The Witch Tree Symbol

  Nancy’s first thought was to run to Mrs. Glick’s car and give chase. But she did not have the ignition key. By the time she could get it, Hoelt would be out of sight.

  “I’ll report this to the policeman over there,” she said, and hurried up to him. Nancy gave the officer the details of the mystery quickly.

  “I have orders not to leave my beat,” the officer said reluctantly. “I’m sorry, miss. Why don’t you go to police headquarters and report your suspicion to them?”

  He gave her directions, and the three girls hurried off. Suddenly Nancy stopped. Headquarters was five blocks away and by the time they reached it Roger Hoelt would have pulled off the road and hidden somewhere.

  “Let’s not report anything,” she suggested. “Next time we see Hoelt we’ll have more to go on. I hate making a nuisance of ourselves to the police.”

  Nancy, Bess, and George returned to Mrs. Glick, who was sorry to learn they had missed catching the thief. The group drove home, and Nancy at once asked Mr. Glick if he had ever heard of the schnitz.

  The cobbler scratched his head and thought for nearly a minute. Then finally he said, “At one time there was a farm somewhere around here that had an apple-drying business. Maybe it was called the schnitz, although I never heard any name for it.”

  Mr. Glick did not know its exact location but would inquire of his neighbors. Nancy drove with him to several farms in the area. No one they asked had ever heard of the schnitz.

  At each place Nancy also showed the drawing of the witch tree symbol. Since none of these people had ever seen it, she came to the conclusion it was a hex sign used only by Hoelt. He had probably designed it himself.

  “Well,” she told herself philosophically, “if I ever do come across it on a barn or house I’ll expect to find Hoelt there!”

  During the evening Mr. and Mrs. Glick entertained the girls with stories of their younger days.

  The three girls slept well and were up early the next morning to continue their sleuthing. It was a beautiful day and they walked outside with Mr. Glick for some fresh air before breakfast.

  Suddenly the farmer cried out, Ach, ya! Waas gayt aw?”

  At the same instant, the girls saw what he was looking at—the witch tree symbol had been painted on the side of the barn!

  Underneath it was a picture of a witch riding a broom. No wonder the farmer had said, “What goes here?” The face of the witch bore a strong resemblance to that of Nancy Drew!

  CHAPTER X

  A Disastrous Race

  COMPLETELY dumfounded, Nancy, Bess, and George continued to stare at the crudely made markings on the Glick barn. They were sure that Roger Hoelt or some friend of his had painted the witch symbol on the building, probably by flashlight during the night.

  The startling likeness of the witch’s face to Nancy’s made Bess fearful. “We just can’t stay here!” she murmured. “Nancy, please give up this case. That awful man is going to harm you!”

  “Shh,” Nancy warned her. “Look at Becky and Henner!”

  The two children were standing in the doorway of the farmhouse, whispering to each other. They scooted back into the kitchen.

  Immediately Mrs. Glick appeared outside. Seeing the marks on the barn, she hurried toward her husband and the girls. None of them had made a comment since Bess’s outburst, but now Mr. Glick said firmly, “Your enemy is a very bad and dangerous man, Nancy. He must be made to stop frightening people. There is no room in Amish country for such a person.”

  Nancy heartily agreed and said that instead of leaving she would double her efforts to locate Roger Hoelt.

  “That is good,” the cobbler said. “But take care.”

  Mrs. Glick called her children outside and scolded them for being afraid. “How many times have I told you there are no witches?” she said sternly. “Come now. Shake hands with Nancy Drew and say you are sorry for running away from her.”

  Becky and Henner moved forward obediently, but their approach was timid. Nancy held out her arms to them, suggesting that they help her paint out the silly figures on the barn. Pleased by the suggestion, the two children laughed and ran toward Nancy.

  “Can we work right now?” Henner asked. “I want to paint away the witch.”

  Mr. Glick nodded, saying the sooner the figures were removed, the better. “No breakfast for the three of you until the picture is all over painted,” he said.

