Free (#26) The Clue of the Leaning Chimney by Carolyn Keene Page A

perplexed.
    “It’s you who owns the old iron mine!”
    “Me?” exclaimed the geologist. Then he burst out laughing. “I never owned a piece of land in my life!”
    “The property is listed as being owned by Miles Monroe of Philadelphia,” Nancy told him. “Who could this Miles Monroe be?”
    The professor shook his head. “Search me!” he snorted. “To the best of my knowledge I was the only Miles Monroe in Philadelphia.”
    Nancy felt sure the man was telling the truth. Since he could tell her nothing more, she put the puzzling question aside for the moment.
    “You said you had something to show me,” she reminded him.
    The geologist uncrossed his long, bony legs and limped over to the bookcase. He took out a thick volume that looked to be very old. Carefully he turned the pages to a place he had marked.
    “After you told me you were searching for a China clay deposit,” the professor said, “I came across a reference in this old book on geology.”
    With Ned looking on, Nancy read the paragraph the geologist had marked. It told of a fine white clay that had been found one mile southeast of a “crook in Huntsman’s River” during the days of the early settlers.
    “Huntsman’s River?” Nancy said. “Why, that must be Hunter’s Creek. That’s the stream which runs under Hunter’s Bridge.”
    “Exactly! And the clay the book describes is China clay, or I’m no geologist!”
    “Thank you so much, Professor Monroe,” said Nancy, rising to depart.
    Ned shook hands with the geologist. “Nice to meet you, sir,” he said. “This sounds like a good clue for Nancy.”
    When the couple reached the car, Ned suggested that they spend the next afternoon following the directions to the China clay pit.
    “And how about Mrs. Gruen packing one of those super picnic lunches?” he added with a grin.
    Nancy laughed. “It’s a date.”
    At twelve the next day they started out. Nancy told Ned she had learned that no Miles Monroe was listed in the Philadelphia telephone directory. Her father had obtained this information.
    “It’s sure a mystery,” declared Ned. “But maybe we’ll soon clear it up.”
    Reaching Hunter’s Bridge, Nancy showed him where to park and they locked the car. Taking the picnic basket, they started off, following the water upstream for a mile to a point where it swerved sharply.
    “This must be the ‘crook’ the book mentioned,” Ned said. “How about eating?”
    Nancy nodded. She squinted at the position of the sun, then pointed to the left. “And southeast should be in that direction.”
    Half an hour later the two explorers, their appetites well satisfied, set off once more. When they had gone exactly one mile, as the directions had indicated, Nancy stopped.
    “The clay should be near here!”
    “Say, what’s this?” Ned exclaimed, bending down to examine a little gully. “Do you suppose this is part of the old clay pit?”
    The two stepped into the depression, overgrown with weeds and brush. As they did, Ned kicked against a piece of flat, corroded iron.
    “Probably part of an old forge,” he remarked.
    “Just what we need!” Nancy exclaimed. “We can use it as a shovel.”
    “For what?” Ned queried.
    “To dig with,” Nancy replied, pointing to the bottom of the gully.
    Ned dug. Finally he said ruefully, “Nothing here but a lot of gravel. This isn’t a China clay pit. It’s only—”
    He stopped speaking as a wild cry pierced the woods some distance ahead. It sounded like bong.
    “Someone’s in trouble!” Nancy exclaimed, starting to run.
    A few moments later she and Ned emerged into a clearing. To Nancy’s utter astonishment, the four-walled enclosure of boards confronted her!

CHAPTER XI
    The Impostor
    HAD the cry come from inside the mysterious enclosure? Nancy ran eagerly toward the fence and listened. There was not a sound.
    “How do we get inside?” Ned asked, anxious to help the person in distress.
    “There’s no opening,” Nancy told