapersinhiswallet.“Hesaid tome, ‘Son, there’samanwho isanenemyofmine.Hewould
likenothingbetterthantogethishandsonallofthis.ButIdon’tintendforhimtodoso.Hemustneverlearnthesecret.’“Thatnightwewerevery tiredandwent tobedearly. Isleptsoundlyand
whenIwokeupinthemorning,myfatherwasgone.AtfirstIfiguredhewasfishingorpickingberriesormaybetryingtocatcharabbitforsomestew.Buthedidnotcomebackforhours.Ibecamealarmed.“Whenhe finally returned, Iaskedhimwherehehadbeen.Hesaid, ‘Oh,
justoutforalonghike.’“I was puzzled, but he didn’t explain. Then suddenly one morning he
announcedthatweweregoingbacktothecity.Iaskedhimwhyandhetoldmehehadbusinessaffairstotakecareof.“Weneveragaincameheretogether.Soonafterreturningtothecity,hehad
a stroke. He wasn’t able to walk, talk, or write. He lived only three moreyears.“Justbeforehediedhelookedupatmeandmanagedtosay,‘F-forest.Mon
—b-bur—’”Spellbound,OldJoe’slistenersnowbegantoaskquestions.“Do you think your father was saying he had buried the money in this
forest?”Nancyasked.OldJoenodded.“Icameheremany,manytimesandsearchedbutneverhad
anyluck.FinallyIdecidedtoleavethecityandliveherepermanently.Thisforest is more like home to me than any other place. All these years I’vehopedtofindthewalletandmyfather’sgreatsecret.”Nancywastinglingwithexcitement.Ifshecouldonlyfindthatwallet!The
girldetectivewondered,however,whatconditionitmightbein.I hope for Old Joe’s sake it’s intact, she thought. Aloud she suggested,
“Let’stalkaboutclues.”
8
PyramidofRocks
AllthecampershadquestionsforOldJoe.Bessaskedhim,“Didyourfatherhaveanyspecialplacesintheforesthelikedtogo?”“NonethatIrecall,”thenaturalistreplied.“Helovedeverythinginit.”NedinquirednextiftheelderMr.Austinhadanyfavoritetrees.Afterthinkingoverthisquestionforacoupleofminutes,OldJoesaid,“The
tallerthetree,themoreheadmiredit.I’dsayperhapsthesky-reachingpineswerehisfavorites.”“Thenwe’llexaminethosefirst,”Nancytoldhim.Jansaidshewondered ifOldJoe’s fatherwouldhavebothered tomake it
difficult for his son to find thewallet. “Perhaps your father had some cozynookwherehelikedtospendtime.Doyouknowofany?”Theoldmantoldhertheforestwasfullofwonderfulsmallhideaways.“But
sofarasIknow,therearenodeepcavesoroverhangsofrock.I’mafraidI’mnotmuchhelptoyou.”Nancywasnotdiscouraged.SheaskedOldJoewherehehadlookedforthe
wallet.Hesmiled.“Hundredsofplaces,”hetoldher,“buttherearethousandsmore
justwaitingtobeexplored.”NancyhadastronghunchthatMr.Austinhadhiddenhisvaluablewalletin
awell-protectedplace.ShesuggestedthatOldJoeaccompanythegrouponanewsearch.“I’dcertainlyliketofindthatwallet,”hesaidlongingly.“Okay,I’llgowith
you.”Beforethegrouphadachancetostartoff,however,theybecameawareof
prolonged,franticbarkingfromTrixie.Shehadbeenlefttoguardthecabin.“Uh-oh,trouble,”OldJoesaidworriedly.“Someunwantedvisitor,I’llbet.I
mustgorightback.”Nancyofferedhimoneofthesaddlehorses.“Thanksalot,butIcanmake
bettertimeonfoot,”OldJoerepliedandhurriedoff.
Nedremarked,“Ihatetoseethatoldmangobyhimself.IthinkI’llfollowandseeifIcanhelp.”Davedecidedtogoalongwithhim.Asthebarkingcontinued,Georgesaid,“NedandDavemaybegonealong
time.Nancy,ifyouwanttostartthesearch,I’llbegladtogowithyou.”The young sleuthwas eager to begin. Shementioned the idea to Jan and
Bess,whofeltthattheyshouldstaybehindtoguardthecamp.“Wedon’twantanymoretroublewiththehorses,”Jansaid.“Pleasewatchyourstep,”Bessadded.NancyandGeorgetookflashlightstoexplorethehollowsoftreesandother
possiblehidingplaces.TheyhadbeensearchinghalfanhourforMr.Austin’swalletwhenGeorgefoundatreewithadeepholeinthetrunk.Excitedly she flashed her light inside, then exclaimed, “Nancy, there’s
somethingatthebottomthatlookslikeleather.”Shelaiddowntheflashlightandreachedin.AlmostimmediatelyGeorgecriedoutinpainandyankedoutherhand.“Whathappened?”Nancyasked,runningtoGeorge’sside.“Somethingbitme!Oh!Ow!Ithurts!”Georgereplied.Shedancedaround,
shakingherhand.QuicklyNancyflashedherlightonthetree.Thebeady-eyedheadofasmall
snake was visible at the top of the hollow in the trunk. Blinded by thebrightness,thereptileinstantlyslithereddownintoitsden.Wasitapoisonousspecies?Nancyhadnoideabutdecidednottotakeany
chances.ShewhippedoutahandkerchiefandtiedittightlyaroundGeorge’swrist.Thenshegrabbedasharp-pointedtwigandmadeatinyholeintheendofherfriend’sthumb.BynowGeorge’shandwasswollen.“I’msorryI’llhavetohurtyoualittle,”Nancytoldherfriend,“butwemust
getthatpoisonoutbeforeitspreads.”Shehuntedforasharpstone.Aftercleaningitoffwithagreenleaf,Nancy
drewitacrosstheendofGeorge’sthumb.Bloodflowedoutand,shehoped,allthepoisonaswell.Soontheswellingsubsided,andGeorgesaidthesevereachewasgone.“Thanksamillion,Nancy,”shesaidgratefully.“Iwasreallyscared.”NowthatGeorgefeltbetter,Nancyremovedthetourniquet.“Doyouwant
to continue the search?” the girl detective asked. “Orwould you rather gobacktocampforfurtherfirst-aidtreatment?”
Georgesaidshewasfeelingfine.“Thebleedinghasalmoststopped.MaybewecanfindastreamwhereIcanbathemythumb.”Thetwogirlswenton,lookingintentlyforplaceswheretheAustinwallet
might be hidden. Shortly they came to a babbling brook. While Georgeswishedherhandintheicywater,Nancylookedcloselyatthesurroundings.She noticed an extremely tall pine tree, perhaps one admired byOld Joe’sfather.Therewasnoopeninginthetrunk,however.“Beforeweleave,”shesaidtoGeorge,“IthinkI’llclimbthetreeandseeif
there’sanythingahead.”Huggingthethicktrunk,Nancystartedtoshinnyupthetree.Georgemerely
lookedon,chidingherselfforhersorethumb,asNancyclimbedhigherandhigher.Shewasexaminingeveryinchofthemaintrunkandlookingateachlimbandbranch.Nothingindicatedthatawalletwashiddenamongthem.Finallyat thetopNancyscannedthesurroundingcountrysideandshouted
downtoGeorge,“IcanseeDismalSwampfromhere.Oh,no,Ican’tbelieveit.Theflyingsaucerisgone!”“Whatarottenbreak!”Georgesaid.“Let’shopeit’llcomebackwhilewe’re
stillhere.”Nancy felt miserable because she had lost her chance to see the flying
saucercloseup.Washertripinvain?IshouldhavegonetotheswampassoonastheUFOlanded,shethought.It
was little consolation to her that the missing horses, Bess’s accident, anddarknesshadcompelledherandtheothersnottoridetotheswamp.Nancy descended the tree. When she reached the ground, George said,
“Don’tfeeltoobad.Thatflyingsaucerisboundtocomeback.”Shegrinned.“Ijusthadoneofyourhunches.”Nancy smiledwanly. “I hope itwon’t take a hundredmillion light years,
though,”shereplied.Thegirlswalkedoninsilence.Despitetheirkeenobservanceofmanytrees,
shortand tall, theyfoundnothing inanyof themto indicateahidingplace.Georgeremarkedthatperhapstheywouldhavetostartdigging.Nancynodded.“Nexttimewe’llbringspadesandpicks.Youknow,George,
wearen’tverygoodwoodsmen,nottohavebroughtevenatrowel!”Inashortwhiletheycametoanothermountainstream,widerthantheother
androcky.Waterwasrushingrapidlyoverthestones.“Isn’t that pretty?” George remarked. “It looks like a picture for a
calendar!”“Itreallydoes.”AsNancystoodonthebank,shenoticedapyramidofrocksabouteighteen
incheshighinthemiddleofthestream.“That’sstrange,”shesaid.“Iwonderwhatit’sfor.Amarkerofsomesort?”“Amarkerforwhat?”Georgeasked.Nancyshruggedanddidnotreply.Shedecidedtoinvestigate.Shetookoff
her hiking boots and socks and waded in. Not only had the stones beencemented together, shediscovered,but the foundation reacheda footbelowthebedofthestream.Veryexcited,Nancyaskedherself:CouldOldJoe’s fatherhavemade this
pyramidofrocks?Werehisvaluablewalletandsecretpapersinside?
9
TheBlackDeluge
Eager to communicatewithOld Joe, but having no ideawhich direction totaketohiscabin,NancyandGeorgedecidedtoreturntocamp.BessandJanweregladtoseethem.“We’vebeensoworriedaboutyou.Youweregonealongtime,”Jansaid.SuddenlyBess saw her cousin’s finger. “George,whatever did you do to
yourself?”“A snake bit me,” George replied, and she told them about her painful
encounter.Jan took a protective plastic finger from her first-aid kit and gave it to
George to wear over her thumb. Then she said, “Now tell us about yoursearchforOldJoe’streasure.Anyluck?”“Yesandno,”Nancyresponded.ShetoldBessandJanaboutthepyramidofrocks—apossiblehidingplace
forthevaluablewallet.“Itcertainlysoundslikeagoodguess,”Bessremarked.KnowingJanwasknowledgeableaboutwood-lore,Nancyaskedherif the
pyramidmighthavebeenusedforsomethingelse—perhapstowardoffsomesuperstitiousfear.Jan shrugged. “Possibly.Ormaybe someone erected it as an art object. It
musthavebeenprettywiththestreamsplashingaroundthepyramid.”“Itwas,”Georgereplied,thenasked,“Jan,doyouthinkitcouldhavebeena
markerforfishermen?”“Couldbe,”Janreplied.“ButIdoubtthatanyonewouldplaceonewayout
thereinthiswilderness.”JansaidshefeltNancy’sguesswasalikelyone.“YoushouldtellOldJoe
soon.”ThenNancydescribedhowsheclimbedthetreeandlearnedthattheflying
saucerwasgone.“Didyouhearittakeoff?”
“No.”“Feelanywind?”“No.”“Seeanylights?”“No.”“It’sgone,”Nancysaidsadly.“Iwonderifitwillevercomeback.”“Let’shopeso,”BesssaidandgaveNancyahug.WhenNedandDavereturnedashorttimelater,Trixiewaswiththem.She
jumpedaround,delightedtoseethecampers.Nancyaskedwhathadhappenedatthenaturalist’scabin.Toherdismayshe
learnedthattheinteriorwasalmostwrecked.“Old Joe found footprintsof abear thatgot in somehow,”Dave reported.
“EvidentlyTrixiecouldn’tscarehimaway.Thebearatemostofthefoodhefound.Besidesthat,heemptiedthecontentsofajarofhoneyandanotherofmaplesyrup.“Hemadeashamblesoftheplace,”Davewenton.“WehelpedOldJoefix
thingsupasbestwecould.We lefthim repairing thecabindoorwhich thebearapparentlybrokedown.Hemusthavebeenhungry.”NancyandGeorgerelatedtheiradventures.WhenNancyfinished,shesaid,
“I’ll write a note to Old Joe about the pyramid of rocks and have Trixiedeliverit.Thatmightmakehimfeelbetter.”Hastilyshewrotedownwhatthegirlshaddiscovered,thentiedthenotetoa
smallpieceofropewhichshesecuredaroundthedog’sneck.“Take this right to Old Joe,” Nancy instructed the animal. “It’s very
important.”Trixieunderstoodandhurriedoff.Withoutwarningabriskwindsprangup,anditstartedtorain.Thecampers
putontheirraingear,wishingthatthetentswerewiththemandnotwiththemissingpackhorses.“Thisismorethanarainfall,”Bessremarkedpresently.“It’sadeluge.”“Ablackdeluge!”Daveadded.The campers huddled together under amaple tree as heavy drops of rain
peltedthroughthespreadingbranches.“I’m really beginning to worry about Hal and Burt,” Jan remarked.
“They’relongoverdue.Andthisweatherwon’thelpthemany.”
“Probablyit’stoodarkforthemtoproceed,”Nancysuggested.“Ihopethey’vefoundthehorses,”Bessremarked.“Thenatleasttheycould
havesomethingtoeatanddrinkfromthepacks.”The conversation was interrupted when the forest suddenly lit up with a
strange,brightglow.“Maybetheflyingsauceriscomingback!”Nancyexclaimed.“Oh,Ihope
so!”Ned offered to shinny up a tree to find out. Before he reached the top,
however, the mysterious light was gone. Once again it was pitch dark.Gingerlyheclimbeddown.“Thisispositivelyspooky,”Besssaid.Nancystatedfirmlythatshewasnotgoingtomissanotherchancetoseethe
flyingsaucer.“Ned,”sheasked,“areyougametogodowntoDismalSwampwithme?”“Sure,”hereplied.“Let’staketwolanternsearchlightswithus.”Janbeggedthecouplenottowalk.“Youshouldride,andtakesomecandy
in caseyougethungry.”Quickly she took twochocolatenutbars fromherpack.“IalmostforgotIhadthese,”shesaid.Nancy put a poncho over her rain gear while Ned took one out of his
backpack.Theyswungthesaddlebagsacrosstheanimals’flanks,thenputonthe saddles and vaulted into them, covering the saddles as best they couldwiththeirponchos.“Keepclose,”NedadvisedNancyandnudgedhishorsetostartoff.Nancypulledher rainhoodsnugly forwardand followedhim. Ifonly the
rainwouldstop,shethought,wecouldmakebettertime.But itcontinuedtobeathard,creatingslipperycratersofmudthroughthe
unbrokenforest.WhentheridersreachedasmallclearingGoalpostpickedupspeed.Hekickedupmud,splashingSusanB’sforelegsandcausingNancytoreininsharply.Themare,however,didnotobey.Shedugherhoovesfasterthroughthewetgrass,sinking,thenskiddingandalmostthrowingNancyoutofthesaddle.“Whoa,SusanB!”thegirldetectiveordered.“Whoa!”Ned heard Nancy’s frantic cries. Instantly he swung Goalpost in her
direction. The horse whinnied and stumbled toward Susan B. By now themarewasreluctantlyunderNancy’scontrol.
