Free The Message in the Hollow Oak by Carolyn Keene

deep sleep and carry her out.’
    “‘Right,’ the other man said. ‘She’s been interfering with our plans long enough.’ Then the first man said, ‘Okay, Kit.’ ”
    Nancy and Julie Anne gasped. The other girls had crowded around and were exclaiming how dreadful it was.
    “This place is really getting dangerous!” Claire Warwick said, eyeing Nancy scornfully.
    Nancy had to agree and was sure now that she was the cause of it all. Perhaps she should not come back here after the towboat trip, but instead find some secret place to stay while she worked on the hollow oak mystery.
    She asked Les to describe the men. The one who was called Kit fitted the description of the man who said his name was Tom Wilson. As before, he did not limp.
    “But who was his companion?” Nancy wondered.
    Les said he had decided at first to jump out at the men with his lantern and scare them away, but then realized he would be no match for them in a fight.
    “I’m sorry we lost those would-be kidnappers,” he remarked.
    Nancy thanked him. Forcing a smile, she said to the others, “Tomorrow morning I’ll be leaving and all your worries will be over.”
    “I’m glad to hear that,” Claire Warwick said. “I mean no offense, Nancy, but after all you’re not an archaeology student and your detective work here has—”
    “That will be enough,” Theresa spoke up sharply. “I suggest that all you girls go back to bed.”
    Claire looked angry and mumbled something about being treated like a child. But she followed the others into the house and went to her room.
    Julie Anne put an arm around Nancy. “Don’t let her worry you, dear. Nobody cares for Claire and I’m sure all the other girls like you. They’d be sorry to see you leave for good.”
    Nancy smiled in appreciation. She slept a few hours, then was up before the rising bell.
    When the boys arrived from their house, they were astounded to learn of the attempted kidnapping. Art said, “I wonder if the same two men took Bob Snell away.”
    “If so, I’m pretty sure I know who one of them is,” Nancy told him, and mentioned Kit Kadle, alias Tom Wilson. “It’s a good thing we’re going on the towboat trip for a few days. Maybe Kadle will think I’ve gone home and the group here won’t be harassed by intruders.”
    Art made no comment. As he looked off into space, Nancy wondered, “Can he still be sulking about meeting Ned?” They walked into the farmhouse and joined the line for a cafeteria breakfast. Art ate quickly and went back to his dormitory to pack. The others did not see him until a quarter to eleven when he trudged up the path carrying a suitcase.
    Nancy and Julie Anne were waiting for the helicopter to arrive. As the three looked up, they could see it coming. In a few minutes the whirlybird settled down onto the field near the farmhouse.
    The trio hurried forward to greet Roscoe Thompson. Nancy introduced Julie Anne, then the three passengers climbed the ladder into the cockpit. The pilot asked how everything had been going and was told there had been trouble at the dig.
    Nancy reported the disappearance of Bob Snell. suggesting that while Roscoe was flying around the area, he might keep his eyes open for anything suspicious.
    “I’ll do that. But why would anyone want to kidnap him?”
    “Nobody knows,” Art answered.
    Nancy did not intend to mention her own danger, but Julie Anne blurted it out.
    Roscoe’s eyes opened wide. “This is pretty bad,” he remarked. “You’re lucky those two fellows didn’t succeed.”
    “I agree,” Nancy said. “I believe you know one of the men as rom Wilson.”
    Roscoe looked surprised. “Is that so? But Wilson limps. How come you couldn’t catch him?”
    Art chuckled. “He had a limp until he was cornered and then he could run like a deer.”
    By this time the copter was coming in for a landing at a private field outside of Cairo. Roscoe borrowed a pilot friend’s car and drove his three passengers to town.