The Secret of Red Gate Farm - Carolyn Keene [44]
While the prisoners were being rounded up, Karl Abbott rushed over to the girls and quickly freed their hands.
“Are you all right?” he asked anxiously.
“Yes,” Nancy told him, “but if you hadn’t arrived just when you did, it might have been a different story!”
She was on the verge of asking what had brought him to the cave at the psychological moment when she saw that two federal agents were placing handcuffs on the wrists of Maurice Hale’s wife. Breaking away from her friends, Nancy darted to the other side of the room.
“Oh, don’t arrest Mrs. Hale,” she pleaded. “She isn’t like the rest. She tried to save us, but they wouldn’t listen to her.”
“Sorry,” Horton returned, “but we’ll have to take her along. If you want to intercede for her later, we may be able to have her sentence lightened.”
After the prisoners had been herded out of the cave to waiting government automobiles and the printing plates used in the making of the counterfeit bills had been collected, Nancy felt explanations were in order from Karl.
“How did you know we had come here?” Nancy asked him.
“From Mrs. Byrd. She was greatly worried. When I came to see Father tonight she told me that after you’d gone she found evidence of your costume making. She confided in me you might have done just what you did. She asked me to try and stop you.”
“Yes. Go on,” Nancy urged.
“Well, I’ve been suspicious of this hillside ceremony stuff, and after talking further with Mrs. Byrd, I decided to get in touch with the Secret Service men she said you had told her about. They couldn’t come, but the chief agent in this area sent some of his other men.”
“How marvelous of you to have put two and two together!” Bess exclaimed.
“By the time we all got here,” Karl went on, “no one was around. I sneaked inside just as all of you were coming out. Mr. Horton thought you girls would not be harmed if you walked outside before the gang was captured.”
“Thanks for that,” said George. “I’ve had enough!”
Just then Secret Service Agent Horton came over to Nancy’s group and extended his hand to her. “Miss Drew,” he said earnestly, “I want to thank you for your work which has resulted in the solution of one of the most baffling cases of counterfeiting the United States Government has ever had. How did you do it?”
Nancy blushed at the praise. “It was sort of a chain reaction, I guess,” the young sleuth replied, and told of the various circumstances that had led to tonight’s adventure.
When she finished, the agent shook his head in amazement. “You cracked a code this gang had thought was unbreakable. My congratulations.”
It was late when the four girls, escorted by Karl Abbott, left the cave. As they neared the farmhouse, Joanne observed that the lights were on. “I hope Gram hasn’t been too worried.”
Before the girls reached the porch, Mrs. Byrd came hurrying toward them. She clung tightly to Joanne for an instant.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” she murmured in relief. “And you girls are all right. I was terribly afraid those members of the Black Snake Colony—”
She was interrupted by Mrs. Salisbury’s voice from the dark porch. “You had us so worried we couldn’t go to bed. The idea of girls running around the country at this hour! That nature cult is all foolishness, anyway!”
“Absolutely!” Mr. Abbott agreed. “The less you meddle with their affairs, the wiser you’ll be!”
“You’re wrong this time, Father,” Karl Jr. announced. “If the girls hadn’t meddled, those counterfeiters would have operated indefinitely.”
“Counterfeiters!” the two boarders and Mrs. Byrd exclaimed together.
They were tense as Karl Jr. related everything that had happened. In fact, it was not until the next day that Mrs. Salisbury recovered from the shock sufficiently to boast:
“Well, I always said those girls were up and coming!”
Mr. Abbott was very proud of the part his son had played in the case, and said so several times.
Mrs. Byrd had nothing except praise for Nancy and her friends. “And who would think,” she said incredulously, “that Bess’s innocent