The Message In The Hollow Oak Part 18

"We're glad you're safe," said Nancy. She promised to call her Aunt Eloise, who would pa.s.s the news on to his family and friends.

After A.C.E. had been taken to the doctor, Nancy hurried off to make her call to New York. Miss Drew was thrilled to hear what had happened. Then Nancy met Ned, Ben Wooster, and Jimmy outside the physician's office.

"Mr. Armstrong will be okay," the deputy reported. "He'll rest here a couple o' days, then fly home. I've reported his car stolen. You young people did a great job today. Can I give you a lift somewhere?"

Nancy glanced at her watch. "It's nearly six o'clock," she said. "We have to get back to the towboat. But there are eight of us. We can't all fit in your car, I'm afraid."

"We'll take two cars," Jimmy offered eagerly. "I'll get mine!" He raced away.

Ned hurried to the waterfront park to round up the rest of their group. Nancy and Ned explained what had happened, then the group set off for the quarry dock.

When they reached the towboat, Nancy and her friends thanked Wooster and Jimmy and hurried on board.

"Just in time!" called Captain Boge from the pilot house. "The engine's fixed and we're ready to go!" The boat got under way.

After freshening up, the young people hurried to the dining area adjoining the galley. The table was set with a red-checked cloth and loaded with delicious-looking food.

"Oh!" gasped Bess. "It's like a beautiful dream! I had such a skimpy sandwich for lunch!"

The captain appeared and seated himself. Immediately the others did too. While the steaming bowls and platters were being pa.s.sed around the table, Nancy and Ned told Captain Boge about finding the kidnapped man.

The captain was impressed. "So I have real detectives on board," he said. "That calls for extra big helpings of strawberry shortcake."

When Mattie brought in the heaping desserts, everyone praised her excellent cooking.

"I really can't eat another bite," said Bess, starting on the whipped cream.

They had just finished the dessert when there was a loud crash of gla.s.s and a log whizzed through a window, sailed over their heads, and landed against the far wall.

"Oh!" screamed Bess and everyone ducked.

The diners sat frozen to their chairs, and Mattie came to the door, pale and speechless.

Dave exclaimed, "What a narrow escape!"

Everywhere lay broken gla.s.s, some of which had showered those at the table. Burt had a small cut on one hand, but otherwise there were no injuries.

"We're lucky to be alive," George murmured. When the shock of the incident pa.s.sed, everyone jumped up and carefully shook off the gla.s.s. Captain Boge said he was sorry about the accident, but glad his pa.s.sengers were all right.

The log sailed over their heads

"Sometimes," he explained, "a floating log gets caught beneath a barge and is carried along underwater. When it breaks loose, the log is propelled upward with great force. It sometimes angles for the boat and crashes onto the deck."

George said grimly, "There was great force all right. If that had hit-"

Dave finished her remark."-Lil ole me, Emerson would have lost a great football player. And it certainly couldn't afford that."

His facetiousness made everyone relax. The boys offered to put new gla.s.s in the window, while the girls sorted out the debris from the dishes and table linen. A deck hand would clean the floor, the captain told them.

When the work was finished, the young people gathered on deck and talked over the day's adventures. Nancy said that now she knew Kadle had not found the message in the hollow oak, she wanted to get back and pursue her search.

"I'm all for that," Art spoke up.

So much had been going on that the subject of jealousy between him and Ned had been forgotten. Nancy was happy over this and hoped the good relationship would last.

She approached Captain Boge and asked when they would get back to Cairo. He looked at her understandingly.

"I know you want to return to the dig soon but you'll have to be patient. During the night I'll be dropping off these barges at various stops. In the morning I'll pick up some at Uniontown, Kentucky, and start downstream. We'll be back in Cairo late the following day."

He smiled. "Then I'll go on down the Mississippi to New Orleans where I came from and you'll go back to your mystery."

During the evening the young people sat around the pilot house eating snacks and listening to Captain Boge.

"Lots of places on the Ohio have odd names," he said. "Like Dead Man's Island or Tobacco Patch Light or Lovers' Leap Light."

"That last one is romantic," said Bess, who was finishing her second apple.

Next morning the travelers gathered in the pilot house after breakfast to watch the new barges being put into place.

The captain pointed to a big one loaded with coal. "It's the last," he said. "When that jumbo is in place we'll be on our way."

"I'd love to get closer and watch," George said.

"Let's all go," Burt urged.

"Okay," said the captain. "But be careful." With George in the lead, the young people hurried down the iron steps, across the deck and stepped out onto the middle barge. They walked quickly along from one to the other until they came to the front. A tugboat was maneuvering the loaded jumbo toward a bow barge. Several men stood at the end of it ready to rope the oncoming one into place.

George was already at the brink, leaning forward so as not to miss any of the procedure. At that moment they all felt a great jolt. George lost her balance and went down between the barge on which they had gathered and the oncoming one!

Julie Anne screamed. "Oh, George will be crushed!"

CHAPTER XIV.

Bess's Scheme

NED had noticed a long boat hook lying on the deck. He picked it up quickly and with Dave's help held the two barges apart. It was hard work and they strained every muscle. Meanwhile the shouts of the boatmen had alerted the tug operator to cut his motor. The others looked around anxiously for George.

"There she is!" Nancy exclaimed in relief as her friend surfaced some distance away. George had swum underwater to safety.

"She's coming this way!" Bess cried.

The young people rushed to the side of the barge. George was an excellent swimmer and managed to get back despite a strong current. Luckily the barge was heavily loaded and rode low in the water. The boys reached down and hauled her aboard. George's clothes were dripping and her hair was as flat and shiny as a sleek cat's.

The girl grimaced. "Wasn't that stupid of me?" The others made no comment, but Bess exclaimed, "Thank goodness you're all right!"

"Yes," added Burt. "You had a narrow squeak." The men on the two barges involved set up a cheer upon seeing that George was safe. One of them called, "You're some swimmer, young lady!"