Both lockers were opened but contained only an assortment of old rags. Nothing was wedged under the slatted floorboards.
“If there was ever anything hidden in this old wreck,” said George, “it has long since floated away or been taken.”
Nancy agreed. “Let’s leave it on the shore so the woman can have a chance to look at it.”
Bess spoke up. “You keep referring to that mysterious figure as if she were a real person. I think it’s just some funny way the mist rolls in here that makes it look like a woman.”
Nancy said nothing but she was convinced a live person was involved.
The group was very hungry and all helped prepare the evening meal. An hour later they began to eat.
“This baked chicken is scrumptious,” George complimented Nancy. “You’re some cook.”
“But it won’t match Bess’s dessert!” she replied, winking at her friend.
Broad smiles crossed their faces when Bess later came from the kitchen and set down the delectable dish. Atop the thickly frosted chocolate roll were huge walnuts. The first slice was passed to Aunt Eloise.
After tasting it, she announced with a smile, “It’s good, but I prefer my walnuts dipped in chocolate rather than pickled.”
“Pickled walnuts?” Bess asked incredulously.
Miss Drew nodded. “You got these from a jar I bought in the village. The pickling is based on a colonial recipe. Back in those days preserves and pickles were often made from such foods as green walnuts, barberries, parsley, even nasturtium buds.”
After the first bite the diners got used to the unusual taste. As Bess was directing her attention to a second slice of cake, George cast an annoyed glance at her cousin.
“Pretty soon you’ll look like a sweet roll!” the slim girl quipped.
“That’s not fair, George Fayne,” her cousin returned.
Aunt Eloise and Nancy glanced at each other and decided it was time to change the subject.
As the girls finished tidying the kitchen, Nancy said, “Who’s game to hike up the mountain and try to prove or disprove the stories of the green sorcerer?”
George was eager to go, but Bess was not keen about it.
“How about you, Aunt Eloise?” Nancy asked.
Miss Drew smiled. “I wouldn’t think of letting you go alone, and besides I’m interested in seeing what’s up there. Let’s all make the climb.”
Each carried a flashlight but did not use it at once since it was not yet dusk. The foursome had been climbing for about ten minutes when they heard footsteps. Presently a man came toward them. He was dressed in woodsman’s clothes and carried a small bag like those used for tools.
“Good evening,” he said pleasantly. Then he added, “Isn’t it kind of late for you ladies to be climbing the mountain? There are many holes along this so-called trail. You’re lucky you didn’t turn an ankle on your way up.”
Aunt Eloise said, “I’m sure we’ll be perfectly all right. We’ll be careful.”
The man frowned. He was rather short but had an athletic build and looked very strong. “I beg you not to go any farther in the dark. It’s too dangerous. I’ll be glad to help you down the mountain.”
Nancy thanked him for his solicitousness but said they would like to go a little farther. She was tempted to ask him if he had ever seen the green man, yet instinct told her not to.
Without another word the man went on down the mountain trail. Aunt Eloise and the girls climbed upward. Suddenly the woods began to sparkle with infinitesimal lights.
“Fireflies!” Nancy exclaimed. “When we get back, let’s gather some in a jar and watch the little insects turn their lights off and on.”
The trekkers had gone only a short distance when suddenly they heard a shrill whistle like those used by the police.
“What’s that for?” George asked.
“Perhaps it was some kind of a signal,” Nancy replied. “The sound seemed to come from below, so maybe the man who passed us blew it to warn some friends who are up here.”
Bess looked very unhappy. “I’m sure we’re heading for trouble,” she insisted. “Please, let’s go back to the cabin!”
But she was the only one who wanted to stop the hunt. Contrary to what the man had said, Aunt Eloise and the girls had found no holes. With the glow from their flashlights and the many fireflies, they were able to detect rough spots.
Bess became more and more nervous. “I just know there’s danger ahead. Maybe it’s only intuition, but I think we should give up!”
Nancy had another idea. “If there are people on the mountain carrying on some illegal operation,” she said, “they’ve certainly been forewarned of the approach of strangers.” She suggested that they turn off their flashlights and stop talking. “Let’s hide behind trees.”
Five minutes later the strange apparition of the green man appeared a little distance ahead. He was swathed in a weird flickering light, and his face had an eerie greenish hue.
“Oh!” Bess cried out involuntarily.
At that moment a deep sonorous voice began to speak. Was it coming from the green man or from someone else nearby?
“I am the sorcerer,” the voice said. “Return to your cabin at once! Trouble there!”
CHAPTER V
A Rescue
Ess was already running pell-mell down the hill, her flashlight pointing the way. “Come on! Hurry!” she cried out.
The other girls seemed mesmerized by the strange figure. Miss Drew insisted that they leave and finally they followed her. Nancy was last in line. She turned to look back.
The green apparition was gone!
Nancy was puzzled. “How had the man accomplished such an instantaneous exit?” she asked herself. “Of course he could have turned out the light surrounding him, but what about his clothing which definitely had glowed with a green hue even in the dark?
“I’m coming up here again in the daylight to find out what’s going on,” she determined.
