The Flying Saucer Mystery (10 page)
Read The Flying Saucer Mystery Online
Authors: Carolyn Keene
“Oh, I hope not,” Bess gasped in fright as the engine sputtered, died, then caught again. Within seconds it repeated the worrisome sound. “It would be dreadful for that poor pilot to crash in the forest!”
15
Lab in the Forest
The helicopter continued to make strange, faltering noises over the camp. Everyone on the ground was afraid it would crash on top of them.
“Why doesn’t the pilot try to fly away? Surely he must see us,” George complained.
Burt said, “Maybe I can communicate with the pilot by walkie-talkie.” He tried to tune in but had no success. “The pilot can’t pick up our wavelength, I guess,” he said. “Too bad.”
The craft dipped and rose, made a large sweeping circle, then flew back over the camp. Again Burt attempted to make contact. Finally he managed to get a faint response. “Come in whoever you are.
“I think I have him!” Burt exclaimed. He yelled into the speaker, “Standing by in the forest below. Are you in trouble? Over.”
“No, but I’m glad I contacted you. We have permission to land in the forest, but can’t find a place. Any suggestions?”
Nancy, who had been listening, now spoke up. “Ask them how much room the copter needs.”
“Not much,” the pilot answered when Burt questioned him. “If we send tools down, can you cut some small trees to make space for us?”
Burt consulted the other boys and the scientists in the group.
“We can do it, but it won’t be too smooth,” Ned warned.
Burt relayed this to the pilot who said he would manage. “I’ll make sure we avoid any leftover tree stumps.”
Ned and the men gathered in a small clearing between clumps of trees and bushes. The copter hung overhead and lowered bags on a rope cable. After several of them had reached the ground, the cable was pulled up. The copter circled again.
The bags were opened and axes, saws, and other equipment taken out. The men divided into teams to tackle the saplings.
“Can’t we girls do something?” Nancy asked.
Mr. Drew suggested that they pull up the bushes while the men worked on the trees. Soon the stillness of the forest was broken by the chopping sound of axes, the crash of small trees, and the buzz of saws as stumps were cut to the ground.
Whenever a heavier sapling needed to be removed, the men sliced off the branches for the girls to lug away, then either dragged the trunks beyond the immediate area or quickly sawed them into lengths that were easier to carry. Within a short time a landing area was ready for the copter.
As soon as it settled down, men poured from the doorway. First they introduced themselves to Mr. Drew, who in turn presented Jan, Hal, and all the young people.
Among the new arrivals were a botanist, a zoologist, three chemists, and two aerospace experts.
“This copter is not a standard model,” said Dr. Halpern, one of the chemists. “It’s really a flying lab. We wanted to park it as close to Dismal Swamp as possible.”
Dave remarked, “I guess you don’t often land in a forest.”
“That’s for sure.” Dr. Halpern nodded, smiling. “What we have ahead of us are perhaps the most unusual experiments we’ve ever undertaken.”
The men brought their own camping equipment and set up near their lab. When they finished, Dr. Halpern asked Nancy and Ned to tell them about their amazing adventure, including their dreams. The couple took turns filling in the details.
When they mentioned the effect of the restorative leaves that Shoso had fed them, Bess spoke up. “He’s bringing us more. At least I think so.”
The scientists were intrigued. “We’ll analyze them,” Dr. Halpern said promptly.
“I hope Shoso brings them soon.” Bess sighed.
The newcomers were ready to go to Dismal Swamp. They brought masks and heavy gauntlets which they slung over their shoulders. A few carried trowels, others spades, and the rest, acid-proof bags. They borrowed available horses.
To Nancy and the others who stayed behind it seemed like hours before the group returned, but in fact, they were not gone long. As soon as they reappeared, however, all but one of them went to their laboratory to analyze the scorched sod.
One young man stopped long enough to say to Nancy, “You sure were right about the horrible odor from the swamp. I’m glad we had gas masks. I’ll take my dreams in more pleasant surroundings!” He hurried after his co-workers.
The young sleuths, together with Mr. Drew, waited impatiently to hear the results of the tests. It was more than an hour later that the scientists rejoined the campers.
