The Message In The Hollow Oak Part 22

"I couldn't stand the sight of all those skeletons," she said.

The other two girls laughed and let Bess go on with her work while they went to change their clothes. Everyone enjoyed Bess's delicious supper of ham patties, macaroni and cheese, and banana ice cream topped with cherries and ground walnuts. Later all the boys left except Art. He had been elected to guard the lab that evening with its precious new collection from the excavation.

The girls lingered outside with Theresa to enjoy the balmy night air. Presently they became aware of a car coming up the road toward the farmhouse.

"Who can be calling at this time of night?" Theresa asked.

A camper was driven up. It stopped and two men in uniform stepped out and came toward the group.

One said, "We're guards from the museum in Cairo. We've come for all the artifacts and bones."

Nancy and the others stared at the men in astonishment.

CHAPTER XVI.

Fakers

"OPEN the door to your laboratory!" the stranger ordered. "And any other place you keep artifacts the diggers found here."

Theresa stepped forward and asked for his credentials.

"What do you mean?" the other man said haughtily. "Our word is good enough."

Nancy was already suspicious of them and their mission. She quietly drew back among the girls and went over to the camper. In the moonlight she sc.r.a.ped the mud off the rear license plate and read the letters and numbers. She repeated them several times so she would not forget them, then returned to the group.

Theresa was still arguing with the men. One of them was saying, "Listen, lady, I could have this whole project stopped. Not one of you is from Illinois. You're trespa.s.sers!"

Theresa drew herself up very straight. "We have permission to work here," she said with dignity. "We certainly are not going to give you any of our finds."

By this time Art had come to Theresa's side. "Want me to put these men off the place?" he asked, and added in a whisper, "With the girls' help we could do it."

Before Theresa had a chance to reply, the intruders started for the barn-lab. They were stopped short as the whole group moved toward them.

In a loud, clear voice Bess shouted, "If you dare try anything funny, George will use some judo on you!"

The men paused. Apparently they thought "George" was a man and they wanted no part of a judo encounter. Besides, Art was ready to fight them also. The two men looked from one to another in the group. Defeat in their eyes, they exchanged glances, then one said, "Okay for now. We'll leave but you can bet we'll be back!"

With this threat they walked to the camper and got in. Theresa, her students, and the visitors watched in relief as the vehicle pulled away.

When the chatter that followed died down, Nancy told Theresa that she had obtained the license number of the camper. "Would you like me to go with you to Walmsley now in Clem's truck and report the incident to the State Police?"

Theresa shook her head. "It might be dangerous. Those men were scared away because there were so many of us, but on the road they might waylay just two people. Wait until morning. Perhaps you and Ned could borrow Art's motorcycle and make the report. How about it, Art?"

"Glad to lend it," he said, and Nancy was delighted to see that he showed no sign of jealousy. Perhaps working closely with Julie Anne had made him realize what a fine girl she was and he was becoming more interested in her.

Theresa went on, "I'd ask you to go, Art, but you'll need some sleep after standing guard here."

"I understand," he replied.

The following morning Ned arrived driving the motorcycle, and after breakfast he and Nancy set off. When they arrived in town, she called State Police Headquarters and reported the incident of the previous night.

"I'm sure the men were phonies," she said. "I visited Cairo a short time ago. The only museum I know of is the Victorian mansion, and there were no uniformed guards. We were taken around by a woman guide."

The police captain agreed the men were impostors. "I'll alert my force to watch for them," he promised.

Nancy asked if any report had come in on Kit Kadle, alias Tom Wilson.

"Not a clue," he answered. "Did you say you got the license number of the camper?" When Nancy gave it to him, he said, "Please stay there by that phone and I'll call you back. I'll get in touch with the license bureau and find out who owns the camper."

While she and Ned were waiting, Clem Rucker drove up in his car. He greeted them warmly and asked how they had made out the day before.

Nancy told him, then asked, "Do you know anything about that row of spearheads?"

The old farmer looked puzzled. "Never heard tell o' them. Where are they?" When he was told, he shook his head. "That sure is strange."

At that moment the telephone rang and Nancy answered. The State Police captain was calling back.

"That camper was stolen!" he reported.

The officer went on to say he had also checked with the museum in Cairo. They had not sent anybody to get artifacts or skeletons. "It was going to be a case of clear thievery but you and the young archaeologists foiled their scheme. My men will make a search and try to pick up those impostors."

While Nancy had been talking to the police, Ned had been telling Clem about the latest trouble at the dig.

"Somebody sure doesn't want you around here," the farmer remarked. "But pay no attention to 'em. You scared 'em all away before. You can do it again."

As Clem rode off, Nancy told Ned about the camper having been stolen and that the men who had driven to the dig were phonies.

Ned was thoughtful for a few seconds, then he said, "If those men who came to the dig last night are buddies of Kit Kadle, I'll bet he's in the area. I wonder if he moves around a lot, or has some particular place where he holes up."

"Wouldn't it be great to find his hideout?" Nancy asked.

"Big project," Ned answered.

He and Nancy mounted the motorcycle and it roared off toward the dig. At one point the road led through a rather thick copse. On a hunch Nancy asked Ned to slow down.

"Let's see if anybody is hiding in there," she proposed.

Ned cut down his speed while Nancy looked to left and right for signs of a trampled area. She not only could see one, but in the distance something shiny caught her eye.

"Ned!" she exclaimed. "Please stop!"

He brought the motorcycle to a halt, turned off the motor, and locked the engine.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Look there," Nancy said quietly, "among the trees."