Chapter 20 The Message in the Hollow Oak by Carolyn Keene
Startling Information
It was too late now to overtake the lookout, for he had dashed far down the steep slope. Carson Drew ordered his followers to descend upon the camp at a gallop, for he saw there was no further advantage to be gained by cautious maneuvers.
Nancy sprang into the saddle. With her chums riding beside her, she trailed the possé into the valley. Once George’s horse stumbled in the loose earth, but the girl clung tightly to her mount, so was not thrown.
Buck Sawtice had been warned of the approach, but readily saw that since his men were outnumbered, it would be useless to offer any resistance. He therefore changed to more strategic tactics, and came forward to greet Carson Drew with a show of civility. The attorney adopted a similar conciliatory attitude.
“There’s been a good deal of misunderstanding about this property,” Mr. Drew began. “According to a deed which my daughter holds, this land belongs to her.”
Sawtice tried to look surprised.
“It cannot belong to your daughter, for I hold the title to it. I have received a deed from the Velvet Company.”
“Have you the paper with you?” Carson Drew queried.
“Well, no, I haven’t.”
“Then I’m sure you’ll have no objection to our surveyor staking out my daughter’s plot. Before we make any claim to this property we must be absolutely certain we are right.”
Buck Sawtice obviously objected to such a proposal, and seemed to be on the verge of angrily refusing the request, when his eyes wandered to the grim line of armed men who stood directly behind the attorney. Then he changed his mind again.
“I should be very glad to have you survey the land,” he said coldly. “I feel sure that it will aid in proving my right to the property.”
While the surveyor and his helpers were setting up their equipment, Nancy wandered aimlessly about the tract of land. She was somewhat disturbed to note that Sawtice and his men had begun to blast in the cliff where Ranny had discovered gold.
She bent down to examine an oddly-colored piece of rock. Convinced that it contained streaks of the precious yellow metal, she slipped it into her pocket, intending to ask Mr. Ranny’s opinion about it later.
Suddenly there came to her ears the sound of a conversation being carried on in low tones. The speakers were screened from view by bushes and rocks, but Nancy crept closer, suspecting that they might perhaps be Sawtice’s men. Even at such a range the conversation was unintelligible.
Suddenly it dawned upon her that the two men were speaking in French. She had diligently studied the language in school, but this conversation moved so rapidly that it was difficult for her to catch all that was being said.
“I can jot down the words now and translate them later,” she told herself, drawing a pencil and pad from her pocket. “It will be much easier when I see them written out.”
She succeeded in catching several phrases, which appeared formidable to her as she wrote them on paper. Fearful lest she miss something of even greater importance, she strained to hear everything that was being said.
Suddenly somebody tapped her on the shoulder. Nancy stifled a scream as she wheeled about to face Tom Stripe.
“You! Here!” she gasped.
The man was glancing at the notebook, trying to make out what she had written.
“Don’t look so startled,” he smirked “What are you writing, anyway?”
Relieved, Nancy realized that the man could not read French.
“I always carry a notebook with me when I go any place,” she evaded neatly. “I like to jot down my impressions of the scenery and the various people.”
This answer seemed to appease Stripe. However, his tone became slightly menacing as he said, “This isn’t a very healthy place for you to be taking notes.”
“It’s my land, Tom Stripe!”
“It was your land, you mean,” he sneered. “I gave you a chance to sell and you wouldn’t take it. Now it’s too late.”
“That remains to be seen. If I should lose the property, I’d always be glad that I refused to have business dealings with a man like you!”
Tom Stripe moved closer, and for an instant Nancy thought he was going to strike her. But her significant glance in the direction of the surveyor, who was working not far away, warned him that if he should molest her she would scream for help. With an angry gesture the fellow turned and then walked away.
Nancy raced back to see if she could find her father or Mr. Ranny, but they were nowhere to be seen. Bess and George, who were sitting on a boulder watching the surveyor, greeted their chum eagerly.
“Where have you been, Nancy?” Bess asked. “We were beginning to grow alarmed, for George thought she saw Tom Stripe skulking around here.”
“You are quite right,” Nancy returned, addressing the other girl. “I met him just a minute ago.”
“Did he try to harm you?” George queried anxiously.
“I think he would have liked to, but he lacked the necessary courage with so many persons near by. It certainly was lucky for me that he never learned French.”
“What are you talking about, Nancy?” Bess asked in bewilderment.
For answer, her chum laughingly withdrew the notebook from her pocket. Her face grew unusually serious as she read what she had copied. After she had explained the significance of the writing, she translated the message for them.
