“Don’t you remember? Kaahupahau, the Queen of the Sharks, keeps the man-eaters away?”
George now spoke up. “There may not be any man-eating sharks around here, but there are some human sharks.”
She related that a man whom Kiyabu and Emma had never seen before had come to the estate right after Nancy left. He had said that Mr. Dutton had sent him because he was a dealer in antiques and was willing to buy some of the valuable objects.
“But the sums he offered for them were perfectly ridiculous,” George reported.
Burt declared that he was sure the man was not a dealer at all. “I think he was just a snooper, probably one of the Double Scorps.”
Nancy was disturbed by the information. Jumping up, she declared, “I’ve been playing long enough. I must get back to work on the mystery at once!”
Bess’s face broke into a broad grin. “Nancy, while you were gone, Dave and I did some sleuthing,” she announced proudly. “Wait until you hear what we found out!”
CHAPTER XV
The Silversword’s Secret
AFTER Nancy had showered and put on a sports dress, the young people gathered in the garden and Bess began her story.
“We decided to try surprising you,” she said. “Dave and I kept thinking about that woman who seemed to come from underneath the pavilion. So we decided to look for a secret opening.”
“And we found one!” Dave told the young sleuth. “I feel now as though I really belong on your detective team, Nancy!”
“There’s a cunningly concealed door in the foundation,” Bess continued. “It swings inward on a hinge. The door was left slightly ajar.”
Nancy was thrilled. “Did you find anything underneath the pavilion?”
“Yes, we did,” Dave replied. “There’s a three-foot space between the ground and the floor of the pavilion. I began digging in the dirt and this is what I came up with.”
The young man reached behind a nearby bush and brought out a small metal chest. He opened the lid and took out a piece of paper on which were a drawing and two identical symbols that looked a little like men. They were joined at the base.
Nancy stared at them. “Why, this a sketch of a silversword plant!” she exclaimed. “The only place in the world that it grows is in the Haleakala Crater over on the island of Maui.”
“You’re practically right,” Burt spoke up. “There also are some silversword plants in desolate sections of the island of Hawaii.”
“Anyway, it’s a marvelous clue, I’m sure,” said Nancy. “Did you find out what these symbols mean?” she asked excitedly.
George grinned. “The translation is my contribution to this clue,” she said. “The symbol is na kanata and that’s Polynesian for men. I asked Kiyabu and he found an old book with ancient symbols of the Pacific islands.”
Nancy was delighted with the additional find. “This is simply wonderful. Thanks a million!”
When Bess asked what the next move would be, Nancy said, “I think we should go to Haleakala Crater and try to find out if this clue was Grandfather Sakamaki’s method of giving directions to whatever treasure he secreted.”
“You mean,” George spoke up, “Kupunakane Sakamaki.” She chuckled. “That is Grandfather in Hawaiian.”
Nancy laughed. “George, you’ve certainly been busy. All right, this is a clue, I’m sure, to Kupunakane Sakamaki’s secret.”
“You mean, it’s a summons to the crater?” Bess asked and Nancy nodded.
Ned had said little up to this time. Now he voiced the opinion that possibly the woman in the white muumuu who had crawled from beneath the Golden Pavilion had buried the chest and it was not connected with the secret at all.
“But why would she do such a thing?” Bess asked.
“To draw Nancy Drew away from Kaluakua,” Ned replied.
“If that was her reason,” George spoke up, “surely she wouldn’t put it in such an obscure place.”
“Remember, she left the door ajar,” Nancy said.
The young people talked at length
George now spoke up. “There may not be any man-eating sharks around here, but there are some human sharks.”
She related that a man whom Kiyabu and Emma had never seen before had come to the estate right after Nancy left. He had said that Mr. Dutton had sent him because he was a dealer in antiques and was willing to buy some of the valuable objects.
“But the sums he offered for them were perfectly ridiculous,” George reported.
Burt declared that he was sure the man was not a dealer at all. “I think he was just a snooper, probably one of the Double Scorps.”
Nancy was disturbed by the information. Jumping up, she declared, “I’ve been playing long enough. I must get back to work on the mystery at once!”
Bess’s face broke into a broad grin. “Nancy, while you were gone, Dave and I did some sleuthing,” she announced proudly. “Wait until you hear what we found out!”
CHAPTER XV
The Silversword’s Secret
AFTER Nancy had showered and put on a sports dress, the young people gathered in the garden and Bess began her story.
“We decided to try surprising you,” she said. “Dave and I kept thinking about that woman who seemed to come from underneath the pavilion. So we decided to look for a secret opening.”
“And we found one!” Dave told the young sleuth. “I feel now as though I really belong on your detective team, Nancy!”
“There’s a cunningly concealed door in the foundation,” Bess continued. “It swings inward on a hinge. The door was left slightly ajar.”
Nancy was thrilled. “Did you find anything underneath the pavilion?”
“Yes, we did,” Dave replied. “There’s a three-foot space between the ground and the floor of the pavilion. I began digging in the dirt and this is what I came up with.”
The young man reached behind a nearby bush and brought out a small metal chest. He opened the lid and took out a piece of paper on which were a drawing and two identical symbols that looked a little like men. They were joined at the base.
Nancy stared at them. “Why, this a sketch of a silversword plant!” she exclaimed. “The only place in the world that it grows is in the Haleakala Crater over on the island of Maui.”
“You’re practically right,” Burt spoke up. “There also are some silversword plants in desolate sections of the island of Hawaii.”
“Anyway, it’s a marvelous clue, I’m sure,” said Nancy. “Did you find out what these symbols mean?” she asked excitedly.
George grinned. “The translation is my contribution to this clue,” she said. “The symbol is na kanata and that’s Polynesian for men. I asked Kiyabu and he found an old book with ancient symbols of the Pacific islands.”
Nancy was delighted with the additional find. “This is simply wonderful. Thanks a million!”
When Bess asked what the next move would be, Nancy said, “I think we should go to Haleakala Crater and try to find out if this clue was Grandfather Sakamaki’s method of giving directions to whatever treasure he secreted.”
“You mean,” George spoke up, “Kupunakane Sakamaki.” She chuckled. “That is Grandfather in Hawaiian.”
Nancy laughed. “George, you’ve certainly been busy. All right, this is a clue, I’m sure, to Kupunakane Sakamaki’s secret.”
“You mean, it’s a summons to the crater?” Bess asked and Nancy nodded.
Ned had said little up to this time. Now he voiced the opinion that possibly the woman in the white muumuu who had crawled from beneath the Golden Pavilion had buried the chest and it was not connected with the secret at all.
“But why would she do such a thing?” Bess asked.
“To draw Nancy Drew away from Kaluakua,” Ned replied.
“If that was her reason,” George spoke up, “surely she wouldn’t put it in such an obscure place.”
“Remember, she left the door ajar,” Nancy said.
The young people talked at length
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