"Great work, Nancy, capturing that woman," he said. "But I shudder when I think that she might have drowned you."
"My life-saving course took care of me, Dad," Nancy replied with a half smile. "It was disappointing not to find Rishi. I was so certain Mrs. Allison was telling the truth."
"Perhaps Rai moved the boy to another hiding place without informing Mrs. Allison," Carson Drew suggested.
"That"s possible," Nancy agreed. She decided to go back to the burned house early the next morning. Bess could not go with her, but George was free to drive out to the Allison property.
By nine o"clock the two girls were on their way. En route Nancy explained everything that had happened the night before.
"I"ve been thinking it over and can"t help but believe that Mrs. Allison told the truth last night," Nancy said. "Or at least she feels sure that Rishi is hidden at the burned house.
"It occurred to me that the police may have missed the branch-off of the tunnel. That"s why I"m going back there."
When the girls reached the Allison property, Nancy hid the car in a clump of trees and, as before, the girls walked the remaining distance. They were moving along the path when George caught her friend"s hand.
"Someone is coming!" she whispered.
The girls dodged back among the bushes just as Jasper Batt strode into view. He carried a small package in his hand and a Thermos protruded from a coat pocket. Nancy and George waited until he had disappeared before they emerged from their hiding place.
"I have a hunch that Mr. Batt is taking breakfast to someone," Nancy said. "Let"s follow. He may lead us to Rishi and Rai!"
As the girls cautiously trailed the man, who finally went uphill, it became evident he was heading for the rock door. They saw him pause by the secret entrance.
"How does he intend to enter?" Nancy whispered. "Watch closely."
The man picked up a heavy stick from the ground and rapped six times in succession on the rock door. He waited several minutes, then repeated the raps.
The girls heard a faint click. Jasper Batt stepped back a pace, waiting expectantly. The ma.s.sive door slowly swung outward. Batt thrust the package of food and the Thermos into the tunnel.
Nancy and George heard him speak a few words to someone inside, but the girls were too far away to distinguish what they were. After a moment Batt firmly closed the rock door, then walked off swiftly into the woods.
"He probably brought food to a prisoner in the tunnel," George whispered.
"Rishi!" Nancy added. "I"ll find out! I"ll try Jasper Batt"s trick of opening the door."
"But maybe Rai"s inside, too. He might harm you!" George warned.
But the girl detective, who was less concerned about her own safety than Rishi"s, moved forward. Using the same heavy stick that Batt had dropped nearby, Nancy rapped sharply six times. She waited expectantly, but nothing happened.
"Batt repeated the signals," George reminded her.
Again Nancy knocked on the door. This time the girls heard the familiar click of the latch. They moved back, making room for the heavy barrier to swing outward. Nancy and George peered into the dark interior of the tunnel.
"I can"t see a thing," George whispered.
"Rishi! Rishi!" Nancy cried out.
"Help! Help!" came a feeble voice.
Nancy and George knew that it was not Rishi who had answered. The voice sounded familiar, but they could not place it.
"Who are you and where are you?" Nancy shouted.
"Putnam-Peter Putnam! Batt has me chained to a post! Come over and free me!"
"It may be a trap," George warned Nancy.
The young detective shook her head. By this time her eyes had grown accustomed to the dark cavern and she could dimly make out a figure chained to a post a few feet from the entrance. The heavy metal was locked to his wrists and ankles; the chains were long enough for him to reach the door but not to escape. Nancy entered the tunnel with George following.
"Thank goodness you"ve come in time!" Putnam murmured brokenly. "Those men wanted me to die in this dark, filthy hole."
"Why?" Nancy asked him.
Peter Putnam rattled his chains angrily. "Get me out of here!"
"I"ll be glad to after you tell me where Rishi is."
"Why should I tell you anything?" the prisoner growled. "You stole the papers from my coffeepot!"
"The doc.u.ments weren"t yours," Nancy said. "Right now it"s in your interest to tell me everything you know about Rai and Rishi. Unless you do, I may be compelled to leave you here."
Although she had no intention of abandoning the man, Nancy turned as if to depart. Her move brought a quick response.
"All right, I"ll tell you everything I know," Putnam replied. "But first, unfasten these chains!"
"I prefer to hear your story first," Nancy insisted. "Where has Rishi been hidden?"
"Rai has him at my place-a prisoner in the loft. I was to get a nice sum for keeping my mouth shut about it. But this is the pay I get! Chained to a post! If you don"t believe me I"ll take you there and prove it!"
"That"s exactly what I want you to do!" Nancy said.
Nancy and George set to work with a huge rock to break the lock of the chain. Together they finally succeeded. Putnam crept to the tunnel entrance, whimpering from pain as circulation returned to his cramped limbs.
"You"ll be all right in a few minutes," Nancy encouraged him. "Lean on my shoulder and I"ll help you to the car."
"What will you do when you get to my place?" Putnam asked. "That fellow Rai is a cunning fox. You"ll be no match for him."
"You must help us, Mr. Putnam."
The man said nothing and Nancy, casting a quick glance in his direction, guessed he had no intention of aiding anyone but himself.
Presently Nancy pulled up a little distance from Putnam"s barnlike home and stopped the car. She did not want the running of the engine to warn Rai that someone was approaching the house.
