Mystery of the Glowing Eye Part 26

"I'm not one of them," he said, smiling, "although I have a reputation for being able to open any locked door with my special keys. Miss Drew, here's the key to the museum attic. Hope you catch your man real soon!"

The officers made a moulage of the strange heel print, and left after they had warned the group not to take any chances. The girls talked with Professor t.i.tus for several minutes, then he walked into the room where the glowing eye had shone on the wall.

"Listen!" Bess said suddenly. "I hear a car coming!"

The girls wondered who was arriving. They felt sure it was not Crosson nor one of Cyclops' pals. A few seconds later there was a loud knock on the door. Nancy asked who was there.

Two male voices said, "Your guards for the night."

The girls burst out laughing. Burt and Dave!

Bess quickly pulled open the front door and the boys walked in.

Burt was grinning. "We thought you girls needed more protection."

Just then Professor t.i.tus returned to the group. "So you boys didn't trust me to take care of them alone?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

Burt and Dave knew he was teasing them, but they were a little embarra.s.sed.

Dave said, "Sorry, Professor. Of course you could have done the job, but we'd kind of like to hang around."

"That's a lame explanation," the man replied, pretending to be as critical as he was sometimes known to be in his cla.s.sroom.

Nancy spoke up. "Now that you boys are here, we'll put you to work. First, we'll tell you all about this evening's events, then give you jobs."

The two boys were astounded at the latest developments and Dave said, "As usual more things can happen to Nancy Drew and her friends in two hours than might happen in two years to somebody else."

The young detective smiled, then said, "Let's watch this museum closely. I suggest we divide forces and spread out."

"Good idea," Burt said. "Where do you want to station me?"

"Suppose you and I go to the attic," Nancy answered. "Wait until you see that fabulous laboratory!"

She went on to a.s.sign jobs to the others. Professor t.i.tus and George were to station themselves near the panel where the glowing eye had been seen. "Bess and Dave, how about guarding the front door?"

The group quickly dispersed and went to their individual posts. Nancy and Burt hurried upstairs to the second floor, then Nancy opened the attic door with the key she had just received. She flicked on the light switch and closed the door. Burt followed her up the steps and in a moment he was gazing in awe at the equipment.

Nancy, in the meantime, heard what sounded like a helicopter. Was it Crosson? She quickly turned off the light and told Burt to look out the window with her.

They could see a helicopter descending in the field behind the museum!

"Burt, I'll bet it's Crosson!" Nancy exclaimed.

Together they watched the whirlybird. Both had the same thought: Was it the robot craft which had landed on Nancy's front lawn in River Heights?

"Maybe Crosson and Ned are in it!" Burt suggested.

The helicopter settled to the ground but instantly went up again. It circled for a few minutes, then took off.

"Maybe someone dropped out," Nancy remarked.

"And he may come into the museum!" Burt added.

Just then they heard a scream from the first floor!

CHAPTER XIX.

The Captive

WHO had screamed? Someone in their group or an intruder?

Nancy was torn between two theories: the cry might have come from Bess who had been frightened, but on the other hand an intruder might have screamed purposely to lure Burt and herself from the attic. Regardless, she felt that they should investigate.

"Suppose I go," Nancy suggested. "You wait here in case Crosson or one of his pals climbs in a window or comes out of a secret hiding place."

Nancy tiptoed down the attic steps. She opened the door warily and gazed into the dark hall. There was not a sound and to her this seemed ominous.

As she stood debating whether or not to descend to the first floor, she noticed a small flicker of light. In a moment she realized that someone was coming up the steps. She could not see the person's face, but she could distinguish the outline of a man. In one hand he held the paralyzing glowing eye searchlight. Its beams had been turned low.

"I'd better make up my mind what I'm going to do," Nancy thought.

A moment later a distressing thought came to her. Maybe her friends on the first floor had been paralyzed again by the glowing eye searchlight!

"The same thing will happen to me if I go near it!"

Quickly she stepped back onto the attic stairway and closed the door. Ascending on tiptoe as rapidly as possible, she went at once to Burt's side and whispered:

"Cyclops may be on his way up here with his paralyzing light. We'd better hide."

"And also try to figure out how we're going to capture him," Burt said, "without being paralyzed ourselves."

Their flashlights turned on, the two moved quietly around the lab looking for something they could use to capture the man. Nancy noticed a long black cloth in one corner of the lab and picked it up. It proved to be a perforated sack.

"That is just the thing to pull over that villain's head!" Burt remarked. "It'll stop him but it won't smother him."

Nancy agreed and said she thought their best hiding place would be somewhere behind the door of the closet where bottles of chemicals were kept. By leaving the door ajar, they could watch the person's actions. By now someone was climbing the steps to the attic. Nancy and Burt waited breathlessly.

When he reached the lab he at once turned up the beam of his searchlight and cast it over the room. Nancy and Burt could not be seen and were safe from its harmful rays. Burt clutched the sack and watched the intruder dim his searchlight.

In the crack of light shining into the closet, Burt held up a finger and crooked it to form the letter C. He followed with an R. Nancy realized that he was spelling Crosson!

She and Burt waited for their chance. Crosson walked closer and closer to the closet. Just before reaching it, he turned his back on the door. This was Burt and Nancy's opportunity to capture him!

Like lightning they sprang from the closet. Burt pulled the sack over the man's head, while Nancy held his arms tightly to his sides. The movement startled Crosson so much that he fell and dropped the searchlight. Fortunately its beams had been diverted from Burt and Nancy. Nancy reached out and with one foot shut off the power.

By now Burt had managed to tie the lower part of the sack around the man's waist. The prisoner struggled to get away. His muscles were strong. Nancy realized that he must be bound more securely. She snapped on the ceiling light and looked for something with which to bind their prisoner. She found a coil of electric wire and tied the man's ankles tightly, while Burt tried hard to keep the sack over his head and his arms pinned down. Next, Nancy wound the rest of the wire about his body so he could not free himself.