knows the bay. He could act as guide and protector.”
Dr. Anderson smiled. “That’s different,” he said. “I’ll talk to Miss Oakes’s cousin when we get to Miami, and if he seems the proper sort, I think we can arrange things.”
After that, the professor yawned a few times and began to doze. Even Nancy, excited as she was, at last went to sleep. When she awakened, the other students were excitedly scanning the view far below them. Nancy left her place by the professor and walked back to take the vacant seat beside Fran Oakes.
“Pines and lakes and palm trees,” Fran said. “We must be over Florida.”
Nancy told her new friend that Dr. Anderson might allow them to go exploring together on a field trip of their own.
“Do you think Jack Walker would take us in his motorboat?” she asked.
“He’d love to!” Fran declared.
After a hearty lunch on the plane, the travelers landed in Miami. The Southern Skies Guest House, where Nancy and five other girls were to stay, proved to be a very attractive place. Its palmstudded yard sloped to the edge of a pleasant inland waterway.
“Jack can bring his motorboat right to our door, Nancy,” Fran Oakes cried happily.
Mrs. Young, the guest-house owner, showed Nancy and her friends to two double rooms, then told them to make themselves comfortable. The girls thanked her, unpacked, then went for a swim.
That evening the student group assembled in the dining room of a hotel up the street. Professor Anderson outlined some local points of interest, then gave the students their assignments for the following days.
Nancy was awakened the next morning by Fran, who told her that Jack Walker was coming to the hotel at eight o’clock. They took quick showers and dressed.
Jack proved to be a good-looking man in his early thirties, serious-minded and athletic. Dr. Anderson seemed to take a liking to him.
“Miss Oakes and Miss Drew want to arrange their own field trip,” he said. “If you can give them some time, I’ll grant permission.”
“I’ll take the job—my boat’s in A-1 shape.” Jack grinned.
They skimmed over the blue water for two hours. Nancy tried to map out in her mind the complicated waterways of the area, but admitted defeat. At last they returned to the dock.
“I wish we could do our research on water skis.” Fran sighed.
Jack wanted to know what the research was. “It had better be interesting,” he teased.
“Nancy is treasure hunting,” Fran explained. “She’s looking for an island called Black Key. Know where it is?”
“Never heard of it. But I know the right man to tell her. His name is Two Line Parker.”
“What a funny name!” Fran giggled.
Jack took them to see the bearded old fisherman, who lived in a tiny white cottage on the waterfront. His eyes twinkling, he told them how he had received his curious nickname.
“I kin manage two lines at once,” he boasted, “just as easy as most folks handle one. Tell you ’bout the time I got me two big fish, one on the left side o’ the boat, one on the right side. They was tuggin’ so hard, I thought they’d pull me clean apart.”
“Did you bring both fish in?” Nancy asked.
“Sure did,” said Two Line. “I just tied those two lines together and let the fish fight it out. When they got tired, I pulled ’em in easy.”
The old fisherman laughed uproariously and winked at Jack. Then he asked what he could do for them.
“This young lady,” said Jack, indicating Nancy, “is looking for treasure on the Florida Keys. Have you any ideas, Two Line?”
The old man became thoughtful. “I don’t rightly know where to lay my hands on any at the present. But a heap o’ treasure has been buried time and agin on the Keys.”
“What kind of treasure?” Fran asked.
“Smugglers’ stuff. The Keys used to be a great place for smugglers. And then there was the pirates. They’d make raids on the cargo ships that passed this way.”
“Didn’t our Navy try to capture
Dr. Anderson smiled. “That’s different,” he said. “I’ll talk to Miss Oakes’s cousin when we get to Miami, and if he seems the proper sort, I think we can arrange things.”
After that, the professor yawned a few times and began to doze. Even Nancy, excited as she was, at last went to sleep. When she awakened, the other students were excitedly scanning the view far below them. Nancy left her place by the professor and walked back to take the vacant seat beside Fran Oakes.
“Pines and lakes and palm trees,” Fran said. “We must be over Florida.”
Nancy told her new friend that Dr. Anderson might allow them to go exploring together on a field trip of their own.
“Do you think Jack Walker would take us in his motorboat?” she asked.
“He’d love to!” Fran declared.
After a hearty lunch on the plane, the travelers landed in Miami. The Southern Skies Guest House, where Nancy and five other girls were to stay, proved to be a very attractive place. Its palmstudded yard sloped to the edge of a pleasant inland waterway.
“Jack can bring his motorboat right to our door, Nancy,” Fran Oakes cried happily.
Mrs. Young, the guest-house owner, showed Nancy and her friends to two double rooms, then told them to make themselves comfortable. The girls thanked her, unpacked, then went for a swim.
That evening the student group assembled in the dining room of a hotel up the street. Professor Anderson outlined some local points of interest, then gave the students their assignments for the following days.
Nancy was awakened the next morning by Fran, who told her that Jack Walker was coming to the hotel at eight o’clock. They took quick showers and dressed.
Jack proved to be a good-looking man in his early thirties, serious-minded and athletic. Dr. Anderson seemed to take a liking to him.
“Miss Oakes and Miss Drew want to arrange their own field trip,” he said. “If you can give them some time, I’ll grant permission.”
“I’ll take the job—my boat’s in A-1 shape.” Jack grinned.
They skimmed over the blue water for two hours. Nancy tried to map out in her mind the complicated waterways of the area, but admitted defeat. At last they returned to the dock.
“I wish we could do our research on water skis.” Fran sighed.
Jack wanted to know what the research was. “It had better be interesting,” he teased.
“Nancy is treasure hunting,” Fran explained. “She’s looking for an island called Black Key. Know where it is?”
“Never heard of it. But I know the right man to tell her. His name is Two Line Parker.”
“What a funny name!” Fran giggled.
Jack took them to see the bearded old fisherman, who lived in a tiny white cottage on the waterfront. His eyes twinkling, he told them how he had received his curious nickname.
“I kin manage two lines at once,” he boasted, “just as easy as most folks handle one. Tell you ’bout the time I got me two big fish, one on the left side o’ the boat, one on the right side. They was tuggin’ so hard, I thought they’d pull me clean apart.”
“Did you bring both fish in?” Nancy asked.
“Sure did,” said Two Line. “I just tied those two lines together and let the fish fight it out. When they got tired, I pulled ’em in easy.”
The old fisherman laughed uproariously and winked at Jack. Then he asked what he could do for them.
“This young lady,” said Jack, indicating Nancy, “is looking for treasure on the Florida Keys. Have you any ideas, Two Line?”
The old man became thoughtful. “I don’t rightly know where to lay my hands on any at the present. But a heap o’ treasure has been buried time and agin on the Keys.”
“What kind of treasure?” Fran asked.
“Smugglers’ stuff. The Keys used to be a great place for smugglers. And then there was the pirates. They’d make raids on the cargo ships that passed this way.”
“Didn’t our Navy try to capture
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