Part 24 (1/2)
”You mean the one you met on the other side of the bay-a Mr. James?”
”I haven't seen him since, and he was going to bring the bell for me to look at,” A. H. reported. ”Now I'm afraid maybe I'll never see him again, and I believe he has something I've been hunting for all over the country.”
”Not the jeweled bell?” Nancy asked excitedly.
”Mr. James didn't tell me much, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be,” Mr. Hendrick confided.
Nancy was startled at the information. She felt certain that Mr. James, alias Harry Tyrox, had not obtained the jeweled bell by honest means. Perhaps he did not even have it, but knew where it was and was trying to get hold of it. This might account for his not contacting A. H. again.
”Unless the reason is that he has left this part of the country permanently,” she thought.
Nancy hoped this was not so, and asked the bell collector to let her know the minute he heard from Mr. James. Then she inquired what kind of a tone the jeweled bell had.
”Oh, a very pleasant musical sound, almost like one in the middle register of a set of chimes.”
”Then your lost bell couldn't possibly be the one in Bald Head Cave?”
”Oh, no, that one has a deep tolling sound.” A. H.'s eyes brightened. ”I'd give a lot to get my hands on it just the same,” he declared, ”but I value my life too much. Can't figure a way to keep from drowning, or you can bet your last dollar I'd be inside that cave this minute!”
”Perhaps I can help you,” Nancy said.
While Mr. Hendrick listened with rapt attention, she told him of her theory that the cave was flooded for only a few hours each day, and that the period of danger could be clocked accurately.
”Say! Maybe I'll go there sometime!” the man exclaimed. ”You really think it's safe?”
”I have an idea that if a person doesn't venture into the cave after the tide has started to come in, he won't be trapped by the rus.h.i.+ng water. I'll let you know later.”
Because Mr. Hendrick was so pleased at the information she had given him, he talked more freely while he ate his lunch. As she served his dessert, he surprised her by saying:
”I've been thinking things over since I've been sitting here. I have a hunch that man James may be mixed up with the thief who has the jeweled bell.”
”What makes you think that?” Nancy asked, trying not to show her eagefness to hear his answer.
”Didn't I tell you I traced it to a son of the original thief? His name is Grumper. He's an ornery little fellow-extraordinarily short. Haven't actually seen him, but I've been told he's around here.”
”You think Grumper still has the bell after all these years? Wouldn't he have been tempted to sell it, or at least the jewels?”
”Not Grumper. He's a strange sort of man, not much concerned with money. They tell me chemistry is his main interest in life. He got into a jam with the company where he worked, and disappeared. I've good reason to think he's skulking around here somewhere.”
”How did you learn Grumper had the bell?” Nancy asked curiously.
”From that note found in my father's possessions. You saw only part of the message.”
Nancy would have asked Mr. Hendrick more questions, and found out his address, but just then another customer sat down at a nearby table. A. H. immediately became silent. He left the tearoom before the young detective had an opportunity to talk with him again.
Later that day she and Ned went to the boat dock with the intention of renting a motorboat to do some further exploring at Bald Head Cave. There they learned that Amos Hendrick had taken a boat and gone alone to the cave.
”He may get into trouble there!” Nancy said anxiously. ”I should have warned him not to enter the cave until I've had a chance to prove my theory about the tides. If I'm wrong, he may drown!”