"You can sneak up to the house the back way," Putnam suggested, indicating a path that led through the underbrush. "I"ll wait there," he added, as the three got out of the car.
Nancy and George looked at the man with ill-concealed contempt but said nothing. They crept alone toward the house.
After circling it, Nancy quietly twisted the k.n.o.b and pushed the door open a tiny crack.
"The coast is clear, I think," she whispered. "I can"t hear a sound."
Nancy opened the door wider and the two girls entered on tiptoe. A harsh laugh caused them to wheel about. Rail He slammed the door shut and faced them, gloating.
"So! I now have two fair prisoners to enclose in my little cage!"
Instantly Nancy and George sprang at the man, hoping to overpower him and regain their freedom before he could grab them. Although they fought with all their strength, and George used her knowledge of Judo, Rai merely laughed at their efforts. He held them off as if they were puppets. Then he caught up a piece of rope from the kitchen table and trussed the girls securely.
They eyed Rai silently, wondering what punishment he might inflict on them. In all their experience with criminals they had never encountered a man with such strength.
"What have you done with Rishi!" Nancy gasped, recovering her poise.
"Ah! So that is why you come? Rishi is dead."
"I do not believe you," Nancy cried out. "You have him hidden in the loft."
As if to confirm her words, the girls heard a slight noise overhead. Rai smiled blandly.
"You are correct. Rishi lives, but his hours are numbered. He knows too much. He must die that lama Togara may live in peace. Next we will find his father and put him to sleep."
"You don"t realize what you"re saying, Rai," Nancy said pleadingly. "The boy has never done you any harm. Let him go free."
"No, it is decreed that Rishi must die by my hand. He shall die slowly and in a manner befitting a maharaja."
Turning his back upon the two girls, Rai moved toward the ladder leading to the loft.
CHAPTER XX.
The Secret of the Charm.
"WAIT!" Nancy cried frantically. "Rai, you must be out of your mind even to think of such horrible deeds. Don"t you realize that if you harm Rishi the authorities will punish you, maybe even by death."
The man paused, his foot on the lowest rung of the ladder.
"Rai is safe from all harm," he said. "The ivory charm bestows absolute protection. It is now in my possession."
"So it was you who stole the lucky piece from me at the fraternity house," said Nancy. "I suspected it was you."
Rai laughed gloatingly as he significantly tapped his chest to indicate that he wore the charm hidden beneath his shirt.
"Not only does my charm bring good luck to the wearer but it has the power of life and death!" he added dramatically.
"What do you mean by that?" Nancy asked anxiously.
Again the man laughed softly, and said, "There are many mysteries that may never be revealed."
"You are hopelessly superst.i.tious if you believe the charm will protect you from the police," George spoke up, sparring for time. "Mrs. Allison already has been arrested."
The girls knew from the change of expression on Rai"s face that he had not heard this piece of news before.
He recovered quickly and said calmly, "My duty does not change. Rishi must die!"
Both Nancy and George continued to plead in vain with Rai, but he paid no attention. Muttering angrily, he mounted the ladder and vanished into the loft.
"We must do something!" Nancy told George, tugging at her ropes. "We can"t let Rai commit this dreadful crime!"
Both girls worked at their bonds until their wrists were cut and bleeding. It was impossible to loosen the ropes.
Overhead they could hear Rai muttering in a singsong voice. Apparently he was intoning a weird incantation over Rishi. They could distinguish moans from the boy, and knew that he must be suffering intensely. Then all became quiet.
"Ah!" they heard Rai cry out in triumph. "Rishi enters the eternal sleep from which there is no awakening. Only the ivory charm can save him now-and I have it." He gave a cruel laugh.
"Did you hear what he said?" Nancy whispered to George. "The charm! If only we could get it, we might still save poor Rishi!"
"The charm would bring him back to consciousness," Nancy said, thinking aloud. "I am sure of it. For a long while I have suspected the truth-now I am certain of it. The ivory charm guards the secret of life and death!"
"Do you realize what you are saying?" George gasped.
"Yes! It all comes back to me now-what Dr. Stackpole told me about the life-giving fluid sometimes found in the hidden cavities of ancient Indian charms!"
"Nancy, I don"t know what you mean."
She quickly explained, then said, "We must try to get that piece, George. It is our only hope of saving Rishi."
"If we can ever untie these knots," George started to say but did not finish.
Nancy would not give up. The girl detective and her friend strained and tugged until they were exhausted. Tears of disappointment came to their eyes. They tried not to think of Rishi in the loft above.
"Listen!" George whispered suddenly. "I hear a car coming!"
"Perhaps Peter Putnam has brought help!" Nancy said.
George commanded a view of the window. A moment later she whispered excitedly that she could see several men stealing toward the house.
"They may be detectives, Nancy. Let"s take a chance and call for help."
"Wait until they"re at the door," Nancy cautioned. "Then all escape will be cut off for Rai."
A minute later, when the men were nearby, the girls raised their voices together. Alarmed by their cries, Rai scrambled down from the loft. Just then the men burst inside and announced they were police detectives.
"Arrest this man!" Nancy cried.
The animal trainer made a dive for the nearest window but was caught roughly by the shoulder and hauled back, handcuffed, and led away. Other detectives quickly set Nancy and George free.