Mystery of the Glowing Eye - Carolyn Keene [44]
By the time they reached Emerson it was day-break. The whole group tumbled into bed, exhausted.
“What a day!” Bess said as she closed her eyes and trailed off to sleep.
George immediately followed her cousin, but after Nancy had relaxed for half an hour without dozing off, her mind began to race. She wished that Ned had been rescued instead of Crosson having been captured.
“We’ll have to start another big search,” she said to herself.
Presently the young detective became so restless she decided to get up, dress, and walk around the campus. Maybe a long stroll would help her figure out what her next move should be. She went outside and crossed the campus to a large playing field.
Hearing a noise above her, she looked up and saw a helicopter coming. As Nancy watched it, she was startled to see the craft pause directly overhead, then begin to descend.
Her heart pounding, she asked herself, “Is this the robot copter? And if so, why is it coming here?”
Suddenly it occurred to Nancy that one or more of Crosson’s pals might be aboard! Should she run and avoid being captured?
The young detective was too intrigued to leave. The helicopter might contain another message from Ned!
CHAPTER XX
Surprising Story
As the helicopter descended closer to Nancy, she became more and more tense. The craft settled to the ground.
The rotors slowed down and finally stopped. As Nancy stared, the door opened and the pilot jumped out. Suddenly Nancy caught her breath, then she started to run toward the young man as fast as she could.
“Ned! Ned! I can’t believe it!” she cried out.
Realizing who she was, Ned too began to run. A few moments later they were in each other’s arms.
“Oh, Nancy, I’m so glad you were the first one to greet me on my homecoming!”
“Ned, you’re safe!” she exclaimed. This brought a twinkle to the good-looking young man’s brown eyes. “There’s so much to find out about where you’ve been,” Nancy continued. “And how did you ever get away from where Crosson had hidden you?”
Ned looked at Nancy unbelievingly. “You found out who my abductor was?”
By this time Nancy and Ned were walking arm in arm toward the fraternity house.
“I’ve been working on the case. Last night we captured Zapp Crosson and he’s in jail now.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Ned replied. “I don’t think I could have taken much more. Crosson grew nuttier all the time and I was afraid he would kill me. Oh, you wanted to know where he has kept me hidden lately and how I got away.”
“I know it wasn’t the farmhouse nor the cabin in the swampy wilderness because the police are watching both places,” Nancy said.
“You arranged that?” he asked.
Nancy told him that she had been working with Bess, George, Burt, and Dave. “And Professor Titus was very helpful, too.”
Ned revealed that Crosson had a third hideout. It was on an abandoned army post with a level but rather overgrown flying field.
“Whenever Crosson took me any place, I paid strict attention to how and where he piloted the copter. A couple of times he let me fly it.
“Last evening a friend of his came and took Crosson away in the copter—I think to the Anderson Museum—but only the friend returned with the craft.”
“Where is he now?” Nancy asked.
Ned said that the man had gone off in his car after giving him some supper.
“I asked him how long Crosson would be away, and he said at least a couple of days. That gave me an idea. Crosson had not chained me as tightly as he had at the other two places and after a while I was able to get loose. I determined to try flying the copter, but I didn’t dare set it down in any airport. I know I was breaking aviation rules. However, due to the circumstances I’m sure I won’t have any trouble with the authorities.”
“Was the glowing eye his own invention?”
“Yes, and he experimented with it in several ways—making it turn red, using a paralyzing type in a searchlight, and trying out a miniature, indestructible one. But he put a speaking tape in it, so if anyone should pick up the eye and open the lid, it would sound a warning. Crosson didn’t want anyone to discover