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A Weird Light






 

Nancy looked anxiously about in hopes of seeing either Ned or one of her other friends. But none of them was in sight. John Horn tugged impatiently at her coat sleeve.

" I tell you we got to hurry, Nancy, " he pleaded. " She's over on that pond in the woods right now. And skatin' around bold as you please! "

" Who's skating? " Nancy demanded.

" Why, that woman who sold me the fake fur stock, " the old trapper snorted. " That thievin' Mrs. Channing, of course! "

At the name Channing, Nancy hesitated no longer. " Lead the way! " she urged.

An instant later the two were running across the hotel grounds. They headed into the woods at the rear of the inn and trudged through the snow for nearly a quarter of a mile.

" There she is! " Horn pointed out. They slowed down and cautiously approached a small, cleared pond.

Nancy felt a tingle of excitement run down her spine. She stood on tiptoe for a better view and craned her neck. As Mitzi Adele ended a series of figures, she was facing Nancy directly.

The tall, slender brunette suddenly realized she had been discovered. Like a flash she shot back toward the far bank. Without removing her skates, she raced off among the trees.

" Fool! " said John Horn. " She'll break an ankle! "

He was already taking snowshoes from his back, and quickly fastened them onto his boots.

" Looks like it's goin` to be a race! " he observed. " You follow as fast as you can, Nancy."

He soon outdistanced Nancy, who had tried sliding across the ice to save time. But she had fallen twice and wasted precious minutes.

Some distance ahead, the trapper saw Mitzi. She was seated on a log and had just finished changing into hiking boots. She leaped to her feet and fled farther into the woods, but the old trapper was gaining with every step.

Nancy found their trail and sped after them as fast as she could through the deep snow. Suddenly she heard a scream, followed by:

" Let me go! "

A moment later she came in view of Mitzi and the trapper. The woman was kicking and scratching John Horn as he held her firmly by one arm Mitzi's eyes blazed with anger.

'I'll have you arrested for this! " she panted.

" Oh, no, you won't, Mrs. Channing, " called Nancy, running up. " We're going to turn you over to the police."

Mitzi glared. " Why, if it isn't little Miss Detective herself! " she sneered, " And what have I done? "

" A great deal, Mitzi Channing. You've been selling fake stock certificates and you've stolen furs and jewelry. That should be enough."

" That stock is perfectly good, " Mitzi snapped. " And I've never stolen anything. If this big gorilla will just—let—go—! " she added, trying to twist away from the trapper's grasp.

" Where's your husband? " Nancy demanded. " And where's Dunstan Lake? "

" What? "

The startled woman flung back her head. As she did so, her cap, loosened by her struggles, fell to the ground, disclosing a pair of sparkling earrings. They were shaped like small arrows with diamonds at each tip.

" Those are Mrs. Packer's stolen earrings, " Nancy charged.

" They are not. They're mine, " Mitzi retorted. Then suddenly she clamped her lips tightly together and refused to say another word.

" Nancy, there's a couple of state troopers at the hotel, " said John Horn. " If you'll hurry back and get 'em, I'll march our prisoner along and meet you halfway."

" I'll bring them as fast as I can, " Nancy promised, and started off on a run. She planned to tell her aunt and the others about the capture, but met the troopers first and decided to wait until the prisoner was in custody. She told her story quickly and led the officers toward the spot where she had left the captive and John Horn. But when they arrived, there was no sign of Mitzi Channing. They saw only the limp body of John Horn, lying unconscious on the snow with a large welt behind one ear.

" Oh! " Nancy cried in horror, and knelt beside him. One of the troopers reached into his pocket for a tiny vial, nipped off the end, and held the spirits of ammonia under John Horn's nose. Meanwhile, the other officer was inspecting the ground. He said that what had happened was plain. Footprints indicated that the trapper had been overpowered by two large men. Mitzi had vanished into the woods with her rescuers. Fortunately, John Horn was not badly hurt and revived within a few minutes. He explained that he had been jumped from behind and had not seen his attackers.

" But I think I can identify one of those men, " Nancy told the troopers. " He is named Channing, alias Jacques Fremont." One trooper immediately set out to trail the men, while his partner hastened off to dispatch a radio alarm. Nancy and John Horn walked slowly back to the inn.

The old man protested that he was all right and that he needed no coddling. But Nancy insisted that he take a room at the hotel and have the house physician examine his injured head.

Nancy's aunt and her young friends were greatly upset by the incident. They concluded that the Forest Fur Company gang must be desperate. Nancy called State Police headquarters, but there was no word about Mitzi or the men. Chuck Wilson was deeply concerned over his old friend and spent nearly an hour in John Horn's room. Because of this, he almost missed the special hunter's dinner which the guests enjoyed immensely. The management had provided a hillbilly orchestra, which played old-time ballads and lively polkas.

Afterward, the tables and chairs were cleared away for a series of square dances. Nancy swung gaily through the " grand right and left, " then promenaded with Ned as her partner.

When it was over, Chuck Wilson came to join them. " I'm going upstairs again to see how old John is feeling, " he said. " Do you folks want to come? "

" Oh yes, " Nancy answered.

They found the trapper pacing the floor of his room like a caged bear. " The Doc won't let me git outta here till mornin', " he grumbled. " He must think I'm a softy."

" Nothing of the sort, " Nancy replied, and added affectionately, " You probably saved my life, Mr. Horn. If I'd been standing guard over Mitzi, those men might have carried me off and dropped me down some snowy ravine."

" Don't talk like that! " Ned said severely.

While she had been talking, Nancy had walked to a window to gaze at the beautiful moonlit landscape. Suddenly her attention was caught by a glimmer of light along the ridge at the top of Big Hill. A moment later she could see the steady beam of a flashlight moving rapidly toward the ski run. It seemed very strange at this hour.

" Boys, " she called, " why would anyone be up near the top of the jump at night? "

" I can't imagine, " said Chuck as he and Ned joined her at the window. " Come on! Let's find out! "

The three young people waved a quick good-by to the trapper and hurried downstairs to the checkrooms. Hastily changing to ski clothes, they dashed outdoors.

For a moment there was no sign of the light. Then suddenly it showed up again at the top of the ski run and came hurtling downward, as the unknown jumper soared expertly at the take-off and landed below with a soft swish and a thud.

" Good night! " Chuck cried. " What a chance he took! Let's speak to him! "

He and Ned raced off into the darkness, for already the light had disappeared and a cloud had cut off the moonlight.

Nancy waited until the cloud passed over, then tried to spot the jumper. She could not see him.

" Where could he have gone? " she asked herself, " That man wasn't just a phantom. He was flesh and blood! "

She turned toward the lake and the two giant snow statues which marked the end of the ski jump. Nancy's heart pounded at the sight she saw.

By a mere flicker of light that glowed, then vanished like a firefly, she could detect the shadowy outline of a crouching figure in a white sweater huddled behind the nearer statue. The person was cramming a bulky pouch into a hollow of the snowman!

As Nancy opened her mouth to call Chuck and Ned, a rough hand was clapped over her face.

" Quiet! " a harsh voice commanded. " And don't try to run away or you'll get hurt! "

 


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