“Areyouallright?”NedshoutedtoNancy.“Yes,I’mfine,”shereplied,thoughstillabitshaken.“Let’sgoon.”Asthecouplestartedoutagain,aslightmistbegantorise.Oh,no,Nancy
thought.Wedon’tneedthis.Imustseethemysteryspaceship.It was only a short time later that she and Ned, shining their lantern
searchlights ahead, picked up the dim outline of the flying saucer. It wasrestinginthecenteroftheswampincompleteblackness.“ItreallysmellsashorriblehereasOldJoesaid,”Nedremarked.“Doyou
wanttostay?”“I suredo,”Nancy replied.“Let’sgo the restof thewayon foot.Wecan
leavethehorsestiedtotreesuphere.”Bynowtherainhadalmoststopped,althoughitcontinuedtodripsteadily
fromthetrees.ThegroundinDismalSwampwasspongybutpassable.Whatalmost stopped them, though,was the rank, gaseous odor. Theywondered:How much of it was from the swamp and how much emanated from theflyingsaucer?Thecraft itselfwascompletely silent.Nancywhispered, “If anycreatures
areaboard,they’reeitherasleeporkeepingquiettoavoiddetection.”Ned agreed. “And we’d better watch our step so we don’t run into any
surprises.”He and Nancy sloshed through the swamp, shining their powerful
searchlights on the mysterious craft. They walked around it, but saw nowindowsordoors.“Howdoesanybodygetinoroutofthissaucer?”Nedasked.“Itseemsto
besealeduptight.”Nancy suggested that perhaps no one was aboard. “The craft may be
operatedbyremotecontrol,”shesaid.“Just the same,” Ned remarked, “I’d like to go inside.Who knowswhat
we’dfind—maybesomeonedead!”Nancywas as curious as her companion to find out. “Let’s pound on the
hull,”shesaid.“Maybewe’llgetaresponse.”
10
SpaceTrip
The rain had started to fall again andwithin secondswas coming down intorrents.NancyandNed,however,paid littleattention to thedelugeas theypoundedontheflyingsaucer.Thoughtheyknockeduntiltheirknucklesweresore,noresponsecamefromtheinteriorofthemysteriouscraft.Finally Ned remarked, “Maybe we ought to try communicating by
mathematicalsignals.SupposeItryafewthatI’velearnedinmycourses.”Hetookakeyfromhispocketandtappeditagainstthespaceship.Firsthe
indicated a simple triangle. There was no response. Next he tried a morecomplicatedgeometricformula.Againtherewasnoanswer.Nancywasastounded that although thehull seemed tobemadeofmetal,
Ned’stappingmadenometallicsound.That’sstrange,shethought,andmentionedittoNed.“You’re right,” he agreed. “This ship has some kind of soundproof shell.
Even if there’s an intelligent being inside, it probably cannot hear mysignals.”Wonderingwhattheshipwasmadeof,Nedtriedtoscrapethesurfacewith
hiskey.Hewasunabletochipoffanything.“This is incredible!” he exclaimed. “I’d like to knowwhat kind of outer
materialthisis.Possiblysomesubstancefromadistantplanet.”Hesighed, regrettinghehadnotbroughtchemicalsand testingequipment
withhim.“Evenifwecouldgetintouchwithsomescientistsnearby,theymightnot
beabletoreachherebeforethesaucertakesoffagain.”HeandNancyspeculatedonthespaceship’ssourceofenergy.“Whether it’s programmed or remote-controlled,” she remarked, “I’m
inclinedtothinktheshipissolar-powered.Perhapsthereasonit’sstuckhereintheswampisthatwe’vehadsomuchcloudyandrainyweather.Thesaucermaynothavestoredupenoughsolarenergyto lift itselfoffthegroundandbackupintotheair.”Nedsaidhewonderediftheswampitselfexudedspecialgasthatgavethe
ship buoyancy. “It smells bad enough around here to launch anything.”Hegrinned.“IhopeyouandIdon’tsuddenlytakeoff!”Shelaughed.“Inthismud?Nochance.”Suddenly aware that they were standing in a deep quagmire ofmud and
water,NedaskedNancyifshewerereadytogobacktocamp.“Areyoukidding?”shereplied.“Iwanttoseewhathappens!Whoeveror
whatevercontrolstheshipmaydecidetoleavesuddenly.”“Inthatcase,”Nedsaid,“whydon’twegetthosechocolatenutbarsoutof
oursaddlebags?”“Goodidea,”Nancyagreed.First, they retethered the animals so they could reach down to nibble on
grass and roots, and even sleep until the couple was ready to leave. Theyremoved their rations from the saddlebagsand returned to the flying saucerwheretheyatethechocolatebars.“Amazing how satisfying one large piece of candy can be,” Nancy
commented,leaningagainsttheship.Sheyawned.“Ifeelbettertoo,”Nedremarkedsleepily.SuddenlyNancyfelt thespaceshipvibrate.Shewasstartledandnoticeda
sidedooropeningslowly.AmechanicalhandreachedoutsideandbeckonedherandNedtocomeaboard.“Shallwego?”shewhisperedtohim.He did not reply. To her surprise, he walked, as if dazed, toward the
doorway.Shefollowed.When they reached the spaceship, themechanical hand helped them step
inside,thenretracted.Thedoorslammedshut.Theinteriorof thecraftwasbrightly illuminatedbutnotbylights that the
couplecouldseeandtherewasnosignofanyone—humanorhumanoid.The walls were lined with flashing lights and many kinds of buttons,
gadgets, and tools. Some of them Nancy recognized as hammers,screwdrivers,andwrenches;othersweretotallyunfamiliartoher.She tried to ask Ned what some of the unusual ones were. To her utter
astonishment,nosoundcamefromherthroat.We must be in a void, she surmised, but we’re not having any trouble
breathing.Howstrange!More baffling was the fact that all her rain gear was gone. Ned’s was
missingalso.Whathadhappenedtoit?Diditevaporate?sheaskedherself,completelypuzzled.A feeling of fear crept over the young detective. Was she locked in the
flying saucer?Were she and Ned about to be kidnapped by unseen spacebeingsandtakenawayfromtheearthforever?Ned,lessfrightened,begantoexaminetheoddgadgets.Nonewaslabeled
togiveacluetoitsuse.Curious,hepushedabuttonononewall.SparksflewtowardbothhimandNancy,slightlyscorchingthebacksoftheirhands.Ouch!Nancycriedout,butagainshemadenoaudiblesound.The flying saucer vibrated convulsively and lifted from Dismal Swamp.
Instantly it turned intoaglasscage,climbinghigherandhigherata terrificspeed.Withinsecondsitsoaredabovethemountaintopandspunintospace.Although the flying saucer twirled rapidly as it flew, Nancy and Ned
managedtostandwithease.Strangely, theyforgot theirfears.Bothof themtriedtofigureoutwhathadcausedtheshipsuddenlytobecometransparent.Astheygazedoutside,themistyskychangedtocleardarkblue.I’m—I’mgettingdizzy,Nancysaid,reachingforNed’shand.Ofcourse,hedidnothearher,andshenoticedthathiseyeswereclosing.
Hetoowasbecomingdizzy.Wasitfromtheheightorthespeed?Inamomenthelosthisbalance.PoorNed!Nancythought.I—Ihope—Bothofthemtoppledontothedeck.Astheyfell,theflyingsaucerswirled
jerkily.Theyrealizedthatitwasdescending.Wherewasitabouttoland?NancyandNed tried to stayawakeand togetupand lookoutside to see
whatwashappening.Theireffortswereinvain.Theycouldnotmove.Withinsecondsbothofthemblackedout!
11
HumanBirds
Nancy andNed had noway of knowing how long theywere blacked out.Whentheybecameconscious,theywerenolongerintheflyingsaucer.Instead,NancyandNedwerelyingonlusciousgreengrass.Thecloudless
skyabovethemwasabeautifulblueandthesunwasshining.The spaceship was not in sight. Where did it go? Nancy asked herself,
feelingachillsweepoverher.Sherealizeditwasverycoldwheretheywere.Nancyturnedonhersideto
speaktoNed.Wheredoyouthinkweare?sheaskedhim.Toherutterdismaysheknew
thatstillnosoundcamefromherthroat.NedsatupandlookedatNancy.Heaskedwithconcern,Areyouallright?Theidenticalphenomenonhadhappenedtohim.Hewasutteringathought
butnotoutloud.SuddenlyNancybecameawareofwhatNedwasthinking.Thetwoofthemwerecommunicatingbythoughtwaves!Thisisfantastic!Nancydecided.Thecouplestoodupandgazedaround.AgainNancyaskedsilently:Where
doyouthinkweare,Ned?Heshruggedandreplied,Maybewe’resomewhereonearthormaroonedon
anotherplanet.Myguessiswe’reoutinspace.ForafewmomentssheandNedwereterrified.Theyhadenjoyedtheirlives
on earth so much that they were not ready to say good-bye to parents,relatives, and friends.Nancy chided herself for being so eager to solve themysteryoftheflyingsaucerinthefirstplace.Nedthought-wavedtoher:Don’tpanic!Itmaybenicehere.Aloneandnotknowingwhatelsetodo,thecouplewalkedaround,tryingto
warm up. The ground was spongy, and for the first time Nancy and Nedlookedfullyateachother.Theywerenolongerwearingtheirownclothes!Bothof themhadon tight-fittingmilitary-typepants and coats in a silver
color, with a matching helmet that fit snugly. There were no buttons or
zippers.Howdoesonegetintoandoutoftheseclothes?Nancywondered.Neddidnotspeak,buthesmiledbroadly.Nancycouldnothearhimlaugh,
butunderstoodwhathewasthinking.Thisisweird!hewassayingtohersilently.Therewasnothinginsight.Nobuildings,notrees,justarubberlikeexpanse
ofgreengrass.Nancy thought-waved toNed: Ifwe’re not in heaven, but on some other
planet,doyouthinktheflyingsaucerwillcomeback,pickusup,andtakeushometoearth?Nedshrugged.I’mfreezinginthissillycostume,heresponded.Ifeellikea
personactingapartinsomeplay,likeEarthManLostinSpace.Nancysmiled.Idotoo,shetoldhim.Theeeriesilencehadbeennerve-racking.Bychancethecouplehappenedto
lookupatthesky.Notfarabovethemahugebirdwasflying.Itlookedlikeacombination eagle and airplane. As it passed overhead, the bird dipped itswings as if signaling to the couple below, then turned and repeated thegesture.Wasthatamessageforus?Nancywondered,glancingatNed.At the same time she looked down at her feet. To her amazement the
military-typesilverpantsendedinfootgearthatlookedlikebird’sclaws.Ican’tbelieveit!Bird’sfeet!Shewaspuzzledbythewholething.Ned grinned.Maybewe’ve become birds!Human birds!You look pretty
niftyatthat,hetoldNancy.Arewesupposedtofly?sheresponded,stillamazed.Automatically she pictured Ned as a bird and looked at the back of his
broadshoulders.Thereweretworetractedwings!Wearesupposedtofly!shethought-wavedtohim.That’swhatthebirdwas
tryingtotellus.Shepulledoutthewings.TheyopenedwideandinafewmomentsNedwas
readytofly.HereIgo!heannounced.Wait!Nancy pleaded.Don’t leaveme here alone. She felt her own back,
foundapairofwingslikeNed’s,andaskedhimtopullhersout.
Nancy’swingsspreadaparttoo.Shewonderedwhatsheshoulddonextinordertofly.Ned solved the problem by indicating that she should run her fingers
throughtheendsofthewingsandholdon.Hehelpedherdothis,thenputhisownfingerstohisfeatherygear.Ready!Set!Go!hesignaled.The couple ran as fast as they could over the uneven ground stumbling
several times, then began to pump their arms. Within seconds they wereairborne!Nancylovedhernewfoundfreedom,assheandNedsoaredoverthelandscape.Isn’tthisfun!shethought-wavedtoNedwhoflewalongsideher.He replied, I wonder if I’d everwant to be an earthling again.Maybe it
wouldbebettertoflythantowalk.It dawned on Nancy that the two of them were moving at an incredible
speed.Sheexpectedherarmstotire,buttheyhadnofeelinginthem.Shepumpedherwingsalittleharderandgatheredspeed.Strange!Shedid
notfeelwindrushingacrossherface.Therewasnosensationofanykind.ThisisreallycontrarytoeverythingIlearnedinscience,shethought.Ned
noddedthathe,too,waspuzzled.Aftertheyflewwithoutseeinganysignoflife,theywonderedwhatkindof
creaturesmight be able to live in this environment. The placewas entirelyunpolluted.Nancy smiled. People at homewould like it here. There’s no smoke, no
streamsofwatercontainingtrash,nodebrisorpoisonouschemicals.Nedthought-wavedtoher,Ifanyonedoeslivehere,howdotheysurvive?
Nothingatallseemstobegrowinghereexceptgrass.His flying companion speculated,Maybe it’s a planet of intelligent birds.
