"Humph!" she exclaimed. "I must say I'll have to agree with Mr. Abbott this time. I'm sure you four are up to some prank."
Even Nancy and Joanne had to smother telltale grins. They only smiled pleasantly, but offered no explanation. Actually, the girls were so excited over their prospective adventure they could scarcely do justice to the excellent meal Mrs. Byrd had prepared. Karl Jr., as usual, was a charming companion.
He had many amusing anecdotes to tell, and Nancy was happy to observe that Joanne seemed to be enjoying it all immensely. Indeed, by the time dessert was finished, Nancy and her chums realized that they had temporarily forgotten counterfeiters, syndicates, and even the nature cult on the hill.
Everyone was sorry, a little later, when the young man announced that he must leave.
"I wish I could stay," he said regretfully, letting his eyes rest especially long on Nancy, "but I must get back to the city tonight. I'll try to run down again in a few days to see Father. Take care of yourselves," he added to the girls.
After Karl Jr. had gone, and the girls were washing the dishes, George said teasingly, "You can't tell me 'Father' is the only attraction at Red Gate Farm! He has his eye on Nancy!"
"Silly!" Nancy laughed.
"He scarcely took his eyes off you all evening," George insisted. "You made quite a hit this morning with that rescued-heroine bit."
"Oh, honestly, George!" Nancy blushed. "You never give up, do you?"
"Karl Jr. wouldn't be so bad," Bess added, "but imagine having Mr. Abbott for a father-in- law!"
"You do the imagining," Nancy said lightly. “I'm going outside and look at the hillside.".
All the girls watched until late in the evening, but the mysterious place remained dark and deserted. Disappointed, the girls went to bed. They awakened early the next morning, for they had gradually become accustomed to farm hours. When they learned from Mrs. Byrd that Reuben was not feeling well, the girls eagerly helped with the various outdoor chores. It was noontime before they realized how much time had passed.
"You girls should have some relaxation this afternoon," Mrs. Byrd said. "How about a swim down in the brook? There's a spot that used to be known as the old swimming hole. It's fairly deep."
"That sounds wonderful," Bess declared.
Jo declined, but at two o'clock Nancy, Bess, and George set off in bathing suits. For two hours they swam, floated, and sun-bathed on the shore. Every once in a while Nancy or George would mention some angle of the colony. Hale Syndicate, or counterfeiting mysteries. But immediately Bess would say, "Shush! We're relaxing. We may have a big night tonight."
Finally the girls started for the farmhouse. To reach it they had to cross a field in the corner of which lay a heap of large stones, apparently raked there when the acreage was cultivated. George, grinning, climbed across the stones, saying, "This life is making me rugged. I- Oh, ouch!" she cried loudly, then added, "A snake! It bit me!"
CHAPTER XVMasqueraders
Nancy and George turned Just in time to see a brownish snake slither off in a wiggling motion and disappear among the stones.
"Oh, George!" Bess cried. "Was it a poisonous one?"
"I'm not sure," she answered, "I-I hope it wasn't a copperhead."
"We'd better not take any chances," Nancy declared, whipping a handkerchief from her beach robe. "Let's put on tourniquets, Bess."
Like lightning the two girls tied their handkerchiefs tightly above and below the puncture marks made in George's calf by the snake's fangs. Then Nancy took a tiny pair of scissors from her bag. "I wish I had something to sterilize these with," she said.
"Will perfume do?" Bess asked, and took from her bag the tiny bottle of Blue Jade. The liquid was poured onto the scissors, then Nancy deftly made a crosscut incision near the punctures. Blood spurted out, and with it, she hoped, any serum the snake might have injected.
George stoically had not made a sound, but finally she said, "Thanks, girls. Your quick first aid probably made it possible for me to go to the ceremonies tonight-if they have them."
"I think you'd better not step on your foot, or stimulate circulation," Nancy advised. "Suppose Bess and I carry you."
George started to protest but finally consented. Seated on a "chair" made by the intertwined hands of Nancy and Bess, George was carried toward the farmhouse. The trip, though awkward and slow, went at a steady pace. George maintained her Spartan attitude. She not only refused to complain but teasingly asked Bess, "Aren't you glad I don't eat as much as you do?"
"I don't know what you mean," Bess replied, puzzled.
Well, if I loved desserts as you do," George teased, "I wouldn't be such a featherweight to carry!"
Bess gave her cousin an indignant glance. "How do you like that for gratitude! Next time I lug you all the way home-!"
Nancy interrupted with a grin, "I guess we all do our share of eating dessert. Anyhow, we've made it, girls. Red Gate Farm is just ahead!"
As they came up to the house, Mrs. Salisbury, who was in the garden, exclaimed, "Oh, gracious! What happened?" Mr. Abbott and Mrs. Byrd hurried from the house.
Just a precautionary measure," Nancy explained, and told of the snake incident.
George was carried indoors and laid on a couch. Mrs. Byrd quickly called the family physician. He arrived shortly, and examined George's wound.
The doctor nodded approvingly as he bathed it with an antiseptic and removed the tourniquets.
"Excellent first-aid treatment," he announced. "You'll be fine, young lady. I'd advise you to rest for several hours."
"Thank you. That's good news." George gave a relieved grin.
or the remainder of the afternoon she was made to lie inactive. When dinnertime came, George got up, declaring, "I never felt better!"
"But take it easy in case we go out tonight," Nancy pleaded with her.
To allay suspicion on the part of the other boarders, Bess and Joanne were posted as guards across the road. If they saw the beginning of rites on the hill, the girls were to give birdcalls. In the meantime. Nancy and George waited in George's room, the costumes ready to be picked up at a moment's notice.
Suddenly Nancy leaped from her chair and flew into her own bedroom. "What's eating you?" George called.
"Oh, why didn't I think of it before? How stupid of me!" Nancy said, returning with a piece of paper in her hand.
"What are you talking about?" George demanded.
"That snake today. The way he wriggled. It looked just like the mark over the numeral 2 in the coded message!" Nancy cried excitedly."The 2 we think means B!"
George sat up. "You mean the B with the wavy line over it might signify the Black Snake Colony?"
"Yes. Oh, George, this connects the Hale Syndicate with the nature cult here. Now the message reads: "Maurice Hale calling Black Snake Colony meeting-"
"And the 18. How about that?" George asked.
"Not too hard to guess, George. The 18 is the letter R, and could stand for Red Gate Farm."
"Nancy, you're a whiz, as I've often told you," her friend declared.
The young sleuth smiled, then said wistfully, "If I could only have had another second to copy the next few numbers, I might have known the exact time."
"What happens now? Will you notify the police?"
At that instant Nancy and George heard soft birdcalls. "No time to phone now," Nancy said.
She grabbed two of the costumes and dashed from the room. George followed with the others. As prearranged, the girls left by the kitchen door to avoid the boarders. Mrs. Byrd had been told that the girls might go up the hillside to watch if the nature cult put on a performance.
Nancy and George joined the other girls and they all scurried toward the woods. It was very dark beneath the dense canopy of trees, and Bess gripped Nancy's arm. Joanne was familiar with every path and led the way toward the hillside. A weird cry broke the stillness. Involuntarily the girls halted and moved closer together.