“I’ll be glad to,” her aunt replied.
All the young people put on swimsuits and carried the scuba gear. The two couples went off in the car. Nancy and Ned hurried down to the dock and climbed aboard the
Crestwood.
Ned ran up the nylon sail and Nancy took the tiller. It was a beautiful morning, but the water was so calm there was barely enough breeze to gain headway. By tacking Ned managed to move slowly into the middle of the lake.
Only a few boats were out. One of them, a speedboat, was roaring toward them from the direction of Cooperstown. The pilot seemed to be making a beeline for the
Crestwood.
Didn’t he see their sailboat? Or was he deliberately trying to harm the couple?
Ned and Nancy maneuvered toward the west side of the lake. The oncoming speedboat veered in their direction.
“He’s crazy!” Ned exclaimed. “Get ready to dive, Nancy.”
Just as the motorboat neared them the pilot, who was alone, turned the wheel sharply, causing great waves that rocked the sailboat violently. He steered on, but within seconds swerved back. This time he passed the
Crestwood
on the other side at such speed that towering swells formed.
Nancy and Ned were working furiously to keep their craft from capsizing. Nancy got a quick look at the name of their tormentor’s boat.
The Water Witch!
She had no time to speculate about the man’s identity. Was he an accomplice of the girl who had tried to run over Bess in the same craft?
“That guy’s a fiend!” Ned cried out.
The pilot made another sweeping circle around the Crestwood. This time the waves were too powerful for the sailboat to withstand. It capsized, throwing Nancy and Ned into the water. Instantly the motorboat took off, roaring back toward Cooperstown.
After their plunge, the couple clung to their overturned craft.
“He’s wicked!” Nancy cried angrily.
In a few moments she and Ned began trying to right the
Crestwood.
Though the sail was made of a light nylon fabric, it was heavy enough to hamper their efforts.
Nancy swam around to the fallen mast and strained to lift the sail while Ned tugged at the other side of the boat. It was no use.
“I’ll have to haul in the sheet,” he said.
Fortunately their friends, already in the water, had seen the accident in the distance. They had also noticed someone coming into the bay from the head of the lake. Yo was piloting his little outboard.
“We need a ride!” George shouted at him as he approached.
“Two of you climb aboard,” he said. Then he noticed the overturned craft. “Who’s that out in the lake?”
When he heard the names Nancy and Ned, he revved to full speed the instant George and Burt were in his boat. Within minutes the
Crestwood
was righted and the sheet hoisted. “It will dry quickly,” Nancy thought. Water which still remained in the sailboat was bailed out.
Yo asked, “What made you go over?”
Nancy told him and added, “By the way, did you find out who owns the Water
Witch?”
“Yes. But they’ve rented it to a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Welch. Sorry but I forgot the man’s first name.”
“Was it Samuel or Michael, by any chance?” Nancy asked.
Yo’s face lighted up. “How’d you know that? It was Michael.”
Nancy was delighted with the information. Now she had a very good lead to the enemies who were harassing her and her friends.
“I’ll make further inquiries at that dock next time we go to Cooperstown,” she determined.
Nancy and Ned sailed to the area where they wanted to search, while Yo took Burt and George back there. He waved good-by and chugged off.
There were many sunbathers on the public beach of Glimmerglass Park and picnickers at tables. Nancy thought her group was far enough away not to be noticed, but she was wrong. Within a short time they were besieged by the questions of curious onlookers, some on foot, others in small boats.
One precocious boy in a canoe called out with a smirk, “What you hunting for? A sunken treasure?”
CHAPTER XV
Burglars!
DESPITE the annoying onlookers, and their attempts at humor, Nancy and her friends went on with the search for the child’s royal coach. The boys worked with the tools they had brought, until the water was riled and they could no longer see what they were doing.
The divers gathered on the surface and swam to shallow water. Here they held a conference and all came to the conclusion that anything buried deep could be located only with a probe. Unfortunately they had forgotten to include the underwater metal detector.
“We must remember to bring it along the next time we come to hunt for the coach,” Nancy remarked.