Butwhatdotheyliveon?Everythingneedsair,food,andwater.Nedsuggestedwithagrin thatmaybethebirds importeditall incapsules
fromanotherplanet.Nancygiggledatthisidea.Birdimporters!Afteralongflight,thecouplefinallysawaclusterofbuildingsahead.Was
itasettlement?They’reallshapedlikeflyingsaucers,sheremarked,andNednodded.Surely somebodywould be around. But as the two friends flew over the
extensiveterrain,therewasnosignofmovementanywhereinthecity.After flying some distance out of the area, the travelers came to a large
section of green grass. Ned thought-waved to Nancy, Let’s go down. I’mgettingtiredofflying.Iamtoo.Canyouhelpmeretractmywings?Neddrewalongsideher,reachedouttohuntforsomekindofgadgetonher
back.Hecouldfindnone.NancyalsotriedtolocateasimilardeviceonNed’swings,butshe,too,cameupwithnothing.Thecouplepanicked.Weretheydoomedtoflythroughouteternity?Nancytriedtoovercomeherfear.Itsuddenlydawnedonherthatmaybethe
wingswerethought-controlled.Sheclosedher eyes tightly andconcentratedonNed.Suddenlyhiswings
retracted.Heplummetedtotheground.Within seconds she had drifted beyond him. She tried to retract her own
wingsbutcouldnot.Imustdosomething—andfast!shetoldherself.Imustn’tfail!NancypleadedforNedtohelpher.Heanwered,Turnaroundandflyback
towardme.Nancy dipped her leftwing but found herself flying in a circle.Next she
tried to stop by lifting the wings so they were parallel to each other. Theflyinggirlwobbleduncontrollably.Wasshegoingtofall?AgainNancywasheadedawayfromNedandflyingalonevery,veryfast!
12
Where?What?
Nancywasdesperateasshesoaredabovetheuninhabitedterrain.Howcouldsheretractherwingsandglidebacksafelytotheground?Imustn’t letmyselfbestrandedouthere,shethoughtanxiously.Ihaveto
getbacktoNed.Buthow?Oh,thisistheworstthingthathaseverhappenedtome!Once more the young sleuth tried to gain control of the situation. By
maneuveringcarefully,dippingonewing,thentheother,shemanagedbyanerraticcoursetoturnherselfaround.Relieved,sheheadedinNed’sdirection.Ihopehe’ssafe.Nancysighed.Hehas tobe.Finallyshespottedglintsof
silverfarbelowher.Thereheis!Nancythoughtexcitedly.Shesenthimamentalmessage:Pleasehelpmegetdown!Mywingsareout
ofcontrol.EvenwhenIstoppumpingmyarms,Ikeepgoing.In reply,Nedsuggested thatNancyholdherarmsbackas faraspossible.
Shecompliedandgraduallybegantodescend.Asshenearedtheground,Nedcaughtholdof her tobreakher fall andpinnedher down tokeepher fromtakingoffagain.The entire experiencehad exhaustedNancy.The sky, the landscape, even
Ned began to spin in front of her eyes. “Ned, Ned, I’m afraid I—” shemumbledbeforeblackingout.Itwas some time laterwhenNancy awoke.To her astonishment, the girl
detectivewaslyinginDismalSwampofShawniegunkMountain,U.S.A.Nedwasnearby.Hetoowasregainingconsciousnessandstirredslightly.Through hazy vision Nancy thought she saw the Indian Shoso kneeling
besideher.Thenshebecameawarethattherewasalargeleafinhermouth.Ittastedbitter.Howdidthisgetinmymouthandwhy?shewondered.As Nancy started to take it out, Shoso shook his head vehemently and
pushedtheleafbackinside.Hepretendedtochew,indicatingsheshoulddothe same. Too groggy to refuse, Nancy obeyed andwas surprised that shesoon felt much better. Now she sat up and looked around her. The flying
saucerwasgone!
HadthespaceshipbroughtNancyandNedbacktotheswamp,thenflownoffagain?MaybeShosocouldtellthem.Usingsignlanguage,sheaskedhimifhehadseenitleave.Heheldouthis
armsinacircle,thenpointedtothesky.Next,heflutteredhisfingersupanddown,implyingthatrainorraysofsomesorthadbeguntofall.Shosopointed
totheskyagain,thenfinishedbymakinganothercirclewithhisarms.IbelieveShosoistryingtotellmethatitrainedhard,butafterthesuncame
outtheflyingsaucertookoff.Nancy lookedupat the sky.Thesunwas shiningbrightlyand itwashot.
The swampwas steaming and the rank, nauseating odorwas stronger thanever.Nedsatup.Hewaschewingaleaf.Asheswallowedit,thecouplelookedat
eachotherandsmiled.“Whatanincredibletripwehad!”Nancyexclaimed.“We?”Nedgulped.“Youweren’twithme.”“PartofthetimeIwas,”shetoldhim.Theboyshookhishead.“Youmusthavebeendreaming,”hesaid.Nancy’s blackout scene was so vivid in her mind she found it hard to
believehim.SheglancedatthebacksofNed’shands:neitherwasscorched.Nancylookeddownatherown;theywereallright,too.“ButIwassosure—”Thegirl detectivenext noticed that she andNedhadon their raingear—
theirownclothes!Whathappened to the fantasticbird-flyingsuits theyhadworn?Andwhataboutthegrotesquebird’sclawsthathadcoveredtheirfeet?Nancyshookherheadandlaughed.“Ned,I’vejustawakenedfromthemost
incredible dream I’ve ever had. I still can’t believe that it was all myimagination.”“Tellmeaboutit,”Nedrequested.As she related the story, Nancy kept including him in it. He roaredwith
laughterwhenshedescribedthetwooftheminflightthroughthewindlessairofanunknownplanet.“Humanbirds,eh?”However,hesoberedwhenshementionedthatatonepointshewonderedif
theyhaddiedandgonetoheaven.“Toobadyoudidn’tbringbackapairofangelwings,”heteased.Shechuckledandtookadeepbreath.Hetoldherthatinhisdreamhehad
not left the forest. “But I became somekind of knight, slashing a sword atwild beasts. I knewwhat some of themwere, but others looked strange—prehistoric.”
NancyandNeddecidedthatgasfromeithertheswamportheflyingsaucerhadputthemtosleep.“It’sashametheflyingsaucerleftbeforewehadachancetoinvestigateit
morethoroughly,”Nancyremarked.“Itmaycomeback,”Nedtoldher,tryingtocheeruptheyoungsleuth.“I’d
say the ship was in some kind of trouble when it landed. Otherwise, itwouldn’thavestayedsolongandputupwithourhammering,tryingtolearnitssecret.”“Don’t forget that the shipmay have been programmed.Maybe it landed
and took off exactly when it was supposed to,” Nancy suggested. “Whoknowswhatitsownersplannedtodowithit?”NedsuggestedthatShosomightknowwhenitleft.“Let’saskhim.”Thecouplestoodupandlookedaround.TheIndianwasnotinsight.They
calledhisnameagainandagain,buthedidnotappear.“Toobad,”Nedcommented.“Nowwhat?”Nancysuggestedthattheysearchforanyevidencethattheshipmighthave
left. In thecenterof theswampwasabadlyscorcheddepressionwhichsheandNednoticedforthefirsttime.Nancysaid,“Whentheflyingsaucertookoff,itsantigravityraysmayhave
beensohottheyburnedtheground.Let’sdigupalittleofthesoilandtakeitbacktocampforalabanalysis.”“Goodidea,”Nedreplied.Nancyheadedforthesaddlebagsonherhorse.SusanB,shewasrelievedto
find,wassafe.Apparently thegasfromtheswamporflyingsaucerhadnotreachedtheanimals.ShehuggedSusanBandpattedGoalpost.“I’m glad nothing hapened to you,” Nancy said affectionately and
unfastenedoneofhersaddlebags.She tookouta trowelandasmallplasticbag.WhenNancyreturnedtotheswamp,Neddugupachunkofscorchedsoil
and dumped it into the bag, which Nancy held open. Then she took themysterioussamplebacktoSusanB,placeditinthesaddlebag,andfastenedtheflaptightly.She said to Ned, who had followed her up the slope, “Wouldn’t it be
wonderfulifchemistsfoundsomethinginthissampledifferentfromanythingknownonearth?”“Boy, would it ever!” Ned replied. “It might revolutionize our whole
conceptoftheuniverse!”Thecouplemountedtheirhorsesandsetoffforcamp.Theyhadnotgone
far,whensuddenlySusanBsunfished.“Easy,girl!”Nancycriedout.Shebarelymanaged to control thehorse and stayastride.The saddlebags
nearlyfelloffastheanimaldroppeddownonherforelegsandthenlaydownononeside.Nancyjumpedoff.Thehorsekickedviciously,tryingtoreachthesaddlebagcontainingthesoilsample.“What’sthematterwithher?”Nedasked,puzzledbythestrangebehavior.Furiouslythehorsekickedherhoovesasthecouplewatched,helpless.“Sheseemstobetryingtogetatthatsaddlebag,”Nancyobserved,keeping
asafedistancefromtheanimal.“I’msuresomethinginsideitisbotheringher.Butwhat?”
13
ADiscovery
Ned jumped from his horse and hurried forward to help Nancy and thedistressedmare.“Thank goodness you weren’t hurt, Nancy,” he said. “Susan B is really
actingup.”“Thepoorthing’sbesideherself,”Nancysaid.The ridersurged theanimal to standup.Thenquickly theypulledoff the
saddlebag.“Look!”Nancyexclaimed, staringat thehorse’s flank.”Her skin isbadly
scorchedhere.”Quickly theyflippedover thesaddlebag.A largeholehadburned through
theleather.“Itmusthavecomefromthesodwedugup,” theyoungsleuthremarked,
alarmed.“Oh,Ned,maybeit’sradioactive!”Sheunbuckledthesaddlebaganddumpedthecontentsontheground.The
plasticbagcontainingthesamplealsohadburnedthrough.NancyandNedstaredateachotheras thesamethoughtran throughtheir
minds:SusanBmightbecontaminated!“Ned,youandImightbecontaminated,too!”Nancycriedoutinalarm.Otherarticles in thebagdidnotappear tobedamaged, includinga jarof
healingsalve.QuicklyNancydippedherfingerintotheointmentandspreadagenerousamountoverthescorchedareaonSusanB’sflank.Sheremarked,“Ned,ifwe’vebeenexposedtoradioactivematerial,Iwish
thissalvealonecouldcureus.Whatdoyouthinkweshoulddo?”Nedadvisedthattheyburythechunkofscorchedearth,thesaddle,andthe
saddlebagandeverythinginit.“Goodidea,”Nancyagreed.Usingthetrowel,Neddugadeephole.Nancydroppedinthesuspectpieces
onebyone.Afterpilingdirtoverthemandmarkingthespotwithaheapoftwigs,thecampersstartedoffagain.
NancysatbehindNedonGoalpost,herownhorse’sleadropeinhand.“Assoonaswegettotown,”shesaid,“Ithinkwe’dbettergetintouchwithsomescientistsandavet.Whydon’twephonemydad?Hemightbeabletoflyuphererightawayandbringhelpwithhim.”“Goodthinking,”Nedreplied.When thecouple rode intocamp, theywerebombardedwithquestionsby
their friends.Before theycouldanswer them,Hal andBurt arrived, leadingthetwomissingpackhorses.“I’m so glad you’re back!” Jan exclaimed. “Nowwe have all the horses
again.”“Butmineisinjured,”Nancyannouncedandtoldthefantasticstoryofwhat
happenedtoherandNed.The possibility that she and Ned might be contaminated by radioactive
materialreallyhorrifiedeveryone.Dave spoke up. “It’s not catching, thank goodness, so we don’t have to
isolateyoutwo.Butweshouldn’tuseanyofthesameeatingutensils.”Jan offered to ride into town with Nancy, Ned, and the injured mare.
“Nancy,youcantakeoneoftheotherridinghorses.”The group ate a lightmeal, then started off.When they reached the little
town at the foot of themountain,Nancy called her father and told him theamazingstory.“What!”heexclaimed.“Tellmeeverything.HowareyouandNed?”Nancy gave him all the details, and he replied, “I’ll get a plane and
scientistsanddoctorstocomeupthereatonce.I’llbewiththem.Waitrightthereforus.Ifwe’regoingtobedelayed,I’llphoneyouinaboutanhour.”Mr.DrewtookthenumberofthetelephoneNancywasusing.“Bytheway,
dear,” he said, “an excited youngwomanphoned andwants you to solve amysteryforher.Somethingaboutstrangeidentities.Itoldheryou’retieduponanothermysteryrightnow,butshebeggedmetogetintouchwithyouandcallherback.WhatshallItellher?”“Oh,IwishIcouldhelp.”Nancysighed.“Dad,whydon’tyousuggestshe
contactourfriendstheDanaGirls?They’regreatatsolvingmysteries.”“I’lldothat,”Mr.Drewpromised.Thenhehungupthephone,andNancy
returnedtoNedandJan.“We’regoingtohaveafairlylongwait,”sheremarked.“CanwetakeSusan
Btoavet?”