When the group reached Mirror Bay Bide-A-Wee they were relieved to find the cabin untouched. To be sure there was nothing explosive or otherwise dangerous, they searched every inch of the place, inside and out. They did not come upon anything harmful.
“That sorcerer just wanted to get rid of us,” George said in disgust.
“One thing is sure,” Nancy remarked. “Yo, Karen, and all of us have seen the green man, so we know he does exist.”
Bess spoke up. “I wish he’d go out of existence and the sooner the better!”
The climb up the mountainside and the quick descent had given everyone an appetite. They enjoyed a late evening snack of cheese and fruit, then went to bed.
Nancy was first to awaken the next morning. It was still early but instantly she thought of the figure that might be gliding across the water.
“Maybe I could see her more clearly this time,” she thought and hurried out to the porch.
The mist was not so heavy as the previous day and she could plainly see a woman with graying hair and wearing white slacks and sweater moving across the water.
When Nancy looked more intently, it occurred to her that the figure was not gliding but walking. The stranger kept going out deeper and deeper until the water reached her knees.
“How far is she going?” Nancy wondered.
As the young detective continued to gaze, the woman suddenly lost her balance. She went down under the water. Nancy waited for her to reappear, but there was no sign of her.
“Something has happened!” Nancy decided.
She raced from the porch across the strip of beach and through the shallow water. Still the woman had not reappeared.
“The impact must have knocked he-Nancy thought worriedly.
In a frantic lunge she shallow-dived at where the woman had gone down. She could see her thrashing with her arms but unable to rise. Nancy rushed toward her and now realized that the woman was wearing knee stilts. One of them had caught between two rocks.
Nancy y
anked at the stilt and pulled it loose. To her horror the woman had stopped struggling. She was drowning!
“I must do something quick!” Nancy thought, realizing that soon she would have to go to the surface for air herself.
Nancy attempted to guide the victim to the surface but the load seemed too great. She knew she could not hold out much longer.
At that moment George appeared. She had come to the porch just in time to see Nancy go underwater but fail to reappear quickly. Together the two girls brought the woman to the surface. They towed her to the beach, and Nancy began giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
By this time Bess and Aunt Eloise had come outside and hurried to them. There were anxious moments as the girls took turns giving the victim artificial respiration.
Aunt Eloise had gone for a blanket to cover her. The stilts were unbuckled from just below the woman’s knees.
No one had spoken. But when the stranger suddenly took a deep natural breath they all sighed in relief.
“Thank goodness!” said Bess.
The first-aid treatment was continued until the victim was breathing normally again. Her eyelids fluttered open but instantly closed.
Aunt Eloise said, “Let’s carry her up to the cot on the porch.”
This was done very gently and carefully. They watched the woman intently to see if she would show any signs of going into shock. She did not seem to; instead, she fell into a deep exhausted sleep.
“We can take turns watching her,” Nancy said. “In the meantime, let’s get dressed and have breakfast.”
The woman slept peacefully and Miss Drew thought it was not necessary to call a doctor. Breakfast over, the girls did the necessary housework while Aunt Eloise sat on the porch with the patient.
In the meantime, they had examined the aluminum stilts. They could be adjusted to a six-foot length and had large square ends covered with rubber.
Nancy rushed toward the drowning woman
“I guess,” said George, “that on land one could walk indefinitely on these. But in the water where there are uneven surfaces, it must be dangerous.”
“As the woman found out,” Bess remarked. “I take it she doesn’t know how to swim and dive, or she wouldn’t have needed these. What do you suppose she was hunting for? Surely not that rowboat.”
“I hope we can find out when she wakes up,” Nancy replied.
They went out to the porch and were just in time to see the near-drowning victim open her eyes and keep them open. She looked from one face to another in bewilderment.
Everyone smiled at her and Aunt Eloise said, “You’re all right now. You had a nice long nap.”
The stranger sat up and it was evident she had regained her strength. She smiled at last and asked, “You rescued me?”
They nodded and introduced themselves.
“Thank you. Thank you very much. That was a dreadful experience. I shall never go near the water again.”
Miss Drew asked, “Would you like some toast and tea?”
“I’m sure that would taste very good. I do feel kind of weak.”
While Bess went to prepare the food, their guest told them she was Miss Anne Armitage, a retired schoolteacher.
“I’m staying in a little cottage on the west side of the lake. My reason for being here is to find something in this bay.”
Miss Armitage did not explain further. Instead, she told the group that as a child she had loved to walk on stilts and became a real expert at it. She had continued to practice.
“Since I can’t swim,” she said, “I thought I’d use a stilt-method for going into deeper and deeper water. I suppose I was foolish not to use a life preserver.”
“I’m afraid you were,” Aunt Eloise remarked.
By this time Bess had the toast and tea ready and brought it out to the porch on a tray.
Miss Armitage seemed to enjoy them. As she finished a second cupful, color came back into her face.
“You are wonderful people,” she said. “And very brave too. There is no way I could ever repay your kindness.”
“Do you feel like talking and telling us any more about what you’re doing?” Aunt Eloise asked.
