The Message In The Hollow Oak Part 12

"Oh how exciting!" she exclaimed. "Suppose I ask Theresa right away."

She hurried off. On the way to find the leader, Julie Anne met Art who was about to make the same request. Both promised Theresa they would work doubly hard as soon as they returned to the dig.

"All right, go ahead," Theresa said. "Neither of you has been in this area before and it will be a nice side trip for you."

As usual the evening was gay with singing and for the time being everyone forgot about Nancy's mysterious note. Finally all the boys went home except Bob Snell, who remained on guard.

The girls fell asleep quickly but at once Nancy began having worrisome dreams. She could see pirates attacking towboats and barges. She spotted sneaking figures in the moonlight, and finally when someone tried to grab Pere Franois's treasure from her, she woke up.

"Oh!" she said softly. "What a nightmare!"

Everything around her was peaceful but Nancy could not get back to sleep. Finally she arose, pulled on slacks and a shirt and went outdoors. She did not see Bob Snell and wondered where he was. Restless, she walked past the dig site and around the house to the farmyard.

The night was dark, with few stars, but her eyes soon became accustomed to this. She could make out the shape of the old barn. Beyond it lay the wide empty field and the woods. Far in the distance a dog barked and another answered.

Nancy wondered where Bob was. Perhaps behind the barn-lab? She considered turning on her flashlight, but instinct told her not to.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked herself sternly. "You're actually nervous!"

The next moment she heard a low creaking noise. Someone was slowly opening the barn door! Instantly she knew it was not Bob. He would not be so cautious about it.

Before Nancy could investigate, a strange ghost-like shape appeared from the ramshackle building. Nancy's heart began to pound as she saw what it was. A skeleton was walking toward her!

Nancy blinked several times, then her good sense returned and she knew someone was carrying the skeleton in front of him.

He must be a thief! Walking on tiptoe but quickly, Nancy came up to the skeleton. Someone was indeed carrying it!

"Put that down!" she ordered, reaching out to grab the bony figure.

There was a startled grunt from behind the skeleton and the next moment a man thrust it at her, brushed past, and ran fast toward the road.

"Bob! Bob!" Nancy shouted, but got no reply.

She did not dare pursue the fugitive. It was too dangerous, and besides, she had retrieved the valuable fossil and must hold onto it.

"I'd better put this back in the lab."

As she was about to walk to the barn, two flashlights appeared from the farmhouse. Julie Anne was holding one, Theresa the other.

Seeing the skeleton, Julie Anne gave a loud squeal. Then, spotting Nancy, she exclaimed, "What on earth!"

Quickly Nancy explained and Theresa said, "I'm glad you didn't run after the man. Where's Bob?"

"I don't know," Nancy answered. "I called him but he didn't answer."

Julie Anne asked worriedly, "Do you think that thief might have knocked him out?"

"Oh, I hope not!" Theresa said. "We'll put the skeleton back in the lab and then hunt for Bob."

He was not in the big workroom nor anywhere else in the barn. The three searchers walked around the exterior of the farmhouse but did not find him.

"He may have become ill and gone to the boys' house," said Theresa. "We'd better go over and inquire."

She and Julie Anne hastened to their bedroom and slipped into some clothes. Then the three headed across the field to the boys' quarters.

Nancy knocked on the door and moments later Art answered, pulling on his robe. Seeing the girls, he was alarmed. "What's the matter?"

Nancy told him what had happened.

A skeleton was walking toward her!

"I'll check and see if Bob's here," said Art. In a few moments he came back to the door. "Not here," he reported grimly. "We'd better search."

"Yes," Theresa said anxiously. "He may have met with foul play."

In twenty minutes the field and woods were alive with flashlights as all the boys joined in the search for the missing youth.

At dawn they still had not found any sign of Bob. Everyone returned to the girls' farmhouse for a quick breakfast, then they started out on another search, this time by bright daylight.

Art wrinkled his brow. "It's odd. Bob would never go off without telling someone."

By this time all the searchers were sure that something had happened to him.

"He may have been attacked and carried off into the woods," Art suggested to Nancy and Julie Anne. "I et's look there."

The girls followed him onto an overgrown path among the trees. The three became silent as they looked intently for clues.

A few minutes later Art cried out, "Here's something!"

CHAPTER X.

Disappearances

A torn piece of bright-patterned material had been stuck into the crotch of a tree near the path.

"This is from Bob's shirt, no doubt about it," Art told Nancy and Julie Anne.

Nancy examined the sc.r.a.p and said she was sure it had not been snagged off, but deliberately torn and placed there by Bob.

"I believe he left it as a clue to where he was being taken-straight ahead."

Art went back to call the other searchers and soon the whole group was pounding down the trail. They could see various-sized footprints. Upon investigation, Nancy declared that besides Bob there had been two other men. The three had been together at first, then Bob had evidently dropped back, trying to escape. Unseen by them he had placed the cloth in the tree as a clue, in case he did not make it. His captors had run back and prodded him ahead.

"Poor Bob!" Julie Anne exclaimed. "He must have been overpowered."