Jannodded.“Followme.”The threewalked to the office-hospital ofDr.Doyle. Fortunately, hewas
abletoexaminethestrickenanimalatonce.Nancytoldhimabouttheswampbutdidnotmention the flying saucer.Thiswas to remaina secretuntil themysterywassolved.“We thought it might be interesting to have the soil analyzed,” she said,
“and decided to bring some of it back to camp. The sample was so hot itburnedaholethroughmysaddlebagandinjuredmyhorse’sflank.Iputsalveonit.”NancygaveDr.Doylethenameoftheointment.“Quickthinking,”theveterinariancomplimentedher.“What worries us in particular is that part of Dismal Swamp may be
contaminated by radiation and could have affected Susan B. My father isflyingherewithsomechemiststoanalyzeit.”Dr. Doyle looked surprised. “How could Dismal Swamp become
contaminated?”heinquired,puzzled.Nancyshrugged.AftertheveterinarianhadexaminedSusanB’swound,he
said,“Isuggestyouleavethehorsehere.Thisisaprettybadburn.”“Allright,”Jansaid,addingthattheanimalhadbeenrentedintown.“But
ourgroupwillberesponsibleforyourfee.”BeforeNancylefttheoffice,sheputherarmsaroundthehorsethatshehad
growntolove.ShewhisperedinSusanB’sear,“I’msosorryIgotyouintothis.Ihopeyou’llbeokaysoon.”Aftertheyleft,Jansaidtheywouldneedtorenthorsesforthenewarrivals,
a replacementhorse forNancy,and twomorepackhorses tocarrywhateverequipmentthepartymightbring.“Andwe’llbuyalotoffoodtotakebacktocamp,”sheadded.Bythetimetheextrahorseswerecollectedandallpurchasesmade,Nancy
andherfriendsheard thewhirofahelicopteroverhead. Itdidnotgo to theairfield,butcamedowninafieldontheoutskirtsoftown.Nancy,Ned,andJanhurriedtomeetitspassengers.AssoonasNancysawherfatherstepoutofthecopter,sheranaheadofthe
others.Thenshestoppedshort.IfI’mcontaminated,perhapsIshouldnotkisshim,thegirlthought.Sheblewakissfromadistance.Helaughed,cameup,andgaveherahug.“Let’s not be overanxious about this,” he said. “I’ve brought two doctors
andtwoscientistswithme.Otherswillarrivelater.Rightnowthedoctorsare
goingtotestyouandNedforradioactivity.”Afterintroductionshadbeenmade,oneofthedoctorstookfromhisbaga
strange-lookinginstrumentwithallsortsofdialsandindicatorsonitsface.HeheldtheendofatubewithaknobagainstNancy’sheart,lungs,andthebackofherneck.Washetestingherbrain?“So fareverything isnegative,”Dr.Caffrey reported.“Now,youngman,”
hesaid,“it’syourturn.”Ned, too, was pronounced all right. The doctor shook his head and
remarked,“You’relucky.”Heputawayhisinstrumentsandthegroupstowedtheir gear on the packhorses and set off for camp. They had barely startedwhenNancyrodeupbesideJanandaskedifshewouldpleasestopthestringofriders.WithoutquestioningNancy’sreason,theleadercalledout,“Halt!”Everyone reined in. Nancy said, “It just occurred to me that perhaps we
should haveDr.Caffrey examineSusanB for contamination.After all, shewasburnedbythesodintheswamp,butNedandIdidn’t touchitwithourbarehands,orgetanymudfromthescorchedareaonus.”“You’reright,”Janagreedandcalledout to thedoctor,“Canyougivethe
horsewiththeburnaradioactivetest?”“Sure.Gladto.”Jantoldtheothers,“Waithereforus.NancyandIwillridetothevet’sand
haveSusanBexaminedforcontamination.”Everyone agreed to the plan and the three riders galloped off. Twenty
minuteslatertheywereback.“The horse is okay,” the doctor reported. “She has a nasty burn but no
contaminationsymptoms.Nevertheless,Ithinkthatswampdefinitelyshouldbeinvestigated.”“Itwillbe,”Nancysaid,thenadded,“Let’sgo!”Theridersurgedtheirhorsesupthemountain.Whentheyarrivedatcamp,
their anxious friends were delighted to hear the results of the tests. Thenewcomerswereintroducedandtheyallsatdowntoahotsupper.NancyandNedaskedHalandBurttoexplainhowtheyhadfoundthelost
packhorses.According to theboys ithadnotbeeneasy,butaftera fruitlesssearch,theyhadfinallyheardawhinny.“One horse caught a front hoof in a bear trap,” Hal said. “Of course he
couldn’tmove,butwemanagedtogetthetrapoff.Fortunatelyithadsnapped
aroundthecolt’shoof,notinit,sohewasn’treallyinjured.”NowitwasNancyandNed’sturntorelatetheiradventure.Thedoctorsand
scientistslaughed.Mr.Drewchuckledalso.“I like thepartwhereyou twocouldn’t talk,but
were able to communicate by thoughtwaves. Fromnow on I’ll have to becarefulwhatIthink!”“That’sright,Dad,”Nancysaidwithamischievouswink.Early nextmorningNancywas awakened by a barking dog. That sounds
likeTrixie,shetoldherself,andjumpedoutofhersleepingbag.Sheslippedonherjeansoverherpajamasandwentoutside.GeorgejoinedherasTrixieboundedintocampandrusheduptothegirls.“Trixiehasanotetiedtotheropearoundherneck!”Georgeexlaimed.QuicklysheremovedthemessageandopeneditforherandNancytoread.
14
AValuableClue
Thetwogirlsreadthenotealoud.IthadbeensignedbyOldJoe.DearNancyandFriends,Iamstillamazedbyyourfindingthestonepyramid.Itwasavaluable
clue.Iwenttothebrookmyself;belowthewaterlineIfoundamarker,andtomyamazementmyfather’sinitialswereonit.
Georgeexclaimed,“Howwonderful!”SheandNancyreadon:Therewas also an arrow on themarker. I followed its direction for
somedistance,thenIinjuredmyfoot.“Whatashame!”Nancyremarked.“Ihopeit’snotbad.Well,let’sseewhat
elseOldJoehaswritten.”Thenotecontinued:
Iknew Ihad togiveup the search. Itwasonlywithgreatdifficultythat Igotback tomycabin.NowIhaveafavor toaskofyou:Wouldyouyoungpeopleliketotakeupthesearch?
NancyandGeorgelookedateachother,thengrinned.Georgesaid,“Wouldwe!”“It’sanexcitingchallenge,”Nancyadmitted,butadded,“Youknowthatwe
won’tbeabletogoimmediately.”“Whynot?”Georgeasked,eagertotakeupthehunt.Nancyremindedherthatmorescientistswerearrivingandwouldprobably
want to askquestionsof thecampers, especiallyNancyandNed. “I think Ishouldstayhere.”George agreed. “Have you any idea when the rest of the experts are
coming?”Nancyshookherheadno.“I’msureit’llbesoon.Inthemeantime,Iought
togetsomepaperandapencilandanswerOldJoe.”Inherreplyshesaidthattheyoungsleuthswoulddotheirbesttofindout
wherethearrowled.Thensheadded:
But Iwill have towait at camp a littlewhile before starting. Somescientists are coming here to examine Dismal Swamp. Ned and Idiscovereditwasscorched,apparentlybytheflyingsaucer.Incidentally,I’msorrytosaythattheshiptookoffagain.
She explained brieflywhat had happened to her andNed andhowShosohadputrestorativeleavesintheirmouths.
OldJoe,doyouhaveanyideawhatthoseleavesare?Shesigned thenote,attached it to thedog’s ropecollar,andsaid,“Trixie,
takethisbacktoyourmaster.”Thedogboundedoff.Soonafterward theothercamperswereawake.Nancyshowed thenote to
BessandJan.“Oh!Thepoorman!”Besssaid.“I’dliketohelphim.Wouldsomebodygo
overtohiscabinwithme?”Jan offered to accompany her. “I’ll pack some medical supplies and see
whatIcandotorelieveOldJoe’spain.”ForafewminutesJanandthegirlsdiscussedwhethertheyshouldaskone
ofthevisitingdoctorstogoalong.“They would probably prefer to wait for the rest of the scientists to
investigateDismalSwamptogether,”Nancysaid.AsBessandJangatheredsupplies,theyoungdetectiveaskedherfatherto
take a walk with her. When they were out of hearing range of the othercampers,heasked,“What’sonyourmind,dear?”“IwaswonderingifweshouldnotifytheFBIoranothertop-secretagency
about the flying saucer. I have a strong hunch the ship will come back.Wouldn’titbewonderfuliftheU.S.couldcaptureit?”Mr.Drewstaredathisdaughter, thengrinned. “It’s agreat ideabut abig
order.We don’t know if the saucer is from outer space, or the property ofsome rival country that’s spying on us. In any case, I’ll ride into town andmakesomephonecalls.”He andNancywalked back to camp. They learned that Bess had packed
somefoodforOldJoe.Assoonasbreakfastwasover,sheandJansetoffforthenaturalist’scabin.OnthewayShososuddenlyappeared.Hewasmutteringunintelligibly.Was
hetryingtotellthemsomething?Jan said, “I have an idea he’s speaking his Indian dialect. It’s so strange
because,asyouknow,therearenoIndiansinthisvicinityanymore.”
“Maybehe’sawanderer,”Besssuggested.“ButIndiansusuallystayinbandsortribes,”Jancountered.Shoso was gesticulating with his arms, and finally motioned the two
camperstofollowhim.“Shallwedoit?”Bessaskedhercompanion.“Oh,sure.Whynot?”Janreplied.“Besides,I’mcurioustofindoutwhere
hewantstotakeus.”Shoso seemed to know every inch of the forest. To their surprise he led
themtoOldJoe’scabinbyacompletelydifferentroute.“It’sabouthalf thedistance,” Jan remarked.“Ihopewecan findourway
backtocampthesameway.”The IndiandroppedbehindJanandBess.Before theycould turn to thank
himhehad,asusual,disappeared.Bessremarkeddreamily,“IfIhadn’tseenShosoinperson,I’dthinkhe’sa
spirit.Heappearsandvanishessofast,it’slikemagic.”Janlaughedandsaid thatwasagooddescriptionof theIndian.Theynow
approachedtheopencabindoorandcalledinside.“Comein!”OldJoeresponded.Hewassittingupinbedwithahugebandagewrappedaroundhisinjured
foot.“Hello,”hesaid.“Isn’tthisagreatwayforaforestdwellertotreathimself?
AndI’djuststartedonanexcitinghunttosolvemymystery.”Besssmiledandshookhandswithhim.“Everybodyhasanaccidentoncein
awhile,”shesaidsoothingly.Jantoldhimshewasanurse.“Whathaveyoubeendoingforyourself,Old
Joe?”“Don’tyougirlssmellwhat’scookinginmyfireplace?”Jan and Bess nodded. The delicious aroma of pine filled the room. Jan
peeredintothepotwhereacombinationofpinebark,sapfromthetree,andcrushedpineneedleswasbrewing. It had cookeddown to a thick, jellylikeconsistency.OldJoesaidhehadputthismixtureonhisfootandankle,thenbandagedthewholething.Jan smiled. “I couldn’t have done bettermyself. Pine is one of themost
healingremediesthatexist.Irememberanoldsaying—ifanythingailsyou,gointo theforestandlieonabedofpineneedles. Itwillcurecoldsorany
other type of respiratory disorder.Moreover, itwill pep up circulation, andthisinturncancurealmostanytypeofillnessapersonhasexcept,ofcourse,brokenbones.”Thenaturalistbobbedhishead.“I learned thesame thing frommyfather.
Andletmetellyou,itworks.”OldJoebroughtupNancy’snote.“PleasetellNancythatIdon’tknowwhat
kindofleavesShosogaveherandNed.ButifyouseetheIndianaskhimtoshowyouwherehegottheleaves,andgiveafewtothedoctorstoanalyze.”Bessand Janprepared the food theyhadbrought andOld Joeaccepted it
gratefully.Whenhe’dalmostfinishedeating,hecalledtoTrixie.Withatwinkleinhiseye,OldJoesaidtohisvisitors,“Don’tyouthinkshe
deservesalittleofthisgoodfoodfordoingmyerrandsopromptly?”“Wesuredo,”Bessagreed.Thedog lappedup the remainsof thecanned
beefandwaggedhertailinappreciation.Thecallerssaidgood-byeandstartedforcamp.BessandJanfollowedthe
trailwhichShosohadshownthem.HalfwayalongtheysawtheIndianagain.Hestoodbeforethem,armscrossed.FirstJan,thenBess,askedhimabouttherestorativeleaves.Whatplantor treedid theycomefromandcouldhegivethemsomemore?Shosostaredatthemblankly.Hedidn’tunderstandaword.“I’lltrysignlanguage,”Besssaidhopefullyandstartedalittlepantomime
forhimtowatch.First she raised her arms then flapped them to show that something was
comingdownfromthesky.She said to Jan, “I hopeShosowon’t think that it’s a bird.But howdo I
indicateaflyingsaucerdescending?”“Ihaven’tthefaintestidea,”Janreplied.TheIndianwatchedBessverycarefullyasshelaydownonthegroundand
closedhereyes,pretendingtobeasleep.Jancaughtontothelittleact.Shepulledaleafoffanearbyaspentreeand
putitinBess’smouth.Thegirlcheweditandopenedhereyes.Shestoodupand looked hopefully at Shoso. If only she could get her urgent messageacross!Apparently the Indian understood. He nodded and picked several of the
sameleaves.ThenShosogaveBessafaintsmileandhurriedoffthroughtheforest.Janremarked,“You’requiteanactress,Bess.Hecaughtonfast.”
“Ionlyhopemymessagewascleartohim,”thepantomimistreplied.Thenshegiggled.“ImagineplayingcharadesouthereintheforestwithanIndianwhodoesn’tspeakawordofEnglish!”Jangrinned.“There’salwaysafirsttimeforeverything.”Bess laughed, then she and Jan continued their ride.As they neared their
campsite, theyheardtheloudnoiseofahelicopter.Theylookedupbutsawnothing.Reiningin,theypausedtolistenandkepttheireyesskyward.“Iwonderifthepilot’stryingtofindus,”Jansaid.“Thatcertainlywouldbe
difficultinthisdenseforest.”“Youmean,”Bessasked,“that ifhe’s trying to locateus,he’ll landat the
footofthemountainandwalkorrideupheretotalktous?”“Probably,”Janreplied.“Whatdoyousupposehewants?”Bessasked.“Listen!”Janorderedsuddenly.“Thecoptersoundsasifit’sintrouble.”“Oh,Ihopenot,”Bessgaspedinfrightastheenginesputtered,died, then
caughtagain.Withinsecondsitrepeatedtheworrisomesound.“Itwouldbedreadfulforthatpoorpilottocrashintheforest!”
15
LabintheForest
The helicopter continued to make strange, faltering noises over the camp.Everyoneonthegroundwasafraiditwouldcrashontopofthem.“Why doesn’t the pilot try to fly away? Surely hemust see us,” George
complained.Burtsaid,“MaybeIcancommunicatewiththepilotbywalkie-talkie.”He
triedtotuneinbuthadnosuccess.“Thepilotcan’tpickupourwavelength,Iguess,”hesaid.“Toobad.”The craft dipped and rose,made a large sweeping circle, then flew back
overthecamp.AgainBurtattemptedtomakecontact.Finallyhemanagedtogetafaintresponse.“Comeinwhoeveryouare.“IthinkIhavehim!”Burtexclaimed.Heyelledintothespeaker,“Standing
byintheforestbelow.Areyouintrouble?Over.”“No,butI’mgladIcontactedyou.Wehavepermissiontolandintheforest,
butcan’tfindaplace.Anysuggestions?”Nancy,whohadbeenlistening,nowspokeup.“Askthemhowmuchroom
thecopterneeds.”“Not much,” the pilot answered when Burt questioned him. “If we send
toolsdown,canyoucutsomesmalltreestomakespaceforus?”Burtconsultedtheotherboysandthescientistsinthegroup.“Wecandoit,butitwon’tbetoosmooth,”Nedwarned.Burtrelayedthistothepilotwhosaidhewouldmanage.“I’llmakesurewe
avoidanyleftovertreestumps.”Nedandthemengatheredinasmallclearingbetweenclumpsoftreesand
bushes.The copterhungoverhead and loweredbagson a rope cable.Afterseveralofthemhadreachedtheground,thecablewaspulledup.Thecoptercircledagain.Thebagswereopenedandaxes,saws,andotherequipmenttakenout.The
mendividedintoteamstotacklethesaplings.“Can’twegirlsdosomething?”Nancyasked.