Dr. Halpern said, “I assume all of you are eager to know what we found. Frankly we have divided opinions. Some of us think the swamp produced the acid. Others feel the UFO left the acid which may have scorched one area of the swamp.”
Nancy asked, “Have you decided yet what the chemical is?”
Dr. Halpern said that the scientists were still puzzled. “All I can tell you is that we’ve determined it is a strong, nonflammable acid, but very penetrating. One question is, if the flying saucer is responsible, did the acid come from some other planet?”
Dr. York, another scientist, spoke up. “If it’s from Dismal Swamp itself, then we have quite a chemical mystery on our hands. To my knowledge, this acid is not found in such concentrated form anywhere else in the world.”
The discussion turned to the possibility that the flying saucer sprayed the acid as it took off. Nancy and Ned reminded the men that they were overcome by the fumes before the saucer left.
“That does complicate the matter,” Dr. Halpern admitted. “Well, we have many more experiments to make. I hope we come up with some definite answers soon.
Dr. Caffrey, who arrived with Mr. Drew, told the other scientists that he had tested Nancy and Ned for contamination by radiation. “Thank goodness, I found no sign of it,” he declared.
Dr. Halpern asked if Dr. Caffrey would mind repeating the radiation test. “I’d like to see how your machine operates.”
As before, Nancy was given a clean bill of health. Ned was about to enter the tent where the test was being held, when he called out, “Do you expect sparks to fly from my head?”
The others laughed. “Not only sparks,” Dave replied, “but a pair of antennas!”
When Ned and the doctor failed to appear within a reasonable time, the campers became anxious. Had Dr. Caffrey found something this time?
Nancy felt that she could not wait any longer for an answer and was ready to burst into the tent, when the pair emerged. Both were smiling.
“Everything is okay,” Dr. Caffrey reported.
“What took you so long?” Burt asked. “You had all of us worried.”
“Sorry,” Ned replied. “We were talking about what might have happened to Nancy and me while we were unconscious.”
Mr. Drew asked, “You have a new theory?”
Ned wondered if possibly some creature in the flying saucer communicated with the couple while they were asleep.
“How could he do that?” George asked.
Ned answered, “Perhaps he hypnotized us—told us what he wanted us to think, see, and do.”
Bess shivered a little. “You mean someone controlled your mind?”
“I suppose it’s possible,” Ned replied.
“Even—even to make you believe you died and went to heaven?” Bess queried.
“Oh, sure,” Ned answered with a chuckle.
By now Bess was absolutely terrified. “Do you realize that those weirdos may come back here and work on all of us?”
When Ned nodded, trying to tease her, she said, “Oh, don’t say such things! You’ve scared me silly!”
Dave felt sorry for her. He sat down next to Bess and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. Ned is only kidding you.”
“Oh, yes?” Ned asked.
Mr. Drew suggested they drop the subject in favor of preparing the evening meal. The newly arrived scientists went to their own quarters in the lab. The rest ate a delicious supper which Jan prepared. There was more conversation until about nine o’clock, when everyone started to yawn. Finally the campers went to bed.
It was a very warm night and Nancy, Bess, and George, who were together in one tent, decided to leave the side flaps halfway up. There was not a sound anywhere except the hoot of a distant owl.
Much later Nancy, sound asleep, thought a voice had called her name. She roused but did not open her eyes. Then she heard it distinctly.
“Nancy! Nancy!”
16
The Eerie Cave
Nancy managed to pull herself out of her deep sleep. She saw a figure standing over her. Instinctively she grabbed the flashlight from under her pillow and shone it into the mysterious face.
“Shoso!” she called.
Without a word he handed her a bunch of leaves, then turned and vanished. Nancy beamed her light on them.
The restorative leaves Bess had asked for! Great! she thought.
Hoping not to disturb her friends, the young sleuth got up quietly, took a plastic bag from her backpack, and put the leaves inside it. Finally she crawled back into her sleeping bag and dozed off. The next thing she knew it was morning. The sun was shining through the trees, and birds were singing.
When the three groups of campers assembled to plan the day’s work, Nancy showed the bag of leaves to everyone and told them about her night visitor.