“ ‘Old recluse has been sent by new owner here on wild chase. Meanwhile, men are robbing fellow of his property—say he will never come back alive.’ ”
“How dreadful!” Bess exclaimed, as she peered over Nancy’s shoulder to re-read the message herself.
“I’m not surprised that it almost frightened you to death when Tom Stripe tried to translate your notes,” George added. “Oh, do you suppose Mr. Chap really has been harmed?”
“He has been tricked, and his life is in danger. The men said a great deal more, but they talked so rapidly I couldn’t catch everything.”
“What can we do to save poor Mr. Chap?” Bess asked, greatly worried.
“I’m going to tell Mr. Ranny and Father,” Nancy declared. “They may decide to organize a searching party.”
George glared at Buck Sawtice, who was working a short distance away.
“I’ll venture he could tell where Mr. Chap has gone,” she said furiously. “For half a cent I’d walk over there and accuse him.”
She arose from the rock with the idea of carrying out this intention, when Nancy caught her by the arm.
“Don’t do anything rash, George. We mustn’t let anyone suspect what we know. If we do, we will lose all chance of finding Mr. Chap.”
“I suppose you’re right, Nancy. I know I am inclined to be too hot-headed.”
“There’s Mr. Ranny now,” Bess indicated.
“I’ll go over and talk to him,” Nancy said hastily.
She drew the prospector aside and showed him the notebook. His face grew stern as he read the words written in French.
“Tom Stripe and Buck Sawtice are back of all this!” he cried angrily. “I’ll have it out with them right away and learn the truth of the matter.”
“That’s what George wanted to do,” Nancy smiled. “But I believe that’s not the best way. We haven’t enough evidence to accuse anyone as yet. I thought that if you would scout around a little and follow Stripe and his friends, we might perhaps find Mr. Chap and at the same time get proof of his abduction.”
At these words Norman Ranny smothered his anger, for he realized that Nancy’s suggestion was a wise one. After he had warned the girl to destroy her notes lest they fall into the hands of someone who might be able to read them, he moved swiftly away.
Nancy did not have an opportunity until some time later to tell her father what she had overheard. When he joined her after a lengthy talk with the surveyor, he, too, had news to report.
“I’m making excellent progress in accumulating data to be used in the Taylor lumber case,” Carson Drew declared enthusiastically. “The surveyor gave me a few tips which I mean to investigate as soon as I return to Wellington Lake.”
“I’m glad of that,” his daughter replied. “Two purposes will be accomplished by the trip.”
“Of course we can’t do much here until after the survey has been made.”
“I realize that, Dad; in fact, I’ve not given much thought to my property rights since we arrived here. I’ve been too worried about poor Mr. Chap.”
“No doubt he’s just away on a vacation somewhere, Nancy.”
“That’s what I thought when we saw his cabin all boarded up, but I know such is not the case. I have evidence that Sawtice spirited Pierre Chap from his home for the purpose of stealing his property.”
She produced her notes. After Mr. Drew had carefully read them Nancy tore them into tiny bits which she scattered to the winds.
“What do you think about this, Father?” she queried.
“It looks as if you have uncovered a real clue, Nancy. Of course, what you overheard may have been mere, idle gossip with but a slight foundation of truth in it.”
“I realize that, but even if the evidence should not bear weight in court, it serves as something upon which to work. I’ve asked Norman Ranny to do a little scouting before we openly accuse Sawtice.”
“You’ve handled the matter very well,” Mr. Drew praised. “If nothing should develop within the next few hours I shall organize searching parties and comb the woods for Mr. Chap.”
In spite of her father’s words, Nancy did not feel that she was doing much to help bring about the return of Pierre Chap. The longer she thought about it the more worried did she become. She feared that the delay of a few hours might mean the difference between life and death.
She glanced anxiously about the camp for Norman Ranny, but the prospector had disappeared. Thinking that he might still be at the place where the horses had been tethered, the girl ran over to look. As luck would have it, the prospector was just then riding away.
“Mr. Ranny!” she called frantically.
The man heard her, and turned his horse about.
“Take me with you,” Nancy pleaded.
“But it won’t be safe for you where I’m going,” he protested.
“Oh, but I’ve changed my mind about wanting you to look for Mr. Chap,” she told him breathlessly. “Instead, I want you to take me to the hollow oak!”
“The hollow oak!”
Nancy was busy untying her horse.
“Yes. I’ve just had a ‘hunch’ regarding it. I think it may offer a very valuable clue as to what has become of Pierre Chap!”