Mr.Drewsuggestedthattheypullupthebusheswhilethemenworkedonthetrees.Soonthestillnessoftheforestwasbrokenbythechoppingsoundofaxes,thecrashofsmalltrees,andthebuzzofsawsasstumpswerecuttotheground.Wheneveraheaviersaplingneeded tobe removed, themenslicedoff the
branchesforthegirlstolugaway,theneitherdraggedthetrunksbeyondtheimmediateareaorquicklysawedthemintolengthsthatwereeasiertocarry.Withinashorttimealandingareawasreadyforthecopter.As soon as it settled down, men poured from the doorway. First they
introduced themselves toMr.Drew,who in turnpresented Jan,Hal, andalltheyoungpeople.Among the new arrivalswere a botanist, a zoologist, three chemists, and
twoaerospaceexperts.“Thiscopterisnotastandardmodel,”saidDr.Halpern,oneofthechemists.
“It’s reallya flying lab.Wewanted topark itasclose toDismalSwampaspossible.”Daveremarked,“Iguessyoudon’toftenlandinaforest.”“That’sforsure.”Dr.Halpernnodded,smiling.“Whatwehaveaheadofus
areperhapsthemostunusualexperimentswe’veeverundertaken.”Themenbrought theirowncampingequipment and setupnear their lab.
When they finished, Dr. Halpern asked Nancy and Ned to tell them abouttheiramazingadventure,includingtheirdreams.Thecoupletookturnsfillinginthedetails.WhentheymentionedtheeffectoftherestorativeleavesthatShosohadfed
them,Bessspokeup.“He’sbringingusmore.AtleastIthinkso.”The scientists were intrigued. “We’ll analyze them,” Dr. Halpern said
promptly.“IhopeShosobringsthemsoon.”Besssighed.Thenewcomerswere ready togo toDismalSwamp.Theybroughtmasks
and heavy gauntlets which they slung over their shoulders. A few carriedtrowels,othersspades,andtherest,acid-proofbags.Theyborrowedavailablehorses.ToNancyandtheotherswhostayedbehinditseemedlikehoursbeforethe
group returned, but in fact, they were not gone long. As soon as theyreappeared,however,allbutoneofthemwenttotheirlaboratorytoanalyzethescorchedsod.
OneyoungmanstoppedlongenoughtosaytoNancy,“Yousurewererightaboutthehorribleodorfromtheswamp.I’mgladwehadgasmasks.I’lltakemydreamsinmorepleasantsurroundings!”Hehurriedafterhisco-workers.Theyoungsleuths, togetherwithMr.Drew,waitedimpatientlytohearthe
resultsofthetests.Itwasmorethananhourlaterthatthescientistsrejoinedthecampers.Dr.Halpern said, “I assumeallofyouareeager toknowwhatwe found.
Franklywehavedividedopinions.Someofusthinktheswampproducedtheacid.OthersfeeltheUFOlefttheacidwhichmayhavescorchedoneareaoftheswamp.”Nancyasked,“Haveyoudecidedyetwhatthechemicalis?”Dr.Halpernsaidthatthescientistswerestillpuzzled.“AllIcantellyouis
thatwe’vedetermineditisastrong,nonflammableacid,butverypenetrating.Onequestion is, if the flying saucer is responsible, did the acid come fromsomeotherplanet?”Dr. York, another scientist, spoke up. “If it’s fromDismal Swamp itself,
thenwehavequiteachemicalmysteryonourhands.Tomyknowledge,thisacidisnotfoundinsuchconcentratedformanywhereelseintheworld.”Thediscussion turned to the possibility that the flying saucer sprayed the
acidasittookoff.NancyandNedremindedthementhattheywereovercomebythefumesbeforethesaucerleft.“That does complicate thematter,”Dr.Halpern admitted. “Well,we have
many more experiments to make. I hope we come up with some definiteanswerssoon.Dr.Caffrey,whoarrivedwithMr.Drew,toldtheotherscientiststhathehad
tested Nancy and Ned for contamination by radiation. “Thank goodness, Ifoundnosignofit,”hedeclared.Dr.Halpern asked ifDr.Caffreywouldmind repeating the radiation test.
“I’dliketoseehowyourmachineoperates.”Asbefore,Nancywasgivenacleanbillofhealth.Nedwasabouttoenter
the tentwhere the testwasbeingheld,whenhecalledout,“Doyouexpectsparkstoflyfrommyhead?”The others laughed. “Not only sparks,” Dave replied, “but a pair of
antennas!”When Ned and the doctor failed to appear within a reasonable time, the
campersbecameanxious.HadDr.Caffreyfoundsomethingthistime?
Nancyfeltthatshecouldnotwaitanylongerforananswerandwasreadytoburstintothetent,whenthepairemerged.Bothweresmiling.“Everythingisokay,”Dr.Caffreyreported.“Whattookyousolong?”Burtasked.“Youhadallofusworried.”“Sorry,”Nedreplied.“Weweretalkingaboutwhatmighthavehappenedto
Nancyandmewhilewewereunconscious.”Mr.Drewasked,“Youhaveanewtheory?”Nedwonderedifpossiblysomecreatureintheflyingsaucercommunicated
withthecouplewhiletheywereasleep.“Howcouldhedothat?”Georgeasked.Ned answered, “Perhapshehypnotizedus—tolduswhat hewantedus to
think,see,anddo.”Bessshiveredalittle.“Youmeansomeonecontrolledyourmind?”“Isupposeit’spossible,”Nedreplied.“Even—even to make you believe you died and went to heaven?” Bess
queried.“Oh,sure,”Nedansweredwithachuckle.BynowBesswas absolutely terrified. “Doyou realize that thoseweirdos
maycomebackhereandworkonallofus?”WhenNednodded,tryingtoteaseher,shesaid,“Oh,don’tsaysuchthings!
You’vescaredmesilly!”Davefeltsorryforher.HesatdownnexttoBessandlaidacomfortinghand
onhershoulder.“Don’tbeafraid.Nedisonlykiddingyou.”“Oh,yes?”Nedasked.Mr.Drewsuggestedtheydropthesubjectinfavorofpreparingtheevening
meal.Thenewlyarrivedscientistswenttotheirownquartersinthelab.TherestateadelicioussupperwhichJanprepared.Therewasmoreconversationuntilaboutnineo’clock,wheneveryonestartedtoyawn.Finallythecamperswenttobed.ItwasaverywarmnightandNancy,Bess,andGeorge,whoweretogether
inonetent,decidedtoleavethesideflapshalfwayup.Therewasnotasoundanywhereexceptthehootofadistantowl.MuchlaterNancy,soundasleep,thoughtavoicehadcalledhername.She
rousedbutdidnotopenhereyes.Thenshehearditdistinctly.
16
TheEerieCave
Nancy managed to pull herself out of her deep sleep. She saw a figurestanding over her. Instinctively she grabbed the flashlight from under herpillowandshoneitintothemysteriousface.“Shoso!”shecalled.Withoutawordhehandedherabunchofleaves,thenturnedandvanished.
Nancybeamedherlightonthem.TherestorativeleavesBesshadaskedfor!Great!shethought.Hopingnot todisturbher friends, theyoung sleuthgot upquietly, took a
plastic bag from her backpack, and put the leaves inside it. Finally shecrawledbackintohersleepingbaganddozedoff.Thenextthingsheknewitwasmorning.Thesunwasshiningthroughthetrees,andbirdsweresinging.Whenthethreegroupsofcampersassembledtoplantheday’swork,Nancy
showedthebagofleavestoeveryoneandtoldthemabouthernightvisitor.Bess gaped at her friend in amazement. “Andyoudidn’t callGeorge and
me?Weren’tyouscared?Oh,I’dhavediedifI’dseenthatman’sstonyfacestaringatme!”Theotherslaughed.ProfessorHendricks,thebotanist,askedfortheleaves.“We’llanalyzethem
thismorning.”“Theyareunusual-looking,”Dr.Caffreysaid.“Idon’trecognizethem.”“If you professionals don’t recognize them,”Mr.Drew remarked, “then I
guessnobodywould.Doyousupposethismountainforestistheonlyplaceintheworldwheretheplantgrows?”“Maybeit’satree,”Besssuggested.“Let’sfindoutfromShoso.”Georgehadanidea.“Wedon’tknowwhereShosolives.Perhapshehasa
gardenandtheleavesgrowinit.”“Or,” Jan said, andpausedamoment, “maybe the tribe thatonce lived in
thisforestcultivatedtheplant,knowingitsmedicinalvalue.”“That’s very possible,”Dr.Caffrey agreed. “I’m curious to seewhat you
chemistscomeupwith.”
Thebotanistsmiled.“Imayeveneatoneoftheleavestosampleitspositiveeffectformyself!”SinceNancy’s group could do nothing to help, she suggested that the six
youngpeoplecontinuetheirhuntforOldJoe’streasure.“Whereshallwestart?”Daveasked,“andwhatshallwetake?”“I suggest you take hunting knives and that we begin at the pyramid of
rocks I told you about,” the girl detective answered. “We should see forourselveswherethearrowpoints.”Theyoungsleuthsputonwaterproofhikingboots,packedalunch,collected
diggingtools,andstartedoff.Halcalled to them,“Bringus some fish!”He ranup toDaveandhanded
himabucketwithapuncturedlid.“Suppercomingup,”Daverepliedwithagrin.“Awholebucketfull.”Nancysaid,“Let’sridetothestream.”Thegroupmounted.NancyandGeorgeledthewaytothemarkerinscribed
withtheinitialsofOldJoe’sfather.Theytetheredthehorsesandwadedintothewater.Theboystriedtocatchtroutwiththeirhands.Theythoughtitwouldbeas
easy for them as it was for Old Joe’s dog, Trixie, but the slippery fishwriggledoutoftheirgrasp.“There’sabigonecoming!”Daveshoutedeagerly.“AndI’mgoingtoget
it!”Hewasabouttograbthefish,whenheslippedonarockandfell,splashing
waterineverydirection.Thegirlsburstintolaughter.“Whydon’tyoutryit?”Davesaid,disgruntled.NedandBurtweremoresuccessful.Theyputseveral fish into thebucket
andfastenedthelid.ButasNeddivedforanotherspeckledtrout,hekickedover the bucket by accident. The lid came off and all of the fish they hadcaughtswamdownstream.“We’reprettypoorfishermen,I’dsay,”hechidedhimself.Again the three girls giggled. “Maybewe’re bad luck,” Bess said. “Why
don’tNancy,George,andIgoonandletyouboyscatchfishbyyourselves?”The other girls agreed. They stopped to look at the pyramid.By pushing
somestonesasidetheyuncoveredtheinitialsandthearrow.Itpointeddirectlyacrossthebubblingstream.
When they reached the opposite bank, the searchers decided to separate.“Let’sreturnintenminutestothissamespot,”Nancysuggested,“andreportwhateverclueswefind.”Thefirst timetheymettheywerediscouraged.“Youdon’tsuppose,”Bess
said, “that we’re on a wild goose chase? Maybe Old Joe’s father was ajokester.”“I think not,”Nancy said. “I have an idea hewas serious, butwanted to
keephissecretwellhidden.Let’sinvestigatebeyondtheimmediateareathistime.”Oncemoreeachgirlwentonherown,carefullyexaminingeverytreeand
rock.Whenthetriometagain,Georgewasgrinning.“Ifoundsomething!”sheexclaimed.“Followme.Hurry!”Bess suggested that theywait a fewminutes for theboys. “We’realready
aheadofthem.Ifwegotoofar,wecouldeasilyloseoneanother.Idon’twantustogetlostinthisforest.”“Heretheycomenow,”Nancysaid,glancingbackontheirtrail.Thethreeboysweretrudginguptheshortpaththegirlshadmadeleading
fromthestream.Burtwascarryingthebucketgingerly.“Any luck?”George asked, then added teasingly, “Or did all those small
speckledcreaturesslipawayfromyouagain?”Burtsmiled.“I’llshowyou.”Heunfastenedthelidpartway.Thegirlsgazedinside.Totheiramazement
thebucketwasfulloftrout!“There’s enough fish for everybody at camp,” Bess remarked. “What a
yummysupper.Icantasteitnow.”George led the group to a tree onwhich another arrow had been carved.
Underneathit,almostobliterated,weretheinitialsJA.“JosephAustin!”Nancyexclaimed.“Super!”“We’reinluck!”Davesaid.Thesearcherssetoff inthedirectionindicatedbythearrow.Theytrekked
forsometime,lookingcarefullyateverythingtheypassed,buttherewerenofurtherdirections.Theykeptonstraightahead,butbecamemorediscouragedbytheminute.Finally Nancy called a halt. “How about a rest period?” she suggested,
droppingtotheground.
“Great idea,” Bess replied. “And a good time to have that lunch webrought.”“Isthatallyoueverthinkabout—lunch?”Georgereplied.“No,”Besssmirked,“sometimesIthinkaboutdinner!”Withoutwaitingforanother teasingremarkfromhercousin,Besswent to
helpwithpreparations.Thesnackwasreadyinminutesandeatenwithgusto.Thenthetrekkersstartedoffagain.“Waitaminute!”Nancysaid.“Ithinkwe’regoinginthewrongdirection.”“Iagree,”Nedtoldher.They all returned to the luncheon spot, got their bearings, and started off
oncemore.Itwasnotlongbeforetheycametoagood-sizedtreewithanothercarved arrow on it. They looked carefully for initials but if there had everbeenany,theyweregonenow.“MaybeOldJoe’sfatherdidn’tputthisarrowmarkhere,”Burtsuggested.Nancy studied it closely. In her mind was a vivid picture of the other
arrows.“I’m sure this was made by the same person,” she said. “I counted the
number of little featherlike veins on the others. This one has the sameamount.”Nedlookedatheradmiringly.“Wedidn’tevensee them,muchlesscount
them,”hesaid.“Greatsleuthing.”George noticed that this arrow pointed to a steep rise of land.When the
climbers reached the top, they sawaheadof thema circular clumpof treesthatdidn’tseempartoftheoriginalforest,butlookedasthoughtheyhadbeenplantedbysomeone.“Doyousupposethatmeanssomething?”Daveasked.Everyone rushed forward and then the boys squeezed behind the trees.A
momentlater,Nedcalled,“There’sacavehere.Itlookslikeadeepone.”Hehadscarcelyfinishedspeakingwhentheyheardanastysnarlandahiss.