Bess gaped at her friend in amazement. “And you didn’t call George and me? Weren’t you scared? Oh, I’d have died if I’d seen that man’s stony face staring at me!” The others laughed.
Professor Hendricks, the botanist, asked for the leaves. “We’ll analyze them this morning.”
“They are unusual-looking,” Dr. Caffrey said. “I don’t recognize them.”
“If you professionals don’t recognize them,” Mr. Drew remarked, “then I guess nobody would. Do you suppose this mountain forest is the only place in the world where the plant grows?”
“Maybe it’s a tree,” Bess suggested. “Let’s find out from Shoso.”
George had an idea. “We don’t know where Shoso lives. Perhaps he has a garden and the leaves grow in it.”
“Or,” Jan said, and paused a moment, “maybe the tribe that once lived in this forest cultivated the plant, knowing its medicinal value.”
“That’s very possible,” Dr. Caffrey agreed. “I’m curious to see what you chemists come up with.”
The botanist smiled. “I may even eat one of the leaves to sample its positive effect for myself!”
Since Nancy’s group could do nothing to help, she suggested that the six young people continue their hunt for Old Joe’s treasure.
“Where shall we start?” Dave asked, “and what shall we take?”
“I suggest you take hunting knives and that we begin at the pyramid of rocks I told you about,” the girl detective answered. “We should see for ourselves where the arrow points.”
The young sleuths put on waterproof hiking boots, packed a lunch, collected digging tools, and started off.
Hal called to them, “Bring us some fish!” He ran up to Dave and handed him a bucket with a punctured lid.
“Supper coming up,” Dave replied with a grin. “A whole bucket full.”
Nancy said, “Let’s ride to the stream.”
The group mounted. Nancy and George led the way to the marker inscribed with the initials of Old Joe’s father. They tethered the horses and waded into the water.
The boys tried to catch trout with their hands. They thought it would be as easy for them as it was for Old Joe’s dog, Trixie, but the slippery fish wriggled out of their grasp.
“There’s a big one coming!” Dave shouted eagerly. “And I’m going to get it!”
He was about to grab the fish, when he slipped on a rock and fell, splashing water in every direction. The girls burst into laughter.
“Why don’t you try it?” Dave said, disgruntled.
Ned and Burt were more successful. They put several fish into the bucket and fastened the lid. But as Ned dived for another speckled trout, he kicked over the bucket by accident. The lid came off and all of the fish they had caught swam downstream.
“We’re pretty poor fishermen, I’d say,” he chided himself.
Again the three girls giggled. “Maybe we’re bad luck,” Bess said. “Why don’t Nancy, George, and I go on and let you boys catch fish by yourselves?”
The other girls agreed. They stopped to look at the pyramid. By pushing some stones aside they uncovered the initials and the arrow. It pointed directly across the bubbling stream.
When they reached the opposite bank, the searchers decided to separate. “Let’s return in ten minutes to this same spot,” Nancy suggested, “and report whatever clues we find.”
The first time they met they were discouraged. “You don’t suppose,” Bess said, “that we’re on a wild goose chase? Maybe Old Joe’s father was a jokester .”
“I think not,” Nancy said. “I have an idea he was serious, but wanted to keep his secret well hidden. Let’s investigate beyond the immediate area this time.”
Once more each girl went on her own, carefully examining every tree and rock. When the trio met again, George was grinning.
“I found something!” she exclaimed. “Follow me. Hurry!”
Bess suggested that they wait a few minutes for the boys. “We’re already ahead of them. If we go too far, we could easily lose one another. I don’t want us to get lost in this forest.”
“Here they come now,” Nancy said, glancing back on their trail.
The three boys were trudging up the short path the girls had made leading from the stream. Burt was carrying the bucket gingerly.
“Any luck?” George asked, then added teasingly, “Or did all those small speckled creatures slip away from you again?”
Burt smiled. “I’ll show you.”
He unfastened the lid partway. The girls gazed inside. To their amazement the bucket was full of trout!
“There’s enough fish for everybody at camp,” Bess remarked. “What a yummy supper. I can taste it now.”
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