the ground beside the gate, his massive head resting quietly but watchfully between his paws. Nancy looked at him and bit her lip in vexation.
“Guess there’s only one thing to do,” she reflected. “That’s to wait until somebody comes and takes the brute away.”
An hour passed, Nancy hoping against hope. Apparently the dog had been stationed beside the gate for the night.
A bold plan half formed in her mind, and she searched the ground along the fence until she found a rock beneath a shrub.
“It’s dark enough now,” she decided.
She stole stealthily among the trees and bushes in the direction of the dog. When about fifty feet from him, she stopped and took stock of her position. The ground that separated her from the dog was bare.
She weighed the small rock in her hand. Then she carefully approximated the length of the dog’s leash.
“Here’s hoping!” she murmured. Aiming at a spot on the fence, Nancy let the rock fly with unerring accuracy. The mastiff bounded to his feet as the rock struck the boards with a loud noise and ricocheted into some bushes. He stared at the spot and bared his teeth in a low growl. Then he trotted alertly toward the fence and nosed among the foliage.
Nancy stood poised on the balls of her feet, waiting until the dog had gone as far from the gate as his leash would permit. Then she darted forward, lifted the latch, and tugged at the gate.
The mastiff heard her and raced back with a fierce snarl. For a frightening instant, Nancy thought the gate would never open. Then it swung in, and she ran outside the enclosure a split second ahead of the dog!
Glancing over her shoulder, Nancy saw the dog lunge and paw the air as he came to the end of his leash. Angry barks filled the night. As Nancy dashed among the trees, she heard excited women’s voices from the enclosure.
“Oh, I hope they don’t let that beast loose!” Nancy said fervently.
In the darkness she could not at once determine the direction she should take but dared not pause.
“I must get away!” she told herself.
Running as rapidly as she could in the darkness, ducking under low-hanging branches, dodging around bushes, she suddenly stumbled onto a narrow dirt lane. It appeared to be the same one Nancy and the two cousins had found earlier. Assuming it must lead to the gravel road, Nancy followed the path thankfully.
But her relief was short-lived! Bright white beams of light began to flash among the trees a distance behind her.
Her pursuers had picked up her trail! With the advantage of light, they began to gain on her. Her breath coming fast, Nancy went on around a bend in the lane. She stopped short.
Coming toward her along the winding path was a car. Its high beam lights blinded her temporarily. The driver surely had seen her. Now there certainly was no chance of escape!
Suddenly a wild thought came to Nancy. Maybe this was unexpected aid! Perhaps the girls had fled from the mysterious woods to summon help.
Nancy stared at the car tensely. With a gentle squeal of brakes, it rolled to a stop. Its lights dimmed.
Was she to be rescued or captured?
CHAPTER XV
Hot on the Trail
NANCY stood frozen to the spot. Not a sound permeated the woods from the direction of the car.
Then from somewhere behind her came a woman’s voice: “That dog must have opened the gate! You know he did it once before. We may as well go back.”
Nancy was jubilant. The Lavender Sisters did not know she had been inside the enclosure! But there was still uncertainty ahead. Courageously she stood her ground to see what would happen down the lane. A moment later a small figure bounded out of the darkness.
“Togo!” Nancy exclaimed joyously, and she hurried forward. In a few moments she was joined by Bess, George, Dick Milton, and Hannah Gruen.
“Nancy! Nancy, are you all right?” Hannah whispered hoarsely.
She stopped breathlessly in front of Nancy and hugged her.
“Yes, I’m all right. But I’m certainly glad to see
“Guess there’s only one thing to do,” she reflected. “That’s to wait until somebody comes and takes the brute away.”
An hour passed, Nancy hoping against hope. Apparently the dog had been stationed beside the gate for the night.
A bold plan half formed in her mind, and she searched the ground along the fence until she found a rock beneath a shrub.
“It’s dark enough now,” she decided.
She stole stealthily among the trees and bushes in the direction of the dog. When about fifty feet from him, she stopped and took stock of her position. The ground that separated her from the dog was bare.
She weighed the small rock in her hand. Then she carefully approximated the length of the dog’s leash.
“Here’s hoping!” she murmured. Aiming at a spot on the fence, Nancy let the rock fly with unerring accuracy. The mastiff bounded to his feet as the rock struck the boards with a loud noise and ricocheted into some bushes. He stared at the spot and bared his teeth in a low growl. Then he trotted alertly toward the fence and nosed among the foliage.
Nancy stood poised on the balls of her feet, waiting until the dog had gone as far from the gate as his leash would permit. Then she darted forward, lifted the latch, and tugged at the gate.
The mastiff heard her and raced back with a fierce snarl. For a frightening instant, Nancy thought the gate would never open. Then it swung in, and she ran outside the enclosure a split second ahead of the dog!
Glancing over her shoulder, Nancy saw the dog lunge and paw the air as he came to the end of his leash. Angry barks filled the night. As Nancy dashed among the trees, she heard excited women’s voices from the enclosure.
“Oh, I hope they don’t let that beast loose!” Nancy said fervently.
In the darkness she could not at once determine the direction she should take but dared not pause.
“I must get away!” she told herself.
Running as rapidly as she could in the darkness, ducking under low-hanging branches, dodging around bushes, she suddenly stumbled onto a narrow dirt lane. It appeared to be the same one Nancy and the two cousins had found earlier. Assuming it must lead to the gravel road, Nancy followed the path thankfully.
But her relief was short-lived! Bright white beams of light began to flash among the trees a distance behind her.
Her pursuers had picked up her trail! With the advantage of light, they began to gain on her. Her breath coming fast, Nancy went on around a bend in the lane. She stopped short.
Coming toward her along the winding path was a car. Its high beam lights blinded her temporarily. The driver surely had seen her. Now there certainly was no chance of escape!
Suddenly a wild thought came to Nancy. Maybe this was unexpected aid! Perhaps the girls had fled from the mysterious woods to summon help.
Nancy stared at the car tensely. With a gentle squeal of brakes, it rolled to a stop. Its lights dimmed.
Was she to be rescued or captured?
CHAPTER XV
Hot on the Trail
NANCY stood frozen to the spot. Not a sound permeated the woods from the direction of the car.
Then from somewhere behind her came a woman’s voice: “That dog must have opened the gate! You know he did it once before. We may as well go back.”
Nancy was jubilant. The Lavender Sisters did not know she had been inside the enclosure! But there was still uncertainty ahead. Courageously she stood her ground to see what would happen down the lane. A moment later a small figure bounded out of the darkness.
“Togo!” Nancy exclaimed joyously, and she hurried forward. In a few moments she was joined by Bess, George, Dick Milton, and Hannah Gruen.
“Nancy! Nancy, are you all right?” Hannah whispered hoarsely.
She stopped breathlessly in front of Nancy and hugged her.
“Yes, I’m all right. But I’m certainly glad to see
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