not overdo the request at this time.”
Dan felt her decision was a wise one. He added, however, “I can’t help but feel that we’re letting Mr. Rocco off too easy. I think Tony’s note should also warn his uncle that if he doesn’t agree to the arrangement, the boy will go at once to the police and report him.”
Nancy smiled. “That should throw a scare into the cruel man!”
Dan asked if Nancy intended to take the note to Mr. Rocco herself.
“Oh, no,” she replied. “This should be done secretly. He shouldn’t know I have anything to do with the case. When I was at the general store, I noticed an old oak tree across the road. It had a deep hollow in the trunk. A note would fit in there perfectly.”
Dan wagged his head and grinned. “It’s very refreshing and interesting to see a real live detective at work!”
Nancy asked him if he would speak to Tony in Italian and tell him what they had been talking about. Before Dan translated the boy’s answers, there was a good bit of conversation between the two. At times Tony would shake his head, at others he would look up at Dan and smile broadly.
Finally Dan was ready to translate. “Tony has agreed to everything,” he reported. “He likes the idea of staying with Eezy and knows he will be comfortable and safe there. The only thing he was not sure he wanted to do was threaten his uncle about going to the police. But finally he has agreed to do it. Shall we get started?”
Nancy nodded. The three rose from the ground and walked up the canyon wall. This was difficult. Treacherous, loose stones skidded under their feet.
Dan kept a tight grip on Nancy’s arm so that she would not fall. He tried to take Tony’s arm with his other hand, but the boy scooted up the precipice with the agility and speed of a mountain goat.
They finally reached the top and walked quickly across the fields to Eezy’s cabin. The elderly shepherd was standing up, shading his eyes with one hand, and looking all around. The young people wondered if some of his sheep might have strayed away.
As they drew closer, Eezy’s eyes grew large. When they were still a hundred yards away, he shouted at them, “Well, howdy! Howdyl And who is this boy with you?”
Nancy shouted back, “Don’t you recognize him? Look closely.”
The shepherd shook his head. As Nancy walked closer, she introduced Tony Rocco, then Dan White.
The shepherd laughed. “Oh, Dan and I are old friends. Miss Junie often brings him up here to see me.” Then, looking straight at Nancy, he added, “I’ll bet you have something interesting to tell me. What is it?”
The girl detective asked him, “How would you like a temporary guest?” The elderly man looked puzzled. Then Nancy explained the plan she and Dan had worked out.
When she told Eezy how Mr. Rocco beat the child, the herdsman scowled. “Fits right in with what I’ve heard all along about that man. You know I don’t like him. I wouldn’t trust him a quarter of an acre away.”
All this time Tony had stood by, silent and motionless. Now he asked Dan a question in Italian.
Instead of replying, Dan asked Eezy what his answer was. “Why of course I’ll take this boy in. I don’t get much company up here and it will be fun for me.” He asked, “Doesn’t Tony speak English?”
“No,” Dan replied.
Eezy snapped his fingers. “Then I’m going to start right in teaching him some. Any boy who lives in these United States should speak our language!”
Eezy produced pencil and paper, and Dan helped Tony compose a note to his uncle.
While he was doing this Eezy talked to Nancy. “So the boy was born in Italy and has been here ten years, but has never been allowed to speak anything but Italian.”
The shepherd looked off into the clouds, then said, “You know, Nancy, it says in the Good Book, ‘It is an ancient nation, whose language thou knowest not, neither understandeth what they say.’ ” 7
Nancy made no comment but she agreed
Dan felt her decision was a wise one. He added, however, “I can’t help but feel that we’re letting Mr. Rocco off too easy. I think Tony’s note should also warn his uncle that if he doesn’t agree to the arrangement, the boy will go at once to the police and report him.”
Nancy smiled. “That should throw a scare into the cruel man!”
Dan asked if Nancy intended to take the note to Mr. Rocco herself.
“Oh, no,” she replied. “This should be done secretly. He shouldn’t know I have anything to do with the case. When I was at the general store, I noticed an old oak tree across the road. It had a deep hollow in the trunk. A note would fit in there perfectly.”
Dan wagged his head and grinned. “It’s very refreshing and interesting to see a real live detective at work!”
Nancy asked him if he would speak to Tony in Italian and tell him what they had been talking about. Before Dan translated the boy’s answers, there was a good bit of conversation between the two. At times Tony would shake his head, at others he would look up at Dan and smile broadly.
Finally Dan was ready to translate. “Tony has agreed to everything,” he reported. “He likes the idea of staying with Eezy and knows he will be comfortable and safe there. The only thing he was not sure he wanted to do was threaten his uncle about going to the police. But finally he has agreed to do it. Shall we get started?”
Nancy nodded. The three rose from the ground and walked up the canyon wall. This was difficult. Treacherous, loose stones skidded under their feet.
Dan kept a tight grip on Nancy’s arm so that she would not fall. He tried to take Tony’s arm with his other hand, but the boy scooted up the precipice with the agility and speed of a mountain goat.
They finally reached the top and walked quickly across the fields to Eezy’s cabin. The elderly shepherd was standing up, shading his eyes with one hand, and looking all around. The young people wondered if some of his sheep might have strayed away.
As they drew closer, Eezy’s eyes grew large. When they were still a hundred yards away, he shouted at them, “Well, howdy! Howdyl And who is this boy with you?”
Nancy shouted back, “Don’t you recognize him? Look closely.”
The shepherd shook his head. As Nancy walked closer, she introduced Tony Rocco, then Dan White.
The shepherd laughed. “Oh, Dan and I are old friends. Miss Junie often brings him up here to see me.” Then, looking straight at Nancy, he added, “I’ll bet you have something interesting to tell me. What is it?”
The girl detective asked him, “How would you like a temporary guest?” The elderly man looked puzzled. Then Nancy explained the plan she and Dan had worked out.
When she told Eezy how Mr. Rocco beat the child, the herdsman scowled. “Fits right in with what I’ve heard all along about that man. You know I don’t like him. I wouldn’t trust him a quarter of an acre away.”
All this time Tony had stood by, silent and motionless. Now he asked Dan a question in Italian.
Instead of replying, Dan asked Eezy what his answer was. “Why of course I’ll take this boy in. I don’t get much company up here and it will be fun for me.” He asked, “Doesn’t Tony speak English?”
“No,” Dan replied.
Eezy snapped his fingers. “Then I’m going to start right in teaching him some. Any boy who lives in these United States should speak our language!”
Eezy produced pencil and paper, and Dan helped Tony compose a note to his uncle.
While he was doing this Eezy talked to Nancy. “So the boy was born in Italy and has been here ten years, but has never been allowed to speak anything but Italian.”
The shepherd looked off into the clouds, then said, “You know, Nancy, it says in the Good Book, ‘It is an ancient nation, whose language thou knowest not, neither understandeth what they say.’ ” 7
Nancy made no comment but she agreed
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