Carolyn Keene - The Secret of Red Gate Farm

Then, just as she was giving up hope, Nancy spotted a dim light far ahead and knew she must be nearing the mouth of the cave. No one appeared to be left guarding the entrance. Her only chancel In a moment more she had reached the open air.

"Saved!" Nancy breathed.

At that instant a dark figure loomed up from the grass. Nancy felt a heavy hand on her shoulder!

CHAPTER XIX Destroyed Evidence

"Not so fast there!" The man leered as he clutched Nancy firmly by the arm and whirled her around. "What's the big rush, anyway?"

Nancy, staring into his hard face, saw that he was the man who had been addressed as "Hank," one of the three men she had seen at the filling station. Frantically she struggled to free herself.

"So-" he muttered in satisfaction, "the pretty blond spy the boys were telling me about. I thought you were warned by the guard to keep away from here! This time, I take it, you're lookin' for something besides a stray cow!"

"Yes, and I'm going to find it!" Nancy said bravely.

"Oh, yeah? You're going to find what? The police?" Hank looked at her costume. "You're a spy. But your little game is up."

Nancy's pulse was racing. How could she get away? She could hear running footsteps coming through the tunnel, and knew her chance of escape would be over in another instant. In desperation she tried to jerk herself free from Hank. But her captor gripped her more securely and laughed as she cried out in pain, "Let me go!"

Nancy twisted and squirmed, "but her efforts Only made Hank tighten his grip. By the time the others reached her, she had given up the struggle and stood quietly waiting for the worst to come.

"Good thing you got her. Hank," Maurice Hale called. "The little wildcat! We'll give her a double dose for this smart trick! No girl's going to put anything over on me!"

At the entrance of the cave it was nearly as bright as day, for the moon was high. Maurice Hale glanced nervously about, as though fearing observation by unseen eyes.

"Get back inside!" he sharply ordered his followers. "It's a clear night and some wise bird might see us without our costumes and wonder what's up. We must destroy the evidence as quickly as we can and clear out of this place!"

Even as the leader spoke, Nancy thought she heard a rustling in the nearby bushes. She told herself that it probably was only the wind stirring the leaves. Rescue was out of the question, for no one knew that she and her friends had planned such a dangerous mission. How foolish. of them not to have revealed their full plans to someone!

Nancy made no protest as she was dragged back into the cavern. Bravely she tried to meet the eyes of her friends, for she saw that they were even more discouraged than she. Poor Bess was trembling with fright.

"Th-the perfume did it!" she wailed. "I knew this masquerade was far too dangerous for us to try!"

"Cheer up," Nancy whispered encouragingly. "We'll find some way to get out of here!"

Bess only shook her head. She was not to be deceived.

"And to think I was the one who couldn't wait for a spooky adventure on the hillside," George moaned regretfully. "I really ought to have my head examined!"

The members of the syndicate were furious. There would be no second opportunity for these intruders to break away. At an order from the leader, Al Snead found several pieces of rope and bound Nancy and her friends hand and foot. He seemed to take particular delight in making Nancy's bonds cruelly tight.

"I guess that'll hold you for a while." He grinned, gloating over the girls' predicament.

"Get to work!" the leader commanded his men impatiently. "Do you think we have the rest of the night? If we don't hurry up and get out of here, the cops are apt to be down on us! Don't know what this girl's done."

All colony members, except Mrs. Hale, went to work with a will; the fear of the law obviously had affected them. With a sinking heart, Nancy realized the men planned to destroy all the evidence of their counterfeiting operations.

"The machines that we can't take with us we'll wreck," Maurice Hale ordered. "If we save the plates we can start up again in a new place. Get a move on!"

He stood over the men, driving them furiously. His wife had slumped down in a chair and had buried her face in her hands. She appeared crushed. Only once did she summon her energy to speak.

"Maurice," she murmured brokenly, "why won't you give up this dreadful life-always running from the police? We were happy before you got mixed up with such bad company."

Her husband cut her short with a sarcastic remark. She did not try to speak again, but sat hunched over, looking sorrowfully at the girls. Nancy knew that she wanted to help them, but did not have the courage for further defiance. The work of destroying the counterfeiting machinery went on, but several times Maurice Hale glanced impatiently at his watch.

"No use waiting until we're through here," he observed after a time. "Let's get the prisoners out of here pronto. The sooner we're rid of them, the safer I'll feel. Al, you start on ahead with one of the automobiles. You know the way to the shack, don't you?"

"Sure," Al Snead agreed promptly.

"Then take Hank along to keep guard and get going!"

Nancy and her chums were jerked to their feet. The cords around their ankles were removed to permit them to walk, but their arms were kept tied securely behind them.

"Move along!" Al Snead ordered Nancy, giving her a hard shove forward.

The girls stumbled along through the dark passageway from the inner room to the mouth of the cave. Men and women followed them with angry, menacing threats. Al and Hank pushed the girls to make them hurry. Nancy and her friends exchanged hopeless glances from time to time. George held her head up contemptuously, but Joanne was white as a sheet and Bess was on the verge of tears.

"Guess this'll teach you girls to mix with the Black Snake Colony!" a raucous voice said as the group made its way toward the exit.

Nancy held back a retort, but her icy look told the man she did not appreciate the remark. Their walk seemed interminable. Finally, however, moonlight could be seen. In a moment they were approaching the mouth of the cave.

Nancy took a few halting steps and then paused as if she had turned to stone. Her eyes were riveted upon the entrance. There stood Mr. Abbott's son, Karl Jr.!

"Oh, Karl!" Nancy cried out. "These men are counterfeiters! Don't let them capture you too! Run!"

CHAPTER XX A Final Hunch

Karl Abbott did not run. Instead, he signaled with his hand. At once seven armed men sprang from the darkness of nearby bushes.

"Secret Service agents," Karl explained quickly to the girls.

"Stand where you are! Don't anyone move!" ordered one of the federal men.

So unexpected was their arrival that the counterfeiters were stunned. For an instant no one moved. Then, with a cry of rage, Maurice Hale darted into the cavern. He had taken only a few steps when one of the other agents grabbed him firmly by one arm.

"None of that! We have you right this time, Hale. You won't try any funny stuff with Uncle Sam again!"

Some of the counterfeiters who had not yet come from the cavern had turned back.

"They'll get away through the other exit!" Nancy cried out.

Karl smiled. "We have that covered too."

He now introduced the four girls to Secret Service Agent Horton who was in charge of the group. The federal man gave Nancy Drew a quick word of praise for revealing the headquarters of the counterfeiting ring.

"Outwitted-by that snooping kid!" Maurice Hale screamed.

The thought seemed to unnerve the man completely. He did not protest when handcuffs were put on his wrists. Other members of the syndicate submitted to the agents without resistance, although Yvonne Wong vehemently protested her innocence.