Chapter 21 The Mystery of the Ivory Charm by Carolyn Keene
The True Rajah
Ned and Nancy worked silently over the aged teacher, and were relieved to notice that his heart-beat seemed regular, although weak.
“He’ll be all right in a few minutes, I think,” Ned said after a time. “But we need ice or a cold water bottle.”
“I’ll see if I can’t find something.”
Nancy hastened to the kitchen. Both the cook and the maid had vanished, but the refrigerator tray offered an ample supply of ice cubes. Nancy was searching for a bag in which to put them when she heard a slight noise in the pantry. It sounded as if a window had opened.
Tiptoeing to the door, she peered into the adjoining room. A boy in tattered, grimy garments was stealthily climbing through the window.
“He probably means to steal something from the pantry,” Nancy thought.
As she had expected, the boy reached up on a shelf and took down a freshly baked pie. He did not bother to cut himself a piece but greedily dipped in with his fingers.
Nancy opened the pantry door. The boy, terrified, whirled about to face her.
“Coya!” she cried.
The Indian lad laughed in relief and joy.
“Coya escape from Rai and run away,” he announced, grinning broadly. “Two days and nights without food make me very hungry. Pie look very good.”
“Eat it all,” Nancy urged. “I’m sure Doctor Stackpole won’t begrudge it to you. But why did you come here? Why didn’t you return to our house?”
“Coya afraid Rai look there for him. Rai somewhere here in city now. He trail me like dog.”
“Then you were wise to come here,” Nancy acknowledged. “But a few minutes ago Doctor Stackpole was hurt.”
While she was explaining what had occurred, Ned appeared in the kitchen doorway. He had come to find out what had detained Nancy and was greatly startled upon encountering Coya. However, with the professor in such urgent need of attention, there was no time to hear the Hindu lad’s story of his escape from Rai.
“Doctor Stackpole is conscious now,” Ned told Nancy anxiously. “But I need the ice.”
They returned with it together, and after ministering to the elderly tutor were able to lift him to a couch. After a time the man’s strength came back and he gazed about the room, trying to localize objects and persons. Coya had followed Nancy and Ned to the library and stood gazing sorrowfully at his stricken teacher.
“Is it really you—Coya?” the professor murmured.
“Yes, yes,” the lad said eagerly. “It is Coya. I mean—it is I,” he stammered, trying to use the English which had been taught him.
“I shall always be proud that I served as your tutor,” Doctor Stackpole said in a half whisper. “The lost Rajah!”
Coya stared in bewilderment at Nancy as if expecting her to offer an explanation for the man’s strange words.
“It is true,” the girl told him gravely. “We have evidence which proves that you were kidnaped from your own country by persons who placed Iama Togara on the throne in your stead.”
For a long moment Coya did not speak. But tears of joy trickled down his brown cheeks as he eyed Nancy with a worshipful gaze.
“Always have I known in my heart that I was born to rule,” he said quietly. “But without your help I could never have done it.”
“Although you have a clear claim to the throne, it may not be easy to make your countrymen acknowledge you as their ruler,” Nancy warned. “Your campaign must be carefully planned. Until the hour arrives when you will assume your rightful place, you must forget that you are a rajah.”
The boy nodded gravely. “Coya knows many men may try to kill him.”
Doctor Stackpole slowly arose from the couch.
“If you will excuse me, I shall retire to my room now. My head aches severely.”
“Shan’t we call a physician?” Nancy inquired anxiously.
“No, no, I shall be quite myself after I have slept.” The man moved towards the door and then paused. “Coya must remain with me until Rai and Miss Allison are apprehended. He will be safer here than elsewhere.”
“I doubt that they would ever think of searching at this house for him,” Nancy admitted.
“I shall have Coya’s room prepared at once,” Doctor Stackpole said. He bowed to both Nancy and Ned. “You must forgive me for deserting you in this manner. I am not myself.”
After the tutor had retired, Nancy and Ned explained to Coya the details of Miss Allison’s plot against him. The boy in turn told them of Rai’s cruelty during the past few days of captivity.
“Rai kept me in a small room and when he went away even for an hour, bound me fast to a chair. I did not have enough to eat. Every night he beat me. Yesterday I managed to untie the ropes and ran away.”
“You have had a very bitter experience,” Nancy said sympathetically. “But you will be safe now that you are here with Doctor Stackpole.”
“Coya stay very close in house,” the boy smiled. “Never go outside again until Rai is captured.”
Nancy arose to depart. It occurred to her to ask the lad if during his period of captivity he had observed Rai wearing the missing ivory charm. The boy’s response was in the negative.
“I’d give a great deal to recover that lucky piece,” Nancy remarked. “Somehow I can’t help feeling that it guards a strange secret.”
“Rai often hint same thing,” Coya said gravely. “Once he say charm have power of life or death.”
“That was a queer remark,” Nancy mused. “I wonder——”
She left the thought unexpressed, and after bidding Coya good-bye, departed with Ned.
“What were you about to say in regard to the charm?” Ned asked curiously as they drove away.
“Oh, nothing,” Nancy responded carelessly. “I was just speculating.”
During the remainder of the ride she was unusually quiet. Ned knew full well that she was working out some theory, but he did not urge her to reveal it.
Nancy slept a little later than usual the next morning and had just finished dressing, when Hannah called up the stairway that she was wanted on the telephone.
“I think it is Doctor Stackpole,” the housekeeper said. “He seems greatly excited.”
“I have distressing news for you, Miss Drew,” the professor told her in a strained, tense voice. “During the night Coya was kidnaped from my home.”
“Kidnaped!” Nancy echoed. “It can’t be!”
“I blame myself, Miss Drew. I should have watched the boy. But I had no idea that Rai was in the neighborhood. This morning the maid told me that she saw a man answering his description prowling about the house. Apparently, when the opportunity came, he entered and took Coya.”
“This is dreadful,” Nancy cried. “I fear for the boy’s life.”
“Yes, we must act quickly if we are to save him. But what can we do?”
“I’ll talk to my father,” Nancy said. “He may have a plan.”
She hung up the receiver and hastened to the dining room where Mr. Drew was eating his breakfast. In terse sentences she revealed what had occurred.
“The case calls for drastic action,” the lawyer responded grimly. “You are right in saying that unless Rai is apprehended immediately Coya’s life will be the forfeit.”
“Shall we notify the police?”
“We’ll do more than that. We leave for Washington, D. C. on the eleven o’clock plane.”
“Washington?” Nancy gasped.
“Yes, we’ll tell our story to my friend, Mr. George, whose offices are there. Whenever I have an international problem come up in my cases, I turn to him for aid. He’s the very person to take care of this situation: How soon can you be ready to start, Nancy?”
“In fifteen minutes, if necessary.”
“Good! I must attend to some business at the office now, but I’ll be back here for you in an hour.”
Crumpling his napkin, Mr. Drew arose from the table and walked from the dining room. Hannah and Nancy stood staring blankly after him, still dazed by the rapidity with which he had made the important decision. Nancy was the first to recover.
“Come, Hannah,” she directed. “There is no time to lose if Dad and I are to make the plane. You must help me pack.”