Free Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew by The Kachina Doll Mystery Page A

this at me,” Nancy told her, extending the arrow for George’s inspection. “Luckily, I saw someone moving and dodged behind the tree, or—she shuddered, unable to finish the sentence.
    “Let’s go inside,” George said, a frown marring her attractive features. “This is just terrible! Someone’s making an attempt on your life every day!”
    “But why?” Nancy asked. “Why would anyone try to harm me, George? I haven’t even come close to solving either of the mysteries here. I don’t know why the Kachinas are haunting the house, and I haven’t been able to clear Ngyun’s name.” The young sleuth clenched her fist in frustration. “So far all I’ve done is to get Dancer injured and lose Jake Harris’s journal.”
    “You found it first,” George reminded her as they walked into the cool kitchen, where Bess was sitting at the table sipping some lemonade and sampling the cookies that Maria was taking from the oven. “You must know something dangerous to someone.”
    “But what?” Nancy asked, putting the arrow on the table and sinking wearily into a chair. “And whom could I be a danger to?”
    “What are you talking about?” Bess inquired.
    “Nancy almost got shot with this arrow,” George said and explained what happened.
    Bess’s face turned white. “Oh, Nancy!” she cried. “What are we going to do?”
    Maria had been busy taking more cookies out of the oven, and had not paid attention to the girls’ conversation. Now she came over to the table and stared at the arrow.
    “Where did you find this?” she asked.
    “Do you know whose it is?” Nancy countered, reviving as her detective instincts returned.
    “It’s Ngyun’s,” Maria answered without hesitation. “My cousin makes arrows and he does special fletching—the feathered part—for the family. See the pattern of red feathers worked into the black and gray.”
    Nancy nodded. “I knew the arrow was homemade,” she admitted.
    “Where did you find it?” Maria asked a second time. “Don’t tell me he’s been shooting the cactus again. ”
    “Someone shot it at Nancy,” George spoke up. “She moved out of the way just in time, so it hit a tree.”
    “Nancy!” Maria paled. “You don’t think ... Ngyun wouldn’t ...” The woman sank down in the empty chair, dropping the arrow as though it had burned her fingers.
    “I’m positive it wasn’t Ngyun,” Nancy assured her, “but how would someone else get one of his arrows?”
    Maria sighed. “He’s lost some by shooting them into brush or cactus,” she answered, looking only slightly relieved. “My cousin gave him a dozen when Ngyun’s grandfather showed him how to use the bow, and I think he has eight or nine left. Would you like me to go up and see?”
    Nancy shook her head. “I don’t want him to think that I suspect him of shooting the arrow at me. In fact, I think it might be a good idea not to say anything about this to anyone else.” She looked at Bess and George.
    “But if you’re in danger, Nancy, we should tell someone,” Bess protested.
    “I’ll just have to be more careful till I find out who wants to get rid of me,” Nancy replied. “Meantime, I don’t want Chuck and Heather worrying any more. And I don’t want them telling their grandfather. Mr. McGuire was very disturbed when he heard about the fire. Chuck says he might have to stay in the hospital several more days because of it.”
    “He’d be terribly upset if he knew,” Maria agreed. “But if there really is someone out there who means you harm, Nancy, you must not take any more chances. I’d rather send Ngyun back to his mother and her people than have you risk your life trying to clear his name. And you know that Chuck and Heather would feel the same way about you trying to solve their mystery.”
    Nancy nodded. “They’ve already told me that,” she admitted. “But don’t you see, if someone wants to hurt me, there has to be a reason. I must be close to finding out the