Theboysshrankback.“Another wildcat!” Ned cried out, as the animal appeared at the cave
entrance.
Nancyhadasuddenhunch.“Maybeit’sKitty,OldJoe’sfriend.Thismaybeherlair.”Shecalledout,“Kitty!Kitty!Whereareyou?”The snarling and hissing ceased and the wildcat stopped short. Nancy
continuedtospeaktoher.“Kitty,behaveyourself!We’renotgoingtohurtyou!”FinallyKittycametowardthem.DidsherecognizeNancyandNed?Taking
achance,theypattedthewildcat.
Besswasterrified.“Youshouldn’tdothat!”The animal looked up and for a moment they all panicked. Would she
springatoneofthem?Butthebigcatremainedpassiveandquiet.Nancy said to the others, “WhileNed and I keepKitty happy,whydon’t
youfourinvestigatethecave?”“Willdo,”Davereplied.The two couples walked behind the clump of trees and turned on their
flashlights. In themeantimeKittygotawhiffof the fish in thebucket.Shepawedatit,tryingtopushthelidoff.Nancywasafraidshemightoverturnthebucketandlet thewaterrunout.
Then the fish would die. “Why don’t we give Kitty one of the fish?” shesuggested.“Okay,”Nedagreed.Heselectedaplumptroutandthrewittothewildcat.
Shecaughtitinhermouthandranoffwiththefish.“Ihopeshedoesn’treturnformore,”Nancysaid.“Me,too,”Nedadded,withagrin.Kittydidnotcomeback,andeveryonegaveasighofrelief.Nedhungthe
bucketonahighbranch,hopingnootheranimalwouldtrytodisturbthefish.HeandNancynowenteredthecave.“Lookwhatwefound!”Bessexclaimed.Sheandtheotherswereexaminingpicturespaintedonthewalls.Theyhad
dustedthemoffsothesketchescouldbeseenplainly.Onescenedepictedawhitehunterstalkingtowardanenormoustree.AnIndianfacewascarvedonthetrunk.George asked the others if they thought Old Joe’s father had drawn the
pictures,orwhetheranIndianmayhavepaintedthemmanyyearsago.“It’s very hard to say,” Burt replied. “Whoever painted them was a real
artist.Thecolorsareperfectandhaven’tfaded.”“They’re great likenesses of Indians,” Bess murmured, studying the
paintingscarefully.In themeantime,Nancywas lookingatanotherpicturebeyond theoneof
thebigtree—ahalf-circleoffootprintsinfrontofacave.“I think thissketchrefers to thecavewe’re in,”shesaid,“andI think it’s
connectedtotheotherpictureofthehunter.Thehalf-circleoffootprintsmaylead from here to an enormous treewith an Indian head on it. So let’s get
going!IhaveahunchOldJoe’sfatherreallydiddrawthesepictures.”“Youmeanwemaybegettingclosetothetreasureheburied?”Bessasked.Yes,comeon!”
17
Fire!
UndecidedhowtostarthuntingforthebigtreewithanIndianpaintedonit,Nancy’s friendspacedaimlessly.Whichwayshould theygo?Therewasnoarrowtogivethemaclue.FinallyNed broke the silence. “We’rewasting time. I have a suggestion.
Afterall,thisisNancy’smystery.Whydon’twelethermakethedecisionandwe’llfollowit?”Theotherschorusedtheiragreement.Nancy smiled. “Thanks,” she said. “The pictures indicate that we should
halfcirclethecaveuntilwereachanenormoustreewithanIndianfaceonit.”“So,” said George, “we ought to begin with small half-circles and keep
makingthemlargeruntilwefindtherighttree?”Nancynodded.Thegroupspreadoutintoparallel,semicircularformations
andwalkedthroughtheforest,examiningeverytreealongtheway.“I think I found something!” Burt shouted excitedly. “Come here,
everybody!”Hisfriendsimmediatelyrantowardhim.Nancywasbeamingasshedarted
past the others, hopeful that the search had ended successfully. When shereachedhim,Burtwasonhishandsandknees,brushingdirtawayfromtherootsofatree.“Where’s the Indian’s face?”Nancy asked, as she glanced in puzzlement
aroundthetrunk.“No Indian,” Burt mumbled, still digging his nails into the soft ground.
“Here!”heexclaimedatlast.Proudlyhedisplayedtheblunttipofanarrow.“Oh,”Nancysaid,secretlydisappointed.“That’sverynice.”“Nice!”Burtrepeated.“Isthatallyoucansay?It’sgreat!”Bynow,theothershadgatheredaroundtheyoungman.“Sowhere’stheIndian’sface?”Georgeinquired.Nancypointedtothearrowhead,andGeorgesaid,“Isthatallyoufound?”
Gradually losing his own enthusiasm, Burt nodded. To ease his regret,Nancysaid,“IheardJansaythatHalpickedupafewoldarrowheadsnotfarfromhere.Maybeweoughttoaddthisonetothecollection.”BurtdroppedthearrowinGeorge’shand.“Bemyguest,”hesaid.“Actually,”George interrupted, “I’d like towear it on aneck chain.”She
winkedatBurt.“Ifyoudon’tmind,thatis.”“OfcourseIdon’tmind,”heanswered,evidentlypleased.The searchers continued their hunt for almost half an hour longer, but
returned finally to their starting point. No one had discovered anythinghelpful.AgainBesssuggestedtheywereonawildgoosechase,andoncemorethe
othersdisagreedwithher.“Well,whatdowedonow?”sheasked.Nancy said that perhaps the half-circle of footprints in the cave picture
mightbetheotherhalfofthecirclestheyhadmade.“We’llretraceoursteps,butinsteadofstoppinghalfway,we’llcompletethe
circle.”Georgeproposed that everyone changeplaces. “Maybe someone elsewill
spotwhattheothersmissed.”Thegroupdrewlotstodeterminewhowouldtakewhichcircle.Nancywas
assignedtotheonefarthestfromthecave.Thesearchcontinuedandnoonespoke.Theireyeswererivetedtoeachtree
theysaw.Withoutdiscoveringanythingunusualtheysoonreachedtheendofthehalf-circleandwentontocompleteitfully.Nancyhadalmostfinishedcirclingwhenshepausedtogazeatagiantaspen
tree.Apparentlyithadbeenstruckbylightning.Halfofitlayontheground.The lowerpart of the trunkwas still upright.Therewasno carvingon thispart.The eageryoungdetectivehurried to the fallen trunkwhich laybark side
down.Shecouldseepartofacarvingjustabovethebreak.That looks like thecarvingofanIndian!Nancythought,herpulseracing.
Shecouldnotseeitverywell.Ifonlyshecouldrollthetrunkover!Butthiswas impossible. She called loudly to the rest of the groupwho flew to herside.“Look!” she criedout, pointing. “Doesn’t that look like the carvingof an
Indian’shead?”
“It sure does,” Ned agreed, adding with an obvious twinkle in his eyes,“Somepeoplehavealltheluck.IknewIshouldhavestuckwithyou!”Nancyblushedhappily.“Icould’vetoldyouthat,”sheteasedback.“Come
onandhelpmeturnthetrunk,everybody.”Thesixyoungpeopletriedtopushthefallentree,buttheireffortswerein
vain.“This isaggravating,”Georgefumed.“EspeciallysinceIbelieveNancyis
abouttosolvethemystery!”Theyoungsleuthsuggestedthattheyexaminetheinteriorofthetreeincase
somethingwashiddeninside.Theycombedeveryinch.Thesplitwasclean.Therewerenobumpsordepressions.“It would take a derrick to lift even half of this tree,” Ned complained.
“Nancy,what’sournextmove?”“IthinkweshouldgotoOldJoe’scabinandtellhimwhatwe’velearned.”“Thisismaddening,”Besssaidindisgust.“I’msurewe’reabouttomakea
greatdiscoveryandcan’tdoitbecausewe’renotstrongenough.”Burtgrinned.“Thinkofalltheyearsthistreehaslivedherewithoutbeing
disturbed.Itmustbehundredsofyearsold.Infact,itmightdatebacktothedaysofgiantmenwhocouldliftitwithonehandtiedbehindtheirback!”Bessmadeafaceathim,thenturnedtogowithNancyandtheothersalong
atrailtheyhadmadetowherethehorsesweretethered.Theymountedand,followingthestreamthatBesshadalmosttumbledinto,headedforOldJoe’scabin.OldJoehobbledouttomeetthem.“Heardyouallcoming,”hesaid.“You
gotsomenewsforme?”“Excitingnews,”Nancytoldhim.Theyoungpeopletookturnstellingthenaturalistwhattheyhaddiscovered.
Attheendoftheirtale,hiseyesopenedwideinastonishment.“You’vedone amagnificent job,” he said. “I don’twant towait untilmy
foot is entirelywell beforewemove that tree.How about a couple of yougoingintotownandphoningsomelumberjackstocomeuphereandworkonit?”Nedvolunteered.“I’dbegladtogo.Tellmewhotocall.”OldJoelimpedbackintothecabinandwrotedownthenameandaddressof
atree-removalservicethatNedwouldfindlistedinthetelephonebook.
“I’llstartfortownassoonasIgetbacktocamp,”Nedpromised.Old Joe told Ned about a shortcut he could take from the cabin to the
village.“Whynot?”Nedreplied.Burtofferedtogowithhim.Beforethetwosetoff,Nancysaid,“OldJoe,
howmuchshouldNedtellthelumberjackstodo?”Theelderlymanpausedamoment.“First,heshouldletthemturnthetree
over so the Indian’s head shows up. Then the men ought to leave so youyoungfolkscanlookatit.”“Willdo,”Nedtoldhim.HeandBurtrodeoff.DavegaveOldJoeoneofthetroutinthebucket,andBesstoldhim,“The
boyscaughtthefishwiththeirbarehands.”Thenaturalistlaughed.“That’sprettyclever.AscleverasmyTrixie,eh?”Daveandthegirlssetoffforcamp.Whentheyarrived,Nancytoldonlyher
father,Hal,andJanwhattheyhaddiscovered.“Wehavegreathopesoflocatingthetreasure,”sheexplained,“butthere’s
nousespreadingtheinformationuntilwe’resure.”NedandBurt reachedcamp justas supperwas ready.Thescentof frying
fishwhettedtheappetitesofthehungrycampers.Nancy revealed more of the day’s adventure to the group. For a while
everyonepaidstrictattentionandaskedmanyquestions,but soonone, thenanother,begantoyawn.FinallyBess stood up. “I’m going to turn in,” she announced. “Anybody
coming?”Beforeshecouldleaveforhertent,someofthescientistsjoinedthegroup.
Nancyaskedthemiftheyhadfoundanythingneworunusual.Dr.Halpernanswered,“We’velearnedacoupleofinterestingthings.None
oftheacidinDismalSwamphasevaporatedfromthescorchedarea.It’sverystrongstuff.”Dr.Yorksaidthatthechemistshadworkedonthechunksofsodthatthey
dugup.Wehavecometotheconclusionthattheflyingsaucersentoutbeamscontaining a combination of natural substances we know about and somesecretingredient.Itisquiteadhesiveanddifficulttoseparateforanalysis.”His remarkaboutasecret ingredientgaveNancyan idea.Sheasked,“Do
you suppose the flying saucer came from some rival country and not from
outerspace?”Dr. York smiled. “I would hate to think that another country is more
scientificallyadvancedthanweare!”Dr.Caffrey also grinned. “Nancy, I thought youwere convinced that you
andNedreceivedthoughtwavesfromcreaturesinouterspace.Wouldn’tyouhatetothinkthatsomerivalcountrywasabletocontrolyourmind?”NancyandNedwerehorrified,andNedsaid,“Ifmenonearthdidsucha
thingtous,I’mgoingtofindthem!”“Anddowhat?”Nancypromptedhim.Nedposedlikeaboxer.“Fightthem,ofcourse!”Everyone laughed. Then the campers went to their tents and soon were
soundasleep.Inthemorningtheyawoketothebuzzofagiantmotorizedsaw.“Maybethelumberjacksarecuttingupthemysterytree!”Nancyexclaimed.“Howawful!”Besssaid.“Whywouldtheydothat?”“Idon’tknow,”Nancyreplied.“Nedtoldthemonlytoturnitover.”Georgejumpedup.“Buttheycouldruinthetreasure!”“Maybeevenstealit!”Bessadded,tearscomingintohereyes.Nancythoughtthecampersshouldgettothesiteatonce.“Comeon!”she
urged.“Everyminutecounts.”Thethreeboysjoinedthegirls.Allofthemjumpedontheirhorsesandrode
upthehilltowardthefallenaspentree.Georgecomplained,“Ithinkthisoversizedponyhadleadfeet.”Sheurged
himtowalkfaster.Before the riders reached the spot, Nancy, in the lead, detected wisps of
smokecurlingupfromtheforest.“Look!Upahead!Fire!”shecriedout.Theycouldhearcracklingandsmellburningwood.Sparkswereflyinginto
theairandbeingblownaboutbythebreeze;manyofthemfelltotheground.The fire, still somedistance away, neverthelesswasmoving rapidly towardthevaluabletree.“Oh,thisisdreadful!”Besswailed.“PoorOldJoe!Hemustn’tbeharmed.”Nancy’sheartsank.WereBess’swordsabouttocometrue?Wouldagiant
conflagrationsweepthroughtheforest,burnupOldJoe’streasure,hiscabin—andpossiblyeveninjurehim?
ThefiremightevendestroyDismalSwampandtheraremedicinalplantsintheforest,thegirlsleuththoughtwoefully.Aloudshecalledinpanic,“Wemusthelpputoutthefire!”