  Henner went to the barn and returned with a can of red paint and three brushes. Mrs. Glick provided a ladder for Nancy to use. The girl detective and the children started to work.

  Bess and George returned to the house to help Mrs. Glick prepare breakfast. Soon Nancy and the children had finished painting, and everyone sat down to eat.

  A few minutes later the telephone rang. Mrs. Glick answered it and called Nancy. “It’s your father,” she announced.

  Nancy had sent her father the Glicks’ address. She hurried to the phone, worried that something was wrong.

  “Hello, Nancy dear, I have to go out of town for a couple of days and I wanted to let you know,” her father said. “Hannah will visit her sister, unless you are coming right home.”

  “Dad, I’m sorry to tell you that I’m not getting along very fast on this mystery,” Nancy advised. “I won’t be home for several days.” She brought her father up to date.

  “If you change your plans, let Hannah know,” the lawyer directed. “By the way, you’re all going to have company this afternoon,”

  “Here?”

  “Yes.”

  “How nice,” Nancy said. “Who?”

  Mr. Drew replied that it was to be a surprise. He wished his daughter good luck and said good-by.

  When Nancy returned to the table and told Bess and George they could all expect company, they began to guess who it might be.

  “Mrs. Tenney hasn’t heard from you, Nancy,” Bess declared. “Maybe she’s coming here for a report. Did your dad give her your address?”

  “I guess he must have. I’m sorry I haven’t better news for her.” Nancy sighed. “Perhaps I will have soon.”

  The girls helped tidy the kitchen. Then Mrs. Glick, the children, Bess, and George went to weed the vegetable patch. Nancy asked to be excused to look around the property. She hoped to find the footprints of the person who had painted the hex symbol.

  After figuring out which footprints belonged to the Glicks and her friends, Nancy found an unfamiliar set that led from the barn across a field. She followed them until they came to a road and disappeared. Disappointed, the girl returned to the farm, wanting to be ready to greet the company her father had mentioned.

  After lunch Bess disappeared and returned, wearing an attractive blue dress. Mrs. Glick smiled. “You must be expecting a young man.”

  Bess blushed. “You never can tell,” she said, peering out the window. “I had a hunch—and I was right!”

  Pulling to a stop in the Glicks’ driveway were Nancy’s friend Ned Nickerson, Burt Eddleton, who often dated George, and Bess’s friend Dave Evans! Delighted, the three girls hurried outside to greet the boys.

  “Surprise!” Ned exclaimed.

  “Hil” the other boys greeted the girls.

  “This certainly is a surprise, and a grand one,” Nancy said. “You’re just in time to help us solve a mystery,” she added.

  “That’s what we’re here for,” said tall, athletic, and brown-haired Ned. “Your dad told me a little about the case. Too bad I was away when it started.”

  Nancy smiled. “I can sure use a man’s help. I hope you’ve brought us some luck.”

  “We sure have!”

  “We’ll all cooperate,” said Burt, who was blond and a little shorter and heavier than Ned.

  The group went into the house and Nancy presented the boys to Mrs. Glick. At once she insisted that the new visitors stay there. Ned thanked her and accepted.

  “Wait until you taste Mrs. Glick’s cooking,” George remarked to Dave, a rangy, dark-haired young man with g
reen eyes. “You boys will have to go into training to make the football team after you leave here.”

  Mrs. Glick promised to prepare a special supper in honor of the boys. She refused any assistance from the girls, suggesting that they take their friends on a tour of the countryside.

  “Then later you can attend one of the gatherings,” she told them. “Over at the Stoltz farm they’re having a sing right after supper. Or maybe you would prefer the barn dance at Fischers’.”

  They all voted for the barn dance, then left on their tour of the area. As the group drove about, Ned became interested in the Amish carriages that passed by.

  “Suppose we two go to the barn dance in one of them,” he suggested to Nancy.

  “Sounds like fun,” his date replied, “but we’ll have to use an open-top buggy.”

  “Why?” Ned asked curiously.

  “Because all unmarried couples travel that way,” she informed him. “The closed carriages are used after the wedding.”