“Anybody hungry but me?” Bess called out.
George answered. “Yes. Let’s go back. Say, who wants to join a swimming race to our cottage?”
“Count me out,” Bess said. “I’ve had enough exercise.”
“Me too,” added Dave and slipped his arm around her shoulders.
They offered to drive the car back. Nancy and Ned had to sail the
Crestwood
to their dock.
Burt grinned and accepted George’s challenge. In order for Nancy and Ned to pace them, they kept the
Crestwood
alongside the swimmers. First George pulled ahead, then Burt.
“George is a wonder in the water,” Ned said admiringly. “She could race on a man’s swim team any time.”
Nancy smiled. “Who do you think is going to win?” she asked. “I’m betting on George.”
Ned heaved a sigh. “I can’t go back on my own sex so I’ll say Burt.”
His date was still smiling. “But you’re not too convinced.”
As they neared shore, the racers were pulling together in perfect rhythm. Their fingers touched the dock at the same instant. The two swimmers laughed. They climbed out of the water and went to the cottage.
Ned turned to Nancy as he took down the sheet and secured the
Crestwood.
“We both win and we both lose our bet.” In mock congratulations the couple shook hands.
Bess and Dave had been there for several minutes and had started luncheon preparations.
“Um! Something smells great!” Burt remarked, smacking his lips.
Bess replied slyly, “We’re having snail soup and broiled grasshoppers. Do you like them?”
Burt made a wry face as Bess knew he would, then she said, “Today’s menu is cream of tomato soup, ham-and-cheese sandwiches, and watermelon. Okay?”
“Okay plus,” Burt replied.
“For me, too,” added George.
As soon as Nancy and Ned were dressed, they came out to the porch where Aunt Eloise and Matt were talking. Miss Drew said she had a surprise for them.
“A man from the yacht club stopped here soon after you had gone,” she explained. “He extended a personal invitation to you both to enter one of the sailboat races this afternoon.”
“How thrilling!” Nancy exclaimed.
“He said it would not be necessary for you to let him know,” Aunt Eloise went on, “but if you can participate, be at the club dock by two-thirty. The race starts at three o’clock.”
“That’s great!” Nancy cried. “Want to do it, Ned?”
“I sure do. But first I think we’d better slick up the
Crestwood
a bit. After her bath, she looks a little the worse for wear.”
He and Nancy went down to examine the sailboat.
“If there’s any quick-drying paint around this place, I can give the
Crestwood
a coat,” he offered.
Everyone scrounged around the cabin and finally found an unopened can of quick-drying white paint. The sailboat was propped up on the shore. While Nancy wiped off spots from the sail, Ned rapidly sprayed on the shiny liquid. In a short time the
Crestwood
looked like new. Meanwhile, George and Burt had been washing out the inside. Soon that too was spick-and-span.
“She looks great!” Bess called from the porch. “Lunch is ready! Come and get it!”
They all were very hungry and ate every bit of the meal Bess had prepared. Then Nancy and Ned went to change into white shirts and shorts.
“Good luck!” Matt said as they left the porch. “We’ll drive around to the other side of the lake and watch the race.”
The group went down to the dock and the
Crestwood
was put in the water. As Nancy and Ned were about to set off, Aunt Eloise said, “Wait a minute! I forgot to give you the paper the man left which will identify you as entrants in the race.”
“I’ll get it,” Bess offered. “Where is the paper?”
Miss Drew said the envelope was on the bureau in her room, next to her pocketbook.
Nancy spoke up. “I really ought to have my sunglasses with me. Bess, would you mind bringing them also? They’re in my handbag.”
Bess hurried toward the cabin, and disappeared inside. She was gone several minutes and the others wondered why she was taking so long.
Aunt Eloise remarked, “The paper was easy to find.”
She had barely said this when Bess appeared at the doorway. She cried out at the top of her voice, “Come quickly! We’ve been robbed!”
Everyone was stunned. Nancy and Ned leaped off the
Crestwood
and followed the others, who were already rushing across the dock and up to the porch.
