The Spider Sapphire Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

me. What little information I picked up about them came from Joe. I’m sure Nancy’s involved, though, because Jahan and Dhan raced in and said you were coming. So the men moved me here.”
    By this time Ned had finished the box of crackers and eaten the candy bar. He declared he felt a hundred per cent better and would like to get back to Emerson. “I hope the dean will let me take the exam I missed. I’d hate to flunk the course.”
    Officer Riggi smiled. “If you have any trouble convincing him, just let me know.”
    “Thanks,” said Ned.
    After glasses of delicious water from a well just outside the lodge, the six young people started their trek back along the brook, past the cabin where Ned had first been taken, and on through the pear orchard to the road. By this time it was dusk. Fortunately the shots fired at the tires on Nancy’s car had not punctured them. She slid behind the wheel while the others climbed in.
    “I hope I can find my way back to Emerson,” she said. “Ned, what’s the latitude and longitude of your fraternity house?”
    The others laughed. They knew that Nancy had a sixth sense for direction and did not need any instruction.
    Silence had fallen over the group when Nancy spoke up. “Well, one mysterious disappearance solved.”
    “One? How many are there?” Bess asked.
    “Have you been keeping something from us, Miss Drew?” George put in.
    Nancy’s friends had quickly discerned from the tone of her voice that there was indeed more mystery in the wind!
    The girl detective revealed the curious story of the two spider sapphires and a definite connection between that mystery and Ned’s kidnapping.
    “You mean, in other words, that our African holiday is going to be a really hot one!” Ned quipped.
    Nancy merely smiled. It was dark by the time they reached the Longview MoteL Ned immediately telephoned his parents and told of the rescue. Nancy in turn called her father and asked him to notify the Faynes and Marvins.
    When Nancy and Ned rejoined the others, Bess said, “I hope the dining room is still open. It’s been a long time since lunch.”
    To their relief, dinner was still being served. “I’ll have roast turkey with all the trimmings,” Bess announced as they sat down.
    When they had finished dessert, Ned remarked, “This day certainly didn’t turn out the way I planned. There’s a concert tonight at the university and a reception afterward for the soloist. She’s an African black by the name of Madame Lilia Bulawaya. I understand she has a marvelous voice.” He looked at his wrist watch. “Would you girls like to go? We’d be late but we could hear part of the concert.”
    Nancy asked, “Do you feel up to it, Ned?”
    “Of course. Let’s go! I guess you girls will want to change your clothes. Suppose we fellows go back to the fraternity house and make ourselves presentable. May I borrow your car, Nancy?”
    “Go ahead. We’ll be ready by the time you get back.”
    Nancy was dressed before the boys returned and put in a telephone call to State Police headquarters near Landsdowne. The officer who answered said he had little to report. The two prisoners had refused to talk. Jahan and Dhan had not appeared at the hunting lodge yet.
    “We did get one little clue,” the officer stated. “Our men found a letter on the floor of the prisoners’ car. It was written to ‘Dear Joe,’ post-marked Mombasa, and was in Swahili. Unfortunately there was no return address and no signature.”
    “So the strong man was probably from Mombasa!” Nancy thought. Aloud she said, “Thank you for the information.”
    By this time the boys had arrived. Nancy quickly told them about the police report, then the young people set off for the concert. Madame Lilia Bulawaya was an outstanding performer. Not only was her voice sweet but she had a charming personality.
    In her repertoire were several delightful songs in Swahili. She announced that she was singing these in honor of the