  Ned whistled. “I’ll buy one of those closed jobs after I graduate. How about it, Nancy?”

  She pretended not to understand and said, “You’ll have to give up college and all worldly pleasures if you expect to marry an Amish girl.”

  “Oh, aren’t you funnyl” Ned remarked.

  Everyone laughed, but then they became serious as Nancy told them all that had happened since she had left River Heights.

  Ned looked grim. “I’m glad we’re here. Hoelt’s next move may bring you real trouble.” Burt and Dave agreed.

  By dinnertime, however, the group forgot mystery-solving as they enjoyed a sumptuous meal and prepared for the dance. When a young Amish lad delivered the horse and buggy Ned had ordered, the boys went to inspect them.

  “Look, there’s a hex sign on the seat,” Dave mentioned.

  “Better not show Nancy,” Ned suggested.

  Meanwhile, the girls had come out, and Bess, George, and their escorts left for the dance in Ned’s car. Ned helped Nancy into the left side of the buggy, then went around and climbed into the driver’s seat. The horse started off at a fast gallop.

  It was a cloudy evening and they had not gone more than half a mile before darkness settled. Ned stopped, got out, and turned on the buggy’s, lanterns.

  As they started up again, the horse broke into a brisk trot. Suddenly, the young couple heard the sound of galloping hoofs behind them. Turning around, they saw two buggies, evidently racing. The drivers seemed to be paying no attention to the buggy ahead of them.

  Ned pulled as far over to the right side of the road as he could. Apparently neither of the rash young drivers behind him was willing to let the other win. Neck and neck, the racers tried to pass Ned’s buggy.

  The next moment, the wheels of the nearest vehicle scraped against those of Nancy and Ned’s carriage. Frightened, their horse bolted!

  The buggy turned over and Nancy and Ned were thrown out!

  Twenty minutes before the accident, Bess, Dave, George, and Burt had reached the dance. The young Amish people who had gathered in the barn were very friendly and welcomed the visitors warmly. The atmosphere was most festive.

  Lanterns hung from the rafters, shedding a soft glow over the dancers. The music was very lively and the dances, called by a tall young man, were fast.

  After watching several figures of the square dance being performed, Bess and Dave swung into one of the circling groups. George and Burt joined hands with another.

  When the music stopped some time later, the four met in a corner of the barn. George remarked, “It’s strange that Nancy and Ned haven’t arrived yet. But maybe their horse is extra slow.”

  The words were scarcely out of her mouth when an Amish couple rushed excitedly into the barn. They began to speak rapidly in dialect, flinging their arms about as if describing something they had seen.

  Curious, George approached an Amish girl standing near her. “What are they saying?” she asked.

  Nancy and Ned were thrown out of the buggy.

  “There was a bad accident,” the girl replied. “The witch girl was in it!”

  Bess and George glanced at each other and hurried toward the couple who had just arrived. They were afraid that the accident referred to involved Nancy and Ned.

  “Please tell us in English what happened!” Bess begged the young woman.

  “The witch girl—she flew into the air!”

  The Amish girl went on to say that her younger brother had been racing with the carriage in which she was riding when they saw a couple in a buggy ahead of them. There was no time to slow down, and as they passed, their vehicle had scraped the wheels of the other carriage. It had overturned, and the couple had seemed to fly out of it!

  George was impatient. “What made you call her a witch girl?”

  “Because she disappeared,” the Amish girl replied in an awed tone. “After the accident, we stopped and went back and looked in the field where the couple were thrown. They were not there!”

  “Oh, it must have been Nancy and Ned. They would surely have been here by now if something hadn’t happened!” Bess wailed.

  George, Bess, Burt, and Dave decided that they must go to the scene of the accident at once. After asking directions, the four hurried off in their car to the field where Nancy and Ned were reported to have disappeared. The open buggy was there, still overturned, but nothing else was in sight.

  “My guess is that Nancy and Ned weren’t badly hurt,” Burt said. “Perhaps the horse ran off and they went to look for him.”

  Dave agreed and added, “Maybe they returned to Glicks’ to report the accident.”

