The Haunted Bridge Part 6

"Well, I guess the mystery of the haunted bridge is solved," concluded George.

"How do you explain the moaning and the groaning we heard?" Bess asked. "Did we imagine it?"

"No," Nancy answered gravely. "Those noises were very real, and so was that terrible cry up the ravine. And we know none of them came from this scarecrow!"

"You don't suppose we heard the creaking of the bridge as it swayed in the wind?" Bess asked.

"No," Nancy replied. "It's possible some prankster may be at work around here. Let's make a search."

After the girls had investigated the area carefully they were more bewildered than before. There was no evidence of footprints in the vicinity of the bridge. Apparently no one had been there recently.

"n.o.body's around here now," Nancy observed, "but of course someone must have set up the scarecrow. But why?"

"There are no fruit trees nearby and no crops to be protected from crows," Bess commented. "It seems pretty obvious that someone wants to keep people from crossing the bridge."

"Shall we go to the other side?" Nancy asked.

"The bridge doesn't look safe to me," Bess protested.

"I think it will hold me," Nancy said. As she cautiously stepped onto the bridge, the rickety boards creaked.

Bess shuddered. "Oh, Nancy, please don't go any farther!" she cried. "There's nothing to see on the other side."

The young detective, her hands clenched around the wooden railing, edged her way to the middle of the bridge. Beads of perspiration dotted her forehead as the shaky supports swayed. Suddenly the railing billowed outward.

Bess and George gasped as Nancy paused, then deftly pulled the railing toward her. "Please turn back!" Bess called. "Let's look for your golf ball instead."

Nancy did not want to upset her friends and gingerly made her way back to them. "I'd very much like to find that ball," she said. "It's a prize one of mine. Jimmy Harlow, the champion, autographed it for me."

The girls poked among the bushes and leaves for nearly fifteen minutes but could not locate the lost ball.

"Maybe it rolled into the creek," Bess suggested.

Nancy, who wore a pair of st.u.r.dy shoes, scrambled down the muddy bank. After a brief search she realized she was accomplishing nothing and was ruining her shoes. She decided to rejoin her friends who were watching from above. She walked along the edge of the creek looking for a place where the bank was not so steep.

Suddenly her eyes lighted upon a metal object half buried in thick mud. Excitedly Nancy stooped to pick it up.

CHAPTER V.

Exciting Discovery

"Is that your ball, Nancy?" George called.

"No, it's a piece of bra.s.s. I think I've found an old plate!"

"A bra.s.s plate!" Bess exclaimed in wonder.

Meanwhile Nancy had pried the object out of the mud and saw that it was not a plate but a small carved chest.

"It looks valuable!" she gasped, holding up the article for Bess and George to see. "And it's very heavy."

"Nancy, you certainly were born lucky," George remarked. "You lose a golf ball and find a treasure chest!"

"This feels heavy enough to contain gold," Nancy declared, turning the curious object over in her two hands.

She estimated that the little chest was not more than six inches in length. It appeared to be approximately four inches wide and slightly less in depth.

"Open it quickly," Bess urged when Nancy rejoined them.

"The chest seems to be locked."

"Maybe the lid's stuck," George added. "Let me try." She had no better success.

"It's locked, all right," Bess declared. "We could try to smash the lid with a rock."

"Bra.s.s isn't easy to crack," Nancy replied. "Besides, I don't want to ruin such an attractive little chest. It will be beautiful when cleaned and polished."

"I'm curious to know what's inside," George interjected. "Any ideas, Nancy?"

"Maybe something valuable. The thing that interests me is, how did it get here-so close to the haunted bridge?"

"Perhaps the scarecrow put it there on his off-duty hours!" Bess suggested with a grin.

"Ha-ha. Very funny," her cousin answered. "Sounds like your brain has gone off duty."

Bess ignored the comment and remarked, "I'll bet the water washed it down here. The creek evidently was much higher at one time than it is now."

"I wonder," said Nancy, "if someone deliberately buried the chest-possibly the person who set up the scarecrow."

"Well, it's too deep a mystery for me," Bess declared as the girls climbed out of the ravine with their treasure. "Nancy, if you can find the answer to this riddle you'll be good!"

"I mean to try at least," the young detective replied with a laugh.

The three girls soon emerged from the woods. They met no one as they cut across the golf course. But as they approached Deer Mountain Hotel they saw Martin Bartescue on the terrace. He sat sipping a cool drink under an umbrella at a table. He quickly arose and came toward the girls.

Nancy was annoyed. "That pest will be certain to see the chest and ask a million questions about it!" she murmured.

Bess, who was carrying a sweater, carefully tossed it over Nancy's arm so the object was concealed completely.

Before Bartescue could speak, Nancy said hastily, "Thank you for the beautiful flowers."

"You liked the roses?" He beamed. "I ordered the best I could get. Of course the florist shop here at Deer Mountain is not like those in New York or Europe. How are you feeling today?"

"Very well, except for my hand. One finger is still pretty useless," Nancy replied.