Chapter XXVIII: A Strange Message

Nancy and Eline clung to each other. Nancy had started to run off into the woods, but found herself unequal to the task. A nervous tremor seized her.

"Oh, Eline, Eline!" she begged. "Don't let him take me away! Don't!"

But Nancy's guardian was not destined to get her into his control this time. No sooner had the honk-honk of the other car been heard and it had swung into sight around the bend of the road, than the man in the other auto--the man who had accompanied Mr. Cross--called out:

"Look out, Rickford, this may be a trap!"

"You'd better believe it's something to stop you!" cried Jack, still swinging forward on the run.

Cora, too, had started toward Eline and Nancy. She saw that the big car probably had nothing to do with the attempted abduction of the shipwrecked girl, and that it was only coincidence that brought it there at that moment. But it was a fortunate coincidence, for it frightened away the two men.

Like a flash Mr. Cross turned, sped back to his car, and in another instant he and his crony were speeding down the road.

"Oh, he's gone--he's gone," sobbed Nancy on the shoulder of Eline.

"Of course he's gone!" cried Jack. "If he hadn't--" and he glanced significantly at the tire iron in his hand.

"Jack, dear," said Cora, gently, with a warning glance at Nancy. Cora did not want her disturbed any more than was necessary.

"Well--" blustered Jack, and let it go at that.

"Was that really your guardian, Nancy?" asked Cora, when her new friend had somewhat composed herself.

"Yes, it was. Oh, has he gone?"

"Far enough off by this time," declared Jack.

"I didn't know him at first, for he has grown a beard," said Nancy, "but when he came toward me I could tell by the look in his eyes that it was he. Oh, what an escape!"

"A very fortunate one," said Cora.

The big car, the appearance of which had been instrumental, perhaps, in preventing the taking away of Nancy, drew near to the group of young people and stopped. There were two middle-aged men in it, and they looked at our friends curiously.

"Has anything happened--can we do anything?" asked the one at the wheel.

"Nothing but some tire trouble, thank you," said Cora, quickly. "And my brother can manage that; can't you, Jack?"

"Sure, Sis," and he winked at her to show that he understood nothing was to be said about the affair that had so nearly been a real "happening."

"If you want any help, don't hesitate to ask us," put in the other man. "We are in no hurry."

"Oh, thank you, I can manage," Jack answered. "I had the repairs almost made when the girls--thought they saw something, and screamed." He winked at Cora again.

"Oh, I see!" exclaimed the steersman with a laugh. "A snake. We heard your screams, and thought perhaps----"

"It was just--nothing," Cora said with a smile. Eline and Nancy had turned and were walking back toward their car, so the tear-stained face of Nancy could not be observed.

With renewed offers of aid, which were courteously declined, the two men proceeded, and Cora and the others were free to discuss the recent happening.

"Do you really think he meant to take you away--your guardian?" asked Cora of Nancy.

"I really do. Oh, he must be desperate! He must be trying to get my property away from me."

"We'll soon have him attended to!" said Jack, fiercely. "Our lawyer says the case will come before the courts soon, and then good-bye to Mr. Cross!"

"I wonder how he knew where you were?" asked Eline.

"You forget that the rescue of Nancy was told of in the papers," spoke Cora. "Doubtless he read of it, and came on. He, or some of his men, may have been spying around and knew just when we went for a ride."

"And they followed us, that's one sure thing," added Jack. "Their car passed us several times. They were just waiting for a good chance, and they took the first opportunity."

"I should have known him at once, when they passed, but for his beard," said Nancy. "Oh, I feel so nervous and weak!" She was on the verge of tears again.

"Come, we will go back to the bungalow," suggested Cora. "I must tell the lawyer about it. He may wish to take some action."

A little later they were back in the summer cottage, where, to the wonderment of the others, the strange story was told with all the details, for when Cora's car developed the tire trouble the rest had continued on, Jack and Ed remaining behind.

"Oh, I'm glad I was not along!" breathed Belle.

"And I wish I had been!" exclaimed Walter. "Jack, you and Ed had all the fun."

"I didn't do anything," said Ed. "Jack was the hero."

"Only a near-hero," said Cora's brother. "I didn't get near enough to do any damage."

Mr. Beacon, the lawyer, on hearing the account of what had happened, at once took steps to expedite the matter of the removal of Mr. Cross as guardian of Nancy Ford. He declared that the attempted abduction would operate against the unprincipled man. The matter of the loss of the money, for which Mrs. Raymond was once suspected, had been gone into, and the indications pointed in many ways to Mr. Cross and his crony.

"But it doesn't seem as if Mrs. Raymond would ever be found," sighed Cora. "Poor woman!"

"Yes, my sister must be having a hard time," said the keeper of the light. "I wish she would come to me. I could give her a good home now. The work is almost too much for Rosalie."

"Oh, I don't mind, Daddy!" exclaimed the little "mermaid."

Summer was wearing on. It had been a most glorious one and the bungalow residents had enjoyed it thoroughly. They went off on several motoring trips, but they were careful always to remain in one party, and even then Nancy could not forbear a nervous glance about whenever another auto approached.

But Mr. Cross appeared to have taken himself to parts unknown. Private detectives who were looking for him, on an order of the court to which Mr. Beacon had appealed, reported that they could get no trace of him. Nor was the whereabouts of the missing Mrs. Raymond discovered.

In their two motor boats the young people paid visits to many near-by resorts, occasionally, when the weather was fine, even venturing out on the ocean. But, save for Cora, the girls were always a little timid about this, and so the ocean trips were not numerous.

One day Mr. Haley came hurrying over to the girls' bungalow from the lighthouse. He held a paper in his hand.

"Where is Miss Kimball?" he asked of Belle, who answered his knock. "I must see her at once."

"Why, has anything happened?" Belle asked in sudden alarm. She looked down on the beach, and was relieved to see Nancy safe there.

"No, miss, nothing has happened--yet," replied the keeper. "But I received a strange message just now, and I want to tell Miss Kimball."

"Cora!" called Belle, and Cora, who had been in an inner room, came out.

"What is it?" she asked, and Mr. Haley handed her the piece of paper.

"I just found that on my doorstep," he explained. "I was home all alone, my helper being in town buying supplies, and Rosalie and Dick being out in the boat. Read it."

"But how did it get there?" asked Cora, as she stepped over to a window to see more plainly.

"I don't know, except some boy must have brought it there, left it and run away. It was weighted with a stone."

"Then that's probably how it was left," suggested Belle. "But what is so mysterious about it What does it say, Cora?"

Cora read:

"If you would have news of your sister come alone to Shark's Tooth at nine to-night."