The Strange Message in the Parchment Read Online Free PDF Page A

case.”
    Junie teased, “Your next stop may be Milano!”
    “I think we should go and see Mr. Rocco,” Nancy said. “He might be able to tell us more.”
    Junie’s father agreed, but said, “Not tonight, please. Wait until morning.”
    Nancy asked Junie if she knew the way to the Rocco farm. The girl shook her head. “I’ve never been there. Dad, can you tell us how to get to Mr. Rocco’s?”
    “Sure,” Mr. Flockhart said and gave the girls explicit directions. “As you know,” he added, “I don’t care for the man. Please be very careful while you’re there. He may become suspicious that I’m sending you over to see him with some ulterior motive in mind. I don’t want that to happen. After all he is a good customer and I’d hate to lose his business.”
    Nancy and Junie said they understood and would follow his instructions. Then they went to bed early so they would be well rested for their mission.
    The following morning after breakfast they drove to the Rocco Farm. When they arrived, the girls noticed that the house and grounds were surrounded by a high fence. There were two iron gates blocking the entrance.
    The friends looked at each other in dismay. “Your father was right,” Nancy said. “This man must be suspicious of everyone in the area to barricade himself like this. What a terrible way to live!”
    Junie tried to open the gates, but found that they were locked. “Stymied already,” she said.
    “Here’s a bell,” Nancy said, pushing the button. “We’re not defeated yet. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”
    The girls waited, but no one came to answer their call. Nancy pressed the button again, holding it firmly in place for several seconds. Still there was no response of any kind.
    “I can’t imagine that there’s no one around,” Junie remarked. “Surely there must be someone to come and let us in.”
    Nancy said that perhaps the owner did not want any visitors. “Or maybe the bell doesn’t work,” she added. “Are you game to climb over the fence with me, Junie?”
    “Sure.”
    Since both girls were wearing jeans and shirts, it was not much trouble for them to get over the enclosure. In front of them was a long lane, bordered on both sides by a stone wall.
    “Not a very inviting place,” Junie remarked, gazing ahead. “Soon we’ll see a sign saying, ‘Beware of the people who live here. They may bite.’ ”
    Nancy laughed, then said, “Let’s keep our eyes and ears open. We don’t want to miss anything. Look over there. Several cars are parked near the house. This proves somebody is home. Probably Mr. Rocco is having a very private meeting and doesn’t want any outsiders around. That’s why he wouldn’t answer the bell.”
    The girls went on. They had almost reached the stone farmhouse when they became aware of great fluttering overhead. Startled, they looked up. The next second a huge flock of black birds descended and attacked the visitors viciously!
    “Ouch!” Junie cried out. “That hurts. Get away from me!”
    She and Nancy tried hard to fight off their unfriendly attackers. The large birds had long claws and prominent beaks. Each girl put one arm over her face and with her free hand tried batting at the birds to make them fly away. But their efforts seemed hopeless, and the battle continued.

    The vicious birds attacked Nancy and Junie.
    Making no headway, Nancy and Junie began to scream as loudly as they could. “Help! Help! Someone please help us!”
    Their cries were almost drowned out by the raucous noise made by the birds. No one answered the girls’ pleas, so in desperation they dropped to the ground and doubled up, putting their heads and arms under their bodies. This seemed to anger the birds, who made more noise than ever and pecked mercilessly at the helpless visitors.
    Once Nancy raised her head and screamed at the top of her lungs. “Help us! Quick! We need help! Hurry!”
    Whether it was her cry that was heard by the men in the