18
ARewardingFind
Astheridersdrewclosertothefire,theycouldhearmenshouting.Theyoungpeoplewantedtourgetheirhorsestogofaster,but theclimbwastoosteep.Nancyalsofearedthattheanimalsmightbefrightenedbythefire.Everyonereinedinnotfarfromthetreasuretree.“Fortunately the tree hasn’t been harmed,” Ned called to Nancy. He
dismountedandhurriedover to look.The lumberjackshadsawed thefallentrunkintosectionsandleftthembarksidedown.TheIndian’sfacewasbarelyvisible.NancyjumpedfromherhorseandrantowardNed.“Doyouthinkwecan
turnthepieceover?”“Sure,” Ned replied, watching a haze of smoke drift through the
surroundingtrees.“Butwhataboutthefire?”Ifitgetstooclose,itcouldburnupOldJoe’streasure.”Nancyadmittedthatthishadbeenherfearallalong.“You’rerightandwe
mustneverletthathappen.Wemusttrytohelpthefirefightersatonce.Theblazelooksbad.”Bythistimetheothershaddismountedandwerestaringatthethreegirls’
discovery.Theyallpeeredatwhatlittletheycouldseeofthecarving.George said, “We’d better drag this section far away. It’s too precious to
lose.Hearthecracklingofthefire?”Indeedeveryonecould.Howsoonwoulditbebeforetheflamesspreadin
theirdirection?Besssaid,“Oh,Ihopethefiredoesn’tgettoOldJoe’scabin!”Dave slipped an arm aroundBess’s shoulder. “A forest fire can really be
frightening,”heremarked.“WhenIwasalittleboyatcamp,onestartednearus.Wehadtoevacuateinthemiddleofthenightwithoutourdaytimeclothes.Wewere told to soak blankets in the nearby brook and put them over ourheadsaswewentthroughthesmoke.”Besschidedhim,“Doyouhavetotalkaboutsuchhorriblethingsnow?Isn’t
itbadenoughthatwe’repracticallyhelpless?”
“Sorry,”Davesaid.Alltheyoungpeopleworkedhardtostandtheprecioustreesectiononend.
Theyzigzaggeditasfarfromthefireaspossibleandlaiditdowncarefully.Forthefirsttimethemysteriouscarvingwasturnedfaceup.“That’sgorgeous!”Besscriedout.Nancybentdownforacloselookatthecarving.Sheexclaimed,“Herethey
are!TheinitialsofOldJoe’sfather!I’msurewe’vefoundthetreasure.”Shecutherexuberanceshort.“Butwecan’ttaketimetostudytheseclues
now.Wemusthelpthelumberjacksfightthefire.”Burtsuggestedthattheboysgobacktocampforshovelstodigtrenchesas
abackfire.“Andwe’llbringaxestocutdownunderbrush,”Daveadded.The smoke was thickening and the sound of burning wood grew
frighteninglylouder.Thefirewasspreadingrapidly.“I feel so helpless!” Nancy sputtered, coughing at the same time. “Let’s
moveourhorsesdowntowherewedraggedthebiglog.Theyshouldbesafethere.”“Oh,Ihopeso,”Besswailed.“Thisisawful!”Assoonasthatwasdone,thethreegirlshurriedbackupthehill.Thefire
wasdefinitelycloser.“I’mafraidthefireisgettingworse,”Georgeremarked.“You’reright,”Bessaddedinalarm.“Oh,wherearetheboys?”Inashorttimethethreeofthemreturned.Theytetheredtheirmountswith
the other horses, then the girls helped them carry the shovels and axes towheretheyweregoingtostartdiggingthebackfiretrenches.“Whatcanwedo?”Georgeaskedimmediately.Nedsuggestedthattheyusetheaxestochopdowntheunderbrushandcarry
itaway.“Theremaybeenoughdampnessundertheleavesonthegroundtoputoutsomeoftheflames.”“We’lltryit,”Nancysaid.Whilethegirlsworkeddiligently,theboysseparatedtospadeuptheground
intrenchessomedistanceawayfromthefire.Theylitmatchesanddroppedthemintothenarrowfurrows,ignitingablazethatsnakeditswaytowardthealreadyburningsection.
“That should stop some of the spread,” Burt declared, “but I think weshouldworkfaster.”Thegirlshadalreadycutdownandluggedawayheapingpilesofbrush.“That’sgreat!”Nedcalled.Atthesamemomenttheyheardahelicopteroverheadbutcouldnotseeit
throughthedensesmoke.Nodoubtthecraftwouldbeforcedtostayaboveorbehind thegraybillows. Ina fewmoments thegroup felt sprinklesofwhattheythoughtwasrain.ThenDavesaid,“Theremustbeaforestrangerinthatcopter.He’spouring
waterontheblaze.”Besssighed.“Ihopeitworks!”Theyoungpeoplecontinuedtoworkhardeventhoughtheywereexhausted
and filthy. The girls were scratched from the thorny undergrowth they hadbeendraggingaway.“I’ve never been hotter inmy life,” Bess said. “The firemust be getting
closer.”Unfortunately herwordswere true. The roar of burning treeswas louder
thaneverandmorefrightening.Wouldtheirworkhelpquenchtheblaze?As if in reply, the copter hovered directly overhead.Within seconds they
werealldrenchedwithwater.“Whee!”Bess exclaimed, running her hands through her soaked hair. “A
freeshampoo!”The others laughed, then Ned remarked, “I guess the pilot missed his
target.”“I’mhappyhedid,”saidGeorge.“NowIfeelcooler.Iwishhe’dcomeback
anddoitagain!”The pilot made no more misses, however, but continued to drench the
smolderingtrees.Afterwhatseemedlikehoursofhardwork,Nancy’sgroupnoticedthatthe
firewasbeginning tosubside.Thewelcomedelugefromthecopterand thejoint effort of the fire fighters had, at last, turned the conflagration into asoggymess.Nowtheycouldseehowlargeanareahadburned.“Itdidn’ttouchOldJoe’scabin,”Nancysaidwithrelief.Assheandherfriendslaidasidetheirtoolsandsanktothegroundtorest,
they saw two men coming toward them, threading their way among the
charredstumps.They introduced themselves as forest rangers. “We knew someone was
helpingfromthisend,”onemansaid.“Youyoungfolksdidagreatjob.We’remightythankfultoyou.”“Itwastough,”Nedreplied,“butI’mgladoureffortswereuseful.”Assoonastheforestrangerswerecertainthattheembershaddiedout,they
left.Nancyturnedeagerlytoherfriends.“NowwecancontinueourhuntforOldJoe’streasure.”TheyhurriedbacktothebiglogwiththeIndian’sheadcarvedonit.Nancy
pausedforseveralsecondsbeforesuggestinghowtoproceed.“Ithinkitwouldbesafetochiparoundtheheadandseeifwecanpryitup
intact.”The three boys pulled out their hunting knives and carefully dug a circle
aroundthecarvedpicture.Finallytheysucceededinremovingit.“Pretty neat,” George remarked. “Nice souvenir for hanging in your
bedroom,”shetoldNancy.Theyoungsleuthsmiled.“I’dlovetohavethecarving,butIthinkitshould
gotoOldJoe.”Nancyencouragedtheboystodigdeeper.ThechipsflewasNed,Burt,and
Dave took turnswith their strong,sharpknives.Suddenly theystruckmetalandstoppedchipping.“Ithinkwefoundsomething,”Nedtoldtheothers.Theirpulsesquickened
atthethoughtthatsomethingexcitingwasabouttohappen.Nancywatchedcloselyasmoreofthewoodcoveringthemetalwaschipped
off.Aboxwas revealed.Therewaswritingon it.Nancyquicklydustedoffthetop.Onthelidthesewordswerescratched:
FormysonJoeAustin“OldJoe’s treasure!” theyoungsleuthexclaimed,hardlydaring tobelieve
herownwords.Nedattemptedtoliftthemetalboxfromthedepressioninthetreetrunk.No
luck!“Wait!”saidDave.Heandtheothertwoboysburroweddownaroundtheboxwiththeirknives
untilNedcouldfixhisfingersaroundit.Toeveryone’ssurprisethecontainer
wasnotheavy.Nancywonderedwithasinkingfeelingifitmightbeempty!Oh,itmustn’tbe,shethought.
Theboxwastightlysealedandtherewasnowaytoopenitwithoutspecialtools.“Stymiedagain!”saidBurtwithasigh.“We shouldn’t open it anyway,” Nancy said. “Old Joe should. Let’s go
19
AStrangeReunion
WhenNancyandherfriendsreachedOldJoe’scabin, theyfoundhimlyingonthebed.Hecomplainedofsufferingalittlesetbackwithhisfootandsaiditpainedhimtowalk.“Itwasmyownfault,”hesaid.“IthoughtIwasstrongerthatIam.Itriedto
carrysomelogsin.”Suddenlyhechangedthesubject.“I’msogladallofyouescapedthefire.
Diditgetclosetoyourcamp?”Nancyassuredhimthattheareahadbeenmiraculouslysparedandnowthe
firewasentirelyout.Bessadded,“Theboysdugtrenchesforabackfire,andwegirlscutdown
brushanddraggeditaway.”Shedisplayedseveralscratchesonherforearms.Old Joe glanced at the tiny cuts. “You ought to put some salve on those.
Anyway, I’m glad nothing more serious happened to you. Personallyspeaking,I’mrightproudofyourgroup.Iwasreallyafraidmycabinmightburntotheground.”For the first time the naturalist noticed that Ned was carrying a rusty-
lookingmetalbox.OldJoeinquired,“What’sthat?”“Nancywillexplain,”Georgetoldtheelderlyman,whosatupontheedge
ofhisbed.Nedplacedtheboxalongsidehim.OldJoestaredatitunbelievingly.“Myname’sonit!”hecried,excited.“Wheredidyoufindthis?”HecradleditinhishandsaffectionatelyasNancydescribedtheirsearchin
detail.Old Joe shook his head. “To think I’ve searched this forest hundreds of
timesandneverseenthepyramidofrocksorthecavewiththeIndianpicturesinit!”A lookof fearglazedhiseyesashe staredat the smallbox.“What if the
forestfirehadruinedeverythingforever?”“Butitdidn’t,”Nancysaidsoftly.“That’stheimportantthing.”
Old Joenodded. “You’re right.Howcan I ever thankyou for saving thatpricelesslogandthecarvingonit,nottomentionwhat’sinside?I’llalwaysbegratefultoyou.”AllthistimeBessremainedsilent.Itwasclear,however,shewasbecoming
impatient.“Whydon’tyouopenthebox,OldJoe?”Thenaturalistfingeredthemetalcontainerlovingly.Hesmiledwithtearsin
hiseyes.“I’malmostafraidtoopenit,”hemumbledquietly.Nedtoldhimthattheboyswouldhelplifttherustedlid.Didhehavetools
they could use? Old Joe pointed to a drawer where Ned found a chisel, awedge,andahammer.Heused themtopryup the lidwhileBurtandDavepushed as hard as they could with their fingers to spring the cover loose.Finallyitgaveway.OldJoepeeredinside.“Money!”heexclaimedindisbelief.“Alotofit!My
fatherdidoutwithisenemy!”Nancy was staring too. “And there are a lot of papers. They must be
importantmessagesfromyourfather.”Theelderlyman’shand shookashe liftedout the firstone. Itwasa long
letter.HegaveittoNancy.“Pleasereaditforme.Allofyouhavebeensohelpfultometheleast—the
least—”Hebrokeoff,faintlywhispering,andslumpedbackontohispillow.“OldJoe!”Nancycried,lettingthepaperfalltothefloor.TheotheryoungpeoplecrowdedaroundthestrickenmanwhileNancyfelt
hispulse.“It’sveryweak,”shesaid.“Bess,pleasedampenthattowelonthesinkandbringittome.”“Sure,Nancy.”George, in the meantime, stroked Old Joe’s forehead. It felt cold and
clammy.“Pleasewakeup,”shemurmuredgently.WithinsecondsOldJoe’seyesblinkedopen.Asmilespreadslowlyacross
hisface.“I’mallright,”hesaidhoarsely.“Nowhelpmesitup,willyou?”“Maybeyouought to lie there a little bit longer,”Nancy said, pattinghis
facewiththewetcloth.“But I feel fit as a fiddle.” Old Joe grinned mischievously. “We’ll
compromise.YoureadtheletterandI’llsitback.How’sthat?”
“Okay,ifyouinsist,”Nancysaid.“ButpleasepromisetotakeanapwhenIfinish.”Themannodded.“Ofcourse.Afterall, Idon’thaveanyplans togowild
boarhuntingright thisminute,”heteased.“Nowdon’tkeepmeinsuspenseanylonger.”Withoutwaitinganothersecond,Nancypickeduptheintriguingletterand
read:DearSon:Thiswillcomeasagreatsurprisetoyou.Atfirstyouarenotgoingto
believeit,butIassureyouitreallyhappenedtome.OnceIcameupto theforestbymyself.Thatone time,anunearthly
lightsuddenlyappeared,approachingattremendousspeedfromfaroffinthesky.Ifinallyrealizeditwasaflyingobjectofsomesort.Tomyamazement it slowed down and landed in Dismal Swamp. It was aflyingsaucer!Irushedtotakeacloselookatit—thoughtheswampsmelledsobadit
was overpowering. I heard a voice insidemy head givingme orders.ThatwasallIcouldhear—nothingoutloud.Thecraftflewawayalmostassoonasitgothere.Iwasterrified.AtfirstIconvincedmyselfthatImustbedreaming.Thesilentvoicewarnedmenottorevealthesecrettoanyone.Then thevoicesaid the flyingsaucerwould return toearth intenyears!
OldJoeexclaimed,“That’sthisyear!”Theyoungpeoplecheckedthedateontheletterandconfirmedit.“Incredible!”Davesaid.“Goon,Nancy!”Georgebegged.Thegirlsleuthcontinued:
Myson,youmaywonderwhyIburiedthisinformationinatreeandcarvedanIndian’sheadonit.NowyouwillbeamazedtohearwhatelseIhavetosay.I never told you that your mother was a full-blooded Indian. She
belongedtoasmalltribeoftheShawneenationthatusedtoliveinthismountaintopforest.Youhadanolderbrotherwholookedjust likeher.Hewasmysteriouslykidnapped,and I amsurehewas takenawaybytheIndians,whodidnotapproveofme.