“Your bag is gone, Aunt Eloise!” Bess told her. “Nancy’s too!”
“What!” the group chorused.
George made a beeline for her room. At first glance nothing looked disturbed. But when she yanked open the bureau drawer she saw that both Bess’s purse and her own were missing.
“This is terrible!” George thought angrily.
Upon closer examination, she reported that the fleet burglar or burglars had rifled various letters and other papers in the drawer.
Just then Dave came from the boys’ bedroom. “Somebody’s been through Matt’s suitcase!” he exclaimed.
Everyone agreed that the intruder must have been hunting for something other than money. What could it have been?
“One thing is certain,” Matt remarked. “The thief or thieves have been casing this place. Otherwise they never could have done such a complete job so quickly.”
Dave hurried up the path to the road and looked up and down but there was no one in sight and no car except the ones that belonged to Nancy and to Ned.
“At least they weren’t stolen,” Dave said to himself.
Finally everyone gathered in the living room. Nancy glanced at her wrist watch. “Goodness!” she exclaimed. “Ned, if we don’t leave at once, we’ll miss the race!”
The two dashed out to the porch, then stood in stupefied amazement. Their
sailboat
was gone!
By this time the others had followed them outside. But instead of waving them to victory, they too stared unbelievingly.
George was the first to speak. She cried out, “What a horrible trick! I’ll bet the same person or persons who robbed our cabin took that sailboat! ”
Her friends agreed. Nancy had been very quiet. Not only was she disappointed, but extremely worried. Her Aunt Eloise had important personal items in her handbag which she did not want to lose. Credit and charge account cards could easily be used by some stranger and her driver’s license also.
Nancy was alarmed about the loss of her own driver’s license. The thief might have been the girl who resembled her and would use her license.
Matt offered to drive into town and report the loss to the police. He said nothing was missing from his suitcase. After the group had made a list of stolen articles, Matt went off with it.
Nancy was thinking, “Oh, if Yo would only come along now, he might help us. But I suppose he’s down watching the races.”
As if in answer to her wish, however, within ten minutes Yo pulled up to the dock of Mirror Bay Bide-A-Wee.
“I came to see what happened to you,” he said. “I heard you were going to be in the race but you didn’t come.”
Quickly the situation was explained to him.
“Stolen!” he cried out. “Well, we’ll just overtake that thief! Climb in here!”
Nancy and Ned got aboard and the search began. They had no idea which way to go.
“Yo,” said Nancy, “if you were trying to hide a sailboat on this lake what spot would you pick?”
He answered instantly, “Where Shadow Brook empties into the lake.”
“Then let’s go there,” she suggested.
Yo proved to be right. When they reached the brook, there was the half-sunken
Crestwood.
But the sleek craft did not look as it had when Nancy and Ned were ready to set sail. The sheet was torn and the craft was covered with mud.
“Some people’s idea of a joke is pretty foul,” Yo spoke up. “I don’t know whether we can get this afloat or not.”
“We can try,” Nancy said.
The three of them waded into the muddy water. In moments it had turned their white attire brown. With Yo’s assistance they tugged and yanked first on one end of the sailboat, then the other.
The trio finally righted the Crestwood, but it could not float with the heavy mud and debris in it. Using their hands as shovels they finally cleared away most of the muck.
“I’ll tow you,” Yo said.
The rope was attached to the back of the motorboat. Then Nancy climbed in beside Yo, and Ned sat in the rear of the craft to keep the sailboat from bumping into the outboard motor.
The group finally reached the Bide-A-Wee dock. Their friends had been watching for them and now rushed down to hear the story.
Everyone thanked Yo so profusely he became very much embarrassed. He said over and over again, “Oh that’s all right. I’m just sorry you all missed the race.”
He went off and Nancy and Ned changed into swimsuits for a dip in the bay. While the couple was in the water they saw Miss Armitage arrive and go inside the cottage. For this reason Nancy and Ned took only a short swim. Then they pulled themselves up onto the dock and wrapped big towels around them. The next moment the caller stepped onto the porch with Bess and they waved to her.