  The group drove to their host’s home, but when they arrived they were told that Nancy and Ned had not come back. Alarmed, Mr. Glick contacted the hospital, but the admitting clerk reported that neither Nancy Drew nor Ned Nickerson had come in for treatment.

  “Maybe the police came by and picked them up in a patrol car,” Mrs. Glick suggested. They all waited anxiously as her husband got in touch with the police. They knew nothing about the accident but said they would investigate immediately.

  “What could have happened to them?” Bess asked.

  “Perhaps Nancy and Ned stopped somewhere to freshen up.” Burt spoke up. “Right now I bet they’re having a good time at the square dance!”

  “Good thinking!” George exclaimed. “Let’s go back and find out.”

  After telling the Glicks that they would let them know the outcome, the four young people drove to the Fischer farm. They rushed into the building.

  Inside, Bess stepped onto a bench along the wall so that she could look over the dancers’ heads. Every couple on the floor was Amish and Nancy and Ned were nowhere in sight!

  “Oh, Dave!” she cried, looking down at her date. “What will we do?”

  CHAPTER XI

  The Vanished Driver

  AT this very moment about three miles away the missing couple were on a sleuthing mission. Nancy and Ned were astride the horse he had hired for the evening. They were riding along a lonely road in complete darkness. The animal still wore its blinders. Nancy, seated in front of Ned, held the reins firmly.

  A short distance ahead of the unsaddled horse and its two riders was an Amish carriage being pulled by a black horse. The couple were trailing it, hoping their horse’s hoofbeats were not being heard.

  Ned leaned forward and whispered into Nancy’s ear, “You’re sure that’s the stolen carriage with some of Mrs. Follett’s missing furniture in it?”

  “I’m almost positive,” Nancy said softly.

  “And you feel well enough to go on,” Ned asked her solicitously. “Not faint or anything?”

  Nancy assured him she was fine. “I can’t miss this chance to nab Roger Hoelt!”

  Suddenly the carriage they were following turned into a wooded road.

  “This may be a trick,” Nancy warned, “if the driver knows we’re following him.”

  The girl pulled gently on the reins to slow the
horse’s gait. Meanwhile, the carriage ahead stopped and its driver got out. Nancy reined in their mount, turning him into the woods.

  From among the trees, she and Ned could see a moving light along the road. Was the driver looking for them? As the light played about the nearby area, the hidden couple hardly dared to breathe. Nancy patted the horse soothingly to keep him from pawing the ground or making any sound.

  In a few minutes the man turned, retraced his steps, got back in his carriage, and rode off. Nancy and Ned took up the trail again, hoping the hoofbeats of the man’s horse would drown out those of their mount.

  “I’m sure that fellow knows he’s being followed,” Nancy said. “We’d better watch out. He may try to trap us!”

  Just then the man’s horse began to gallop and the carriage swayed from side to side. Nancy and Ned expected it to turn over at any moment.

  “That fellow must be crazy to drive so fast,” Ned said, “or else he’s trying to lose us.”

  He nudged their horse and it began to run, bringing them closer. After a chase of a quarter of a mile, the carriage stopped abruptly, blocked by a stream. The vehicle swayed a moment but did not go over.

  “You stay here,” Ned ordered, sliding off the horse. “I’ll go ahead and find out what’s going on.”

  Nancy insisted upon following Ned. After securing the horse’s reins to a tree trunk, they tiptoed forward, hidden in the shadows of the trees. In a few minutes they reached the carriage.

  No one was in it!

  “Where did the driver go?” Ned said softly.

  Nancy was listening to detect any sound in the nearby woods that might indicate where the man was. She could hear nothing but the chirping of crickets.

  “Ned,” she whispered, “will you stand guard while I examine the furniture in the carriage? I want to be sure it’s part of the Follett collection.”

  “Go ahead,” he urged.

  The pieces of furniture were small, and Nancy lifted them out of the vehicle and carried them, one by one, to the carriage lamps to look them over. Each resembled items on Mrs. Tenney’s list, but there was no way to identify them positively as the stolen articles.