Miss Armitage smiled. “I suppose it’s the least I can do for people who saved my life.”
She paused and looked off over the water. Then, as if making up her mind to something, she said, “If all of you will promise to keep a great secret, I will tell you what I’m trying to do. It’s a fabulous story.”
Each of her listeners agreed to keep the matter confidential and leaned forward expectantly as she began.
CHAPTER VI
The Cardiff Giant
“ONE of my ancestors,” Miss Armitage began, “was an aristocrat in old Czarist Russia. She was very wealthy and owned beautiful things. Much to her family’s dismay, she fell in love with an American and came to this country to marry him. They settled in Cooperstown in a large house with attractive grounds. Later the place burned down.”
“What a shamel” Bess put in.
“Yes, it was,” Miss Armitage agreed. “But long before the fire, the woman had one child—a beautiful little girl. She brought her daughter up as if she were a princess and even imported a child’s royal coach from Russia. Her own little pony pulled it.”
As Miss Armitage paused, Nancy smiled. “This sounds like some of the fairy tales I used to read.”
The visitor nodded. “Indeed it does, and the whole tale fascinates me.”
“What’s the rest of the story?” George asked. “You haven’t told us yet about the bay. Where does that come in?”
Miss Armitage’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll get to that. In fact, I dislike telling the next part of the story because it is sad. The lovely little girl died very suddenly.
“Her mother was heartbroken and almost went out of her mind. Madame insisted that she and her husband move and that every object which brought back memories of the child were to be sold or given away.
“The particular object which reminded the mother of her beloved daughter was the royal coach. It was painted in gold and white and had birds and flowers carved on it. Madame felt that no one else should use it, yet she didn’t want it to be destroyed. Finally she requested that it be put into a waterproof box and lowered into the bay. The whole thing was to be kept very quiet.”
Everyone agreed it was a sad story indeed.
Then George said, “Evidently somebody didn’t keep the secret. How did you learn about it?”
Miss Armitage said that when the child’s nurse, Maud Jayson, became an old lady with a failing memory, she had told the tale but no one believed it.
“That is, no one but myself. I came across pieces of a faded torn letter in an old book which I received when the books of the little girl’s mother were passed to members of the family. I happened to inherit this one.”
“Did you by any chance lose one of the pieces?” Nancy asked her.
“Yes I did,” Miss Armitage replied. “And it was an important part of the message. I think I lost it on the water yesterday morning. Foolishly I was carrying the letter in a small pocket.”
Nancy stood up and excused herself for a minute. She went to get the paper she had found and showed it to Miss Armitage.
The woman was amazed. “This is what I lost! Where did you find it?”
Nancy told her, then said, “Miss Armitage, I’ve puzzled over the meaning of it. Your story is fascinating and explains the mystery.”
The woman said that her reason for wanting to retrieve the child’s beautiful royal coach was to present it to the Fenimore Museum.
“If the water did not get to it and the coach is intact, I think it would be a lovely addition to the historical exhibits. Thousands of people could enjoy it.”
“And it would be a rare piece,” Aunt Eloise added. “I doubt that there are very many like it in the world.”
George asked Miss Armitage how she hoped to locate the box containing the child’s coach.
&
nbsp; “Either by feeling around with my stilts or by a long pole which I sometimes use. I thought if I located the box and could prove that the story is true, then I could hire some divers to bring it up.”
Miss Armitage looked searchingly from one face to another. Finally she said, “If this mystery intrigues you, Nancy, how about solving it for me? Since you rescued me, you girls must be wonderful swimmers. You should be able to locate the coach.”
Nancy accepted the challenge with alacrity, and Bess and George said they wanted to help in the search too.
“But you must promise to keep it a secret,” Miss Armitage insisted.
“We promise,” said the girls in unison and smilingly gave a mock salute.
The woman stood up. She wished the girls luck, then asked if one of them would drive her car home. “I still feel a little shaky,” she said.
“I will,” said Nancy. “Let’s all go to town,” she suggested. “We’ll need scuba diving equipment for our search, and I can’t wait to start.”
Aunt Eloise begged off, saying she had letters to write.
George drove Miss Armitage’s car, which the woman had parked on the road not far from Mirror Bay Bide-A-Wee. Since her home was on the opposite side of the lake, the two cars were driven through Cooperstown, then out Route 80, which ran along the water.
When they reached the attractive rented cottage, Bess carried the stilts inside. For the first time Miss Armitage laughed aloud.
“How foolish I’ve been! I think I ought to give away those stilts. To think of all the trouble I put you girls to and wasn’t accomplishing a thing myself!”
“Don’t worry about that,” Nancy said quickly. “And please keep the stilts. Sometime when you’re feeling strong, I want you to give us a demonstration.”
“I will if you’ll all try them,” Miss Armitage said. After a brief pause, she added, “By the way, you aren’t far from the Farmers’ Museum. That’s a great place to visit. You know who’s there? The Cardiff Giant.”
“Who’s he?” George asked.
The retired schoolteacher would not reveal any more. “You’re so close now, why don’t you find out for yourselves?”