entirely. It would be interesting to see how fast Eezy could teach Tony some English. “He seems very bright and I’m sure he’ll catch on quickly,” the girl detective thought.
She reminded Eezy that Tony apparently had great talent as an artist. “While he’s here, why don’t you give him some paper and pencils and let him sketch? I’m sure that will make the boy very happy.”
“I’ll start as soon as you folks leave,” the shepherd promised.
By this time Tony had finished the note. Dan folded it and put the message into his pocket. As he and Nancy started off, she called back, “We’ll return tomorrow.” Dan repeated the message in Italian and Tony smiled.
When the two hikers reached the Flockhart farmhouse, they found Junie waiting there with Dan’s car. “Tell me what happened!” she urged.
Nancy and Dan told her the whole story. Then they went on to say that they had not discussed Mr. Rocco’s possible underhanded deals with Eezy because of Tony’s presence.
“When are you going to get in touch with Mr. Rocco?” she asked Dan.
“Right now. I hope he will be at home.”
Someone else answered Dan’s call. He asked for Mr. Rocco in Italian and wondered what the man on the other end of the line was thinking. “I’m sure he’s puzzled,” Dan decided, smiling at the situation.
This was confirmed when Mr. Rocco answered. He inquired who the speaker was and where he was from.
Dan did not reply. Instead he said, “Go to the big oak tree opposite the general store for a note to you from Tony.” He hung up.
When Dan returned to the girls, Junie asked him, “How soon do you think we should go look for an answer?”
“Not until tomorrow morning,” he said. “What do you think, Nancy?”
The girl detective nodded. “For one thing there might be trouble when someone picks up the answer to Tony’s message. If so, it would be much better to have it happen in the daylight.”
Dan stayed at the Flockharts’ overnight. He and the girls were up early to drive to town for a possible answer to Tony’s note. They had decided to use his car and to park it some distance from the oak tree, yet close enough so those remaining inside could have a clear view of what was happening.
When they reached the spot, Dan got out and walked quickly up the road to the tree. The girls, who were watching carefully for any attack on him, merely saw him take an envelope from the hollow in the tree, wrinkle his forehead, and then start back to the car.
He jumped in, then said, “What do you make of this?”
The envelope he had picked up had printed words on it, which said, “To the kidnappers of Tony Rocco.”
“Kidnappers!” Junie cried out. “We’re not kidnappers! We’re only trying to help the mistreated boy!”
Nancy did not comment, but was thinking hard. “This is a new angle. If Mr. Rocco has some spies around, they may track us right to Triple Creek Farm and demand the return of the boy or go to the police and charge the Flockharts and Dan and me with kidnapping!”
This was a twist Nancy had not counted on. By this time Junie had torn open the envelope and removed a slip of paper inside. Again it was addressed to Tony’s kidnappers, and read:
If you are looking for a ransom, forget it. I have nothing to fear from the police, but you certainly have.
Sal Rocco.
While Junie read the note aloud, Nancy looked in all directions to see if she could find any spies. Her eyes became riveted on some heavy bushes a distance in back of the oak tree. Was she mistaken, or did she detect some movement behind it? As she continued to stare, she was positive that two men stood there, peering through the bushes and up the road toward the car.
“Mr. Rocco did have spies!” she decided.
Nancy relayed her thoughts to the others and suggested that Dan take a circuitous route to Triple Creek Farm to throw off pursuit by their enemies. Junie directed Dan to drive down one road and up another and finally all
She reminded Eezy that Tony apparently had great talent as an artist. “While he’s here, why don’t you give him some paper and pencils and let him sketch? I’m sure that will make the boy very happy.”
“I’ll start as soon as you folks leave,” the shepherd promised.
By this time Tony had finished the note. Dan folded it and put the message into his pocket. As he and Nancy started off, she called back, “We’ll return tomorrow.” Dan repeated the message in Italian and Tony smiled.
When the two hikers reached the Flockhart farmhouse, they found Junie waiting there with Dan’s car. “Tell me what happened!” she urged.
Nancy and Dan told her the whole story. Then they went on to say that they had not discussed Mr. Rocco’s possible underhanded deals with Eezy because of Tony’s presence.
“When are you going to get in touch with Mr. Rocco?” she asked Dan.
“Right now. I hope he will be at home.”
Someone else answered Dan’s call. He asked for Mr. Rocco in Italian and wondered what the man on the other end of the line was thinking. “I’m sure he’s puzzled,” Dan decided, smiling at the situation.
This was confirmed when Mr. Rocco answered. He inquired who the speaker was and where he was from.
Dan did not reply. Instead he said, “Go to the big oak tree opposite the general store for a note to you from Tony.” He hung up.
When Dan returned to the girls, Junie asked him, “How soon do you think we should go look for an answer?”
“Not until tomorrow morning,” he said. “What do you think, Nancy?”
The girl detective nodded. “For one thing there might be trouble when someone picks up the answer to Tony’s message. If so, it would be much better to have it happen in the daylight.”
Dan stayed at the Flockharts’ overnight. He and the girls were up early to drive to town for a possible answer to Tony’s note. They had decided to use his car and to park it some distance from the oak tree, yet close enough so those remaining inside could have a clear view of what was happening.
When they reached the spot, Dan got out and walked quickly up the road to the tree. The girls, who were watching carefully for any attack on him, merely saw him take an envelope from the hollow in the tree, wrinkle his forehead, and then start back to the car.
He jumped in, then said, “What do you make of this?”
The envelope he had picked up had printed words on it, which said, “To the kidnappers of Tony Rocco.”
“Kidnappers!” Junie cried out. “We’re not kidnappers! We’re only trying to help the mistreated boy!”
Nancy did not comment, but was thinking hard. “This is a new angle. If Mr. Rocco has some spies around, they may track us right to Triple Creek Farm and demand the return of the boy or go to the police and charge the Flockharts and Dan and me with kidnapping!”
This was a twist Nancy had not counted on. By this time Junie had torn open the envelope and removed a slip of paper inside. Again it was addressed to Tony’s kidnappers, and read:
If you are looking for a ransom, forget it. I have nothing to fear from the police, but you certainly have.
Sal Rocco.
While Junie read the note aloud, Nancy looked in all directions to see if she could find any spies. Her eyes became riveted on some heavy bushes a distance in back of the oak tree. Was she mistaken, or did she detect some movement behind it? As she continued to stare, she was positive that two men stood there, peering through the bushes and up the road toward the car.
“Mr. Rocco did have spies!” she decided.
Nancy relayed her thoughts to the others and suggested that Dan take a circuitous route to Triple Creek Farm to throw off pursuit by their enemies. Junie directed Dan to drive down one road and up another and finally all
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