This is what I had hoped to find!” Nancy exclaimed.

“Now what, Nancy? ”

“Amy married a man named Ferdinand Slocum! Why, Slocum is the name of the hotel clerk at Fisher’s Cove.”

“But Slocum is a rather common name. He may not be the same person.”

“True, ” Nancy acknowledged. “Let’s see what else we can find.”

The other records were of no interest to Nancy, but she did find among the pages of the Bible a letter which had been written by Amy to her parents. Obviously it was sent two years ago, soon after her runaway marriage. In the letter she disrespectfully referred to her mother and father as being far behind the times.

“Maybe I don’t love Ferdie, ” she had written flippantly, “but he’s a prominent hotelman and we’ll have a lot of fun together. Ferdie is a man of the world. He’s a big businessman, not like those boys at Candleton who only think about following the sea. I’ll write again after Ferdie and I are settled in our own hotel.”

“I’ll bet they never were in any better one than the Fisher’s Cove Hotel, ” George declared.

“This note explains a number of things about the Maguires that baffled me, ” Nancy said elatedly. “George, the pieces of our mystery puzzle are falling into place! ”

“Find anything else of interest? ” George asked.

“Yes, here’s something! ” Nancy exclaimed an instant later.

George, however, did not hear her, for she had made an important discovery of her own. “Nancy, look at these cobwebs on the table! ” she exclaimed. “They’re not attached to anything! ”

“Not spun there, you mean? ” Nancy stepped to the table to look. “You’re right. Someone is using this cottage as a hideout! ”

“But why would anyone go to so much work just to make this place look weird and abandoned? ” George asked. “We ought to call the police! ”

“I agree with you.” Nancy spoke quietly as she stooped to pick up a torn sheet of paper from the floor.

“What’s that? ” her friend asked.

“Mr. Hendrick’s torn note that was stolen from the Salsandee Shop! ” Nancy replied.

George started to cross the room to see the paper. But as she took a step, a masculine voice directly behind the two girls said coldly:

“Don’t make a move, either of you! Put up your hands and march straight ahead! ”

At the command, Nancy did not turn around. As she slowly raised her hands, she saw in a dusty wall mirror the reflection of the dark-haired man who had given the terse order.

He was a small person of elfin appearance. Instantly she recognized him as the man who came frequently to the Salsandee Shop—one of the elves in her dream.

“Step lively and don’t try to turn around, ” he snapped.

Perhaps the man held a weapon, but Nancy could see none in the mirror. She decided to take a chance. Whirling around, she swung her arm directly into his startled face, causing him to lose his balance. As he stumbled backward, Nancy gave him a push, and over he went! From his hand fell a telescope!

Instantly the two girls followed up their advantage. George plumped herself on the man’s chest and held his arms. Nancy searched him but found no weapon.

“What was the idea of frightening us? ” George demanded. “Are you the owner of this house? ”

“No, but you have no right here! ”

“Have you? ” Nancy questioned.

“Yes! ” was the surprising answer.

“Suppose you explain some things, ” Nancy demanded. “Who put moldy food in the dishes and covered them with cobwebs to make it appear the house was abandoned? ”

The man looked frightened but refused to reply.

Nancy asked, “Are you Grumper? And where’s your partner? ”

“No, I’m not Grumper, but that’s all you’re going to find out.”

“You’re the one who helped carry me from the cliff! ” Nancy accused him. “You and your friend put me to sleep with a gas which came up through crevices in the rocks! ”

“Let me up! ” the little fellow cried out in anguish. “You’re crushing my chestl”

Nancy and George tied the man’s ankles together with the belt from George’s slacks, then released their hold. They stood him against the wall and placed themselves between him and the outside door.

“You haven’t answered my questions, ” Nancy reminded the man as his shifty gaze darted about the room.

The captive muttered some unintelligible words. He leaned against the wall, his hands behind him. Suddenly, from far away, seemingly deep beneath the house, a gong sounded.

Nancy was startled. A sardonic grin spread over the elfin man’s face.

“It was a signal! ” Nancy thought instantly, observing his pleased expression. “He must have an accomplice somewhere! ”

Recalling how the little man had many times bought food at the Salsandee Shop for his wife, Nancy concluded that was who his accomplice might be. Then, too, there was the possibility no wife existed, and that actually the food had been carried to another man.

“Perhaps he took it to that second elf I thought I saw in my dream! ” she reasoned. “Grumper, I’ll bet. If he’s anywhere near here, then George and I had better be on our guard! ”

Nancy was convinced that the man before her had managed to sound the warning gong by pressing a button or pulling a hidden cord. Even at this moment his accomplice might be coming to his aid!

The outside door behind Nancy creaked on its hinges. Frightened, she turned swiftly. A shadowy figure loomed large in the entrance.

Nancy laughed aloud in relief. Ned Nickerson stood there!

“Hello, Nancy, George. Are you girls safe? ” he called anxiously. “Bess told me you came here. I was afraid—” He stopped short and stared at the girls’ prisoner. “Who—? ”

Briefly Nancy told him what had happened. The story was cut short by the sullen little man.

“It’s a lie! You’ll not take me to the police! ” he shouted. “I won’t leave this house! ”

The elflike figure flayed out with his fists, losing his balance. As he went down, Nancy said:

“Ned, can you take this man to the State Police alone? ”

“With one hand! ”

“Then go as quickly as you can and come right back. George and I will stay here. I must find out more about this place! ”

Ned was reluctant to leave the two girls.

“Don’t worry, ” said Nancy. “If this man had an accomplice who heard that gong, he’d probably have been here by now.”

“I guess that’s right, ” said Ned.

He agreed to drive the prisoner to Candleton and return immediately.

“I’ll hurry, ” he promised. “Don’t take any risks while I’m gone.”

He bound the man’s hands behind him, released his feet, and ordered him to walk to the car. The captive had no choice as Ned prodded him from the rear.

George felt somewhat uneasy when she and Nancy were alone. As Ned and the prisoner disappeared, she glanced nervously about her.

“That gong—” she whispered to Nancy. “Don’t you think it means someone else is here? Perhaps in the basement? ”

“I’m sure our prisoner hoped so, ” said Nancy. “Let’s see if we can find out how he sounded the warning.”

She began to explore the wall inch by inch. The young detective found a thin cord, shorter than her little finger, not far from where the fishnets hung. As she pulled on it, a gong sounded far off.

“That’s how he did it! ” Nancy cried. “But where is the gong? It sounds so muffled—as if it were underground! ”

Apparently the house had no basement, for the girls could find no steps or passageway leading downward. The only door seemed to be the one through which they had entered.

Puzzled, Nancy wondered how the elfin man had entered the house. Certainly not through the outside door. She recalled the sudden manner in which he had appeared and his terse order, “March straight ahead! ”

“Why, to march straight ahead would mean I’d have to walk through a solid wall, ” she thought. “Or at least through those fishnets! ”

Nancy stared speculatively at the wall, almost completely covered with old cord nets to which dried seaweed still clung. On a sudden inspiration she tore away a portion of the covering.

“What are you doing? ” George asked curiously.

“Look! ”

Nancy had uncovered a door hidden behind the netting. George stared in amazement.

“The house must have a secret room or passageway! ” she whispered. “We’ve found the entrancel”

Cautiously Nancy twisted the knob, making no sound. The door was not locked. Slowly it swung inward on its hinges. Leading down were stone steps into utter darkness.