OldJoe’seyesbulged.“AnIndianbrother!Shawnee!”hecried.“NowI’ll
neverknowwhohewas.”When exclamations of astonishment ended in murmurs, Nancy went on
readingtheletter.Two years later you were born. Tragically, yourmother died a few
hourslater.YoushowednoIndiantraits.Youlooklikeme.IthoughtIneverwantedyoutofindoutaboutyourmotherandbrother,butnowIbelievethatinallfairnesstoyouthetruthshouldcomeout.
OldJoeinterruptedtoask,“Doesitsaywhatmybrother’snamewas?”Nancyfelta lumpinher throat.Asshehadbeenreading,asuspicionhad
enteredhermind.Shewenton:Yourbrother’snamewasShoso.
“What!” Old Joe exclaimed. Everyone in the room except Nancy wasstunnedbytherevelation.Nancy said, “Come to think of it, Shoso and Old Joe do have the same
build,andInoticedthattheirhandsarealmostidentical.ThemaindifferenceisinthecoloroftheirskinandShoso’sIndianfaceandhair.”Excitement ran high as everyonewondered if perchance Shoso knew the
Austinfamilysecret.Wasthiswhyhestayedintheforest?“Wemustfindhimatonce!”thenaturalistannounced.Ned spoke tohimcalmly. “Buthow?Wehaveno ideawherehemaybe.
We’llmakeasearch,buthehasneverleftatrailwecouldfollow.”WhileNedspoke,Nancynoticedanotherpaperfoldedatthebottomofthe
box,andsaid,“Moreofthesecretaboutyourfamilymayberevealedinthis.”Theelderlyman leaned forward topick itupandspread thepaperonhis
lap.Helookedatitforseveralsecondswithoutspeaking.George,eagerlyawaitingananswer,askedhim,“Whatdoesthepapersay?”Old Joe explained that his fatherhadwrittendownanumberofShawnee
Indianwords.“OppositethemistheEnglishtranslation,”hesaid.Heranhisfingerdown the list and exclaimed, “Here’s theword forolderbrother! It’sNtheetha!”Herepeatedthewordseveraltimesasiftryingtomemorizeit.“IhopeI’m
pronouncingitright,”hesaid.At thismoment they all heard a noise outside the cabin. Slowly the door
swungopen.TotheiramazementShosowasstandingthere!AtonceOldJoegotupfromthebedandhobbledacrossthefloor,hisarms
20
UFOCapture
A touching scene followed as Old Joe, forgetting his injured foot, hurriedtowardhisnewfoundbrother.“Shoso!”heexclaimedhappily.The Indian in turn held out his hand, then pointed to himself, and said,
“Ntheetha!”Noneoftheyoungpeoplespokeasthemenclaspedeachotheraroundthe
shouldersandtouchedcheeks,firstononeside,thenontheother.Finallytheybackedapart,staringateachotherinsilence.OldJoe’sfacebrokeintoagreatsmileandinresponsehisbloodbrothergrinned,too.AllthistimeTrixiestoodquietly,herearsbentforwardasshewatchedthe
reunion. Now, apparently feeling it was her turn to greet Shoso, the dogbarked and jumped around. First she lickedOld Joe’s hands, then those ofShoso.Thenshesatupbetweenthetwo,wavingherfrontpaws.The brothers patted the dog while Nancy and her friends laughed. Ned
noticedabonelyingonashelf.Hepickeditup.“OkaytogivethistoTrixie?”heasked.“Goahead,”OldJoereplied.He went back to the bed and sat downwith a sigh of relief. Nancy and
Georgehelpedhimeasebackagainsthispillow.“Areyoufeelingallright?”Nancyasked.“Yes,yes,”heinsisted.“Iguessthenewskindoftookmybreathawayfora
minute.”OldJoenowpickedupthesheetwiththetranslatedwords.Usingthem,he
spoke to Shoso. The Indian smiled at him and bobbed his headunderstandingly.“Look how happy Shoso is,” Bess whispered to her cousin. “Isn’t it
wonderful?”“It’sgreat,”Georgesaid.Nancyloweredhervoiceasshemotionedtohergroup.“Ithinkweshould
letthesetwobrothersbecomebetteracquainted.”
Everyoneagreed.Theyoungpeoplesaidgood-byetothemen.OnthewayoutNancystoppedtospeaktoOldJoe.“PleasethankShosofor
bringing us those healing leaves. Ned and I and the scientists at camp aregratefultohim.Hemaywellberesponsibleforsomewonderfulnewmedicaldiscovery.”The naturalist smiled. “It’ll be hard to get yourmessage across using the
fewwordsonthispaper,butIpromisetotry,”hesaid.“Goodlucktoyouinsolvingthemysteryoftheflyingsaucer.Justremember—ifIorShosocanbeofanyhelp,letusknow.”When the young people reached camp, Mr. Drew, Jan, Hal, and the
scientistscrowdedaroundtoheartheresultsoftheirsearch.Allwereamazedtolearnnotonlyofthetreasurehuntbutalsothesurprisingstoryofthetwobrothers.“ImustremembertocallmyfriendstheDanaGirlsandtellthemtheoutcomeofallthis,”Nancysaid,makingamentalnote.“Thisisallabsolutelyfantastic,”Janremarked.Hal added, “It certainly is. As amatter of fact, it’s probably the greatest
secretthisoldmountainhaseverhad!”Professor Hendricks, the botanist, spoke up. “I’m not so sure that’s true,
however.”ThescientisttoldhisspellboundaudiencethatShawniegunkMountainwas
filledwithsecrets.“Wehavemensearchingallovertheplace.Thisisaveryspecial forest, indeed. It is a natural pharmacy filled with rare, unspoiledmedicinalplants.”Nancyasked,“WhatistherebesidestheleavesShosogaveus?”ProfessorHendricksreplied,“Theplaceisbrimmingwithroots,plants,and
leaves thatarefoundsparsely invariouspartsof theworld.Somearenervemedicines.Thesapofonetree,ifswallowed,isknowntogiveinstantrelieffor heart palpitations.Weplan to take samples of these curative plants andherbsandgrowtheminquantityinotherplaces.”Halremarked,“Itseemsincrediblethatnobodyhasdevelopedallthisstuff.”ThisgaveNancyanidea.ShesaidtoProfessorHendricks,“I’msureShoso
knowsalotabouttheseplants.Hemightbeagreathelptoyou.ProbablyOldJoewillteachhimtospeakEnglishandalsokeephimfromdisappearingallthetime.”Thebotanist saidhewouldappreciate the Indian’shelp.“Idoubt, though,
that he would ever want to leave this place. Fromwhat you’ve toldme, Iassumethisishisancestralhome.”Theday’shappeningscontinuedtobethetopicofconversationthroughout
theeveningmeal.Thegrouphadjustfinishedtheirsupperwhensuddenlyaglow of lights flashed brilliantly across the darkened sky. Then came atremendousrushofwindthatshookeverythinginsight.“Theflyingsauceriscomingback!”Nancygulped.“Idon’tbelieveit!Oh,
howwonderful!”Besswas fearful.Shehadexperiencedonesimilarwindstormanddidnot
relishanother.Shecriedout,“Becareful,everybody!”Theothersinthecamppaidnoattention.Theyweretooeagertowatchthe
landing of the mystery ship. Everyone grabbed a flashlight or big camplantern, and all made their way down the path to Dismal Swamp. Theydecided,however,nottousethehorsesanddrawattentiontothemselves.Bythetimethegroupreachedthevicinityofthemarsh,theysawtheflying
sauceroverhead.Itwasvibratingconvulsivelyanddidnotdescendatonce.“Thesaucermustbeinsometrouble!”Nancyexclaimed.Asthecamperswatched,allthelightsontheshipwentout.“Something is certainly wrong,” Ned remarked. “Maybe it’s
antigravitationalbeamsaren’tworking.”Within seconds the flying saucer dived for earth and crash-landed in the
swamp.Thenextmomentthecraftturnedonitsside.Davesaid,“Ihopeitwon’texplode.Maybewe’dbettergetoutoftheway.”Everyone except Nancy and her father took his advice and ran into the
woods a short way. The girl detective and her father did not move butwatchedtheshipmorecuriousthanever.Itdidnotexplode.Bess,inthemeantime,thoughstillwary,edgedbacktowardNancy.“Allwe
need is for it to catchon fire,” she told theothers. “Or rather, that’s allwedon’tneed.”Nothinghappened to thespaceshipand thecampersdescendedoncemore
toplaytheirflashlightsandlanternsonthemysterycraft.Itseemedasiftheshiphaddied.“Nowwhatdowedo,Nancy?”Georgeasked.Before the girl detective could reply, they heard another aircraft coming.
Wasitabackupflyingsaucertryingtohelpitssistershipoutoftrouble?
Asthenewcraftappeared,theonlookerswerepuzzled.Itwasnottheshapeofthetraditionalroundflyingsaucer,butwascylindrical,andononesideinlarge letters thewordOPTIMUMwas painted. The ship came down like ahelicopternexttothedisabledflyingsaucer.“Wow!Whatasight!”Nedexclaimed.Alltheonlookersturnedtheirflashlightsontheship.Theysawtheoutline
ofadoor.Inafewsecondsitopenedandstepswereloweredtotheground.Amanappearedinthedoorway.Hewaswearingauniformandthesilver
eaglesofaUnitedStatesAirForcecolonel.Mr.Drewstaredathim,thenexclaimed,“ColonelAken!”Nancywasdumbfounded.“Youknowhim,Dad?Theaircraftbelongstoour
country?”“Yes,dear,”herfatheranswered,thenwalkedforwardtogreetthecolonel.
As he came down the steps, several other airmen appeared. The campersmovedaheadandeveryonewasintroducedtothespecialgroupofAirForcemenchosentoflytheOptimum.BessadmiredoneyoungmanwhowasblondandhuskylikeDave.“Isn’the
cute?”shemurmuredinGeorge’sear.DavepulledBessbythehandtowardColonelAkenandMr.Drew.Nancy’s father admitted he was surprised to see his friend in Dismal
Swamp.“Howdidyouhappentocomehere?”heasked.ColonelAkenexplainedthatwhenMr.Drewhadcontactedtheheadofthe
AirForceandrecountedNancy’sworkontheflyingsaucermystery,hewaschosentoinvestigate.“Ialsoaskedpermission to tryout thisnewAmericanversionofa flying
saucer.”Nancy asked, “How did you know when the mystery ship was coming
back?”The colonel smiled. “I guess I have to let you all in on a secret—a
governmentsecret,actually.ThiswoundedvehiclebelongstotheU.S.Itwasbuilt and launched ten years ago as an experiment, but disappeared shortlyafter. At the time not much was known about programming this particulartypeofspaceship.Ofcourse,sincethenwe’velearnedagreatdeal.Theflyingsaucersuddenlyreappearedatourexperimentalgroundsbutgavenocluesastowhereithadbeen,andsofarasIknownosightingswereeverreported.”When Colonel Aken paused, Nancy spoke. “I believe your flying saucer
landedhereinDismalSwamp.”ShetoldhimabouttheletterwrittenbyOldJoe’sfather.TheAirForcegroupwasastounded.Oneoftheyoungmen,MajorTanner,
remarked, “Mr.Austinmust have been psychic to prophesy that our saucerwouldreturntothesamespottenyearslater.”“Isthistheidenticalship?”Nancyasked.“Yes,”ColonelAken replied.“Itwasworkedon, reprogrammed,andsent
outonatestflight.Forawhile itbeamedbackmessagesthatallwasgoingwell. Then, as before, all communication ceased. We feared some rivalcountryhadcapturedoursaucer.Besscriedout,“Thatwouldhavebeena—acatastrophe!”“Iagree,”thecolonelreplied.“Wheredidyoupickupthesaucer?”Mr.Drewasked.“Aboutthirtythousandfeetalmoststraightup.Ourradarfinallydetectedit.
Wefeltsuretheshipwouldreturnhere,butitsflightpatternwassoerratic,itwashardtofollow.”“I’dliketoaskaquestion,”Georgeinterrupted.“I’ll answer it if it’s not classified,” Colonel Aken replied, his eyes
twinkling.“Beforetheflyingsaucerarrived,thewindblewlikeacyclone.Everything
thatwasn’ttieddownscattered.”“Yes,”Bessadded,“itactuallyblewawayourpicnic,eventhefishcooking
overanoutdoorfire.”TheAirForcemen laughed.ColonelAkensaid,“Young lady,youdidhit
upon classified information. Yes, the flying saucer caused the windstorm.Sometimesrainfollows.Howandwhy,I’mobligedtotellyou,mustremainagovernmentsecret.Sorrytodisappointyou.”“But your new ship, the Optimum, didn’t cause a windstorm,” Nancy
remarked.ColonelAkenlookedathersearchingly.“Youhaveaverykeenmind.It’s
true. This newer ship was built from totally different plans and willaccomplishmorethantheearliermodel.Again,however,Iamnotatlibertytogiveyouadditionalinformation.”Nedadmittedhewaspuzzledaboutwhytheoldflyingsaucerwhirledasit
flew.
The colonel saidwith a knowing grin, “After you graduate from college,enroll inourtechnical trainingschool.We’llbehappytoteachyousomeofourtradesecrets.”Suddenly Nancy realized the mystery had been completed. The girl
detective felt sad to thinkherworkwasover. Ina short time,however, shewouldbecomeinvolvedinsolvingthemysteryofTheSecretintheOldLace.Shesnappedoutofher reverieandasked theofficer,“Will theoldsaucer
everbeabletoflyagain?”“We’ll try to find out very soon,” Colonel Aken answered, “but first, in
honorofyourhelpingusfindher,Ithinkweshouldrewardyouwithalittletrip in our identified flying object.” He smiled. “Tomorrow all of youwillhaveachancetorideintheOptimum.You’llbethefirstcivilianstodoso.”Nancyandherfriendsaswellasthescientistswerethrilledbytheprospect
andapplaudedColonelAkenforhisinvitation.He in turn held up his hand for silence. “Don’t give me any credit for
recovering the mystery ship. I believe it all belongs to Nancy Drew, herfather,andherfriends.Whatdotherestofyousay?”ProfessorHendrickscalledout,“Wesayyes!”Agreatcheerrangthroughtheforest.