The Clue in the Old Stagecoach Read Online Free PDF Page B

to help, suppose you ask at the houses on the right side. Officer Gavin and I will take the left.”
    Nancy was pleased to have the assignment and quickly accepted it. When they reached the settlement, she stopped in front of the second house on the right. George ran up to inquire at the first home, Bess to the third, while Nancy took the one in the center. None of the occupants answered their doorbells.
    The policemen had no better luck across the street, so the two groups of inquirers moved on down the road. The same procedure followed. This time two of the residents were at home but neither of them had seen an open truck with an old stagecoach on it.
    “Not a single clue,” Officer Gavin said in disgust.
    After the mile had been covered, each group reported failure to learn anything. The policemen thanked the girls and said they would take care of further questioning themselves.
    “We’ll be in touch with Mrs. Pauling to hear what you find out,” Nancy told them.
    Turning her car around, the young sleuth started back in the direction from which they had come. George demanded an explanation.
    “I’m positive,” said Nancy, “that those hijackers never came this far. It would be risky carrying the stagecoach for long on a public highway. I want to follow a hunch of mine; that is, the two hijackers went off this main road, taking the stagecoach with them. They may even have unloaded it and dragged it into the woods.”
    George was inclined to agree with Nancy and added, “Which side road are you going to pick, Nancy?”
    “The first one those hijackers came to after they turned into the main road.”
    When Nancy reached the woods road from which they had emerged a little earlier, she once more turned the car around, then drove very slowly. The three girls watched intently for a little-used side road.
    They had gone scarcely a thousand feet when Bess called out that she could see a trail through a wooded area. “It’s probably a bridle path.”
    Nancy had already stopped. Bess and George quickly stepped from the car and hurried into the woods.
    Within a few seconds George called back, “I think this is the road all right. Here are wheel tracks and footprints!”
    Nancy locked the car, pocketed the key, and hurried after the cousins. The three excited sleuths almost ran along the bridle trail in their eagerness to find the old stagecoach.
    Suddenly Bess stopped short. “We’ve gone far enough to prove our point,” she declared. “I think we should go back and tell the state police. I certainly don’t want to meet those hijackers!”
    “I can’t say that I do myself,” Nancy replied. “On the other hand, we’re only guessing that these wheel tracks belong to the old stagecoach. I think we should have more proof. Those hijackers may have taken the old stagecoach so they can hack it apart and find the clue. I’m convinced that Mr. Langstreet’s secret has leaked out somehow. If we can possibly keep the antique vehicle from being destroyed, I’d certainly like to do it.”
    “I would too,” said George. “Come on!”
    Bess followed reluctantly. Less than a quarter of a mile ahead, the girls found themselves at the edge of a treeless cliff. Here the bridle trail veered off down the wooded slope. The girls paused and looked toward the foot of the cliff.
    “There it is!” George cried exultantly.
    Below them was the stolen stagecoach, intact! It was lying on one side.
    “It isn’t smashed, thank goodness,” said George. “All those hijackers wanted to do was to get rid of it. But why?”
    Nancy did not try to answer the question. She was not sure that she agreed with George. Bess again showed fear and insisted that the three girls leave and report to the police.
    “Let’s split up,” Nancy suggested. “Bess, you take my car key and go back for officers Gavin and Starr. If you can’t find them, get two others. George and I will go down this hillside and see what we can find out about the