The Spider Sapphire Mystery (7 page)

The Northrups were a charming couple. Their host was connected with the American Embassy in Nairobi and related many interesting stories about this former British Protectorate, now being governed entirely by blacks.

The visitors divided into groups. Mrs. Northrup took Nancy and her friends down to the lowest terrace to show them a pet lemur. The animal paced back and forth in a small, barred cage.

“It’s an intriguing-looking animal,” Nancy remarked. “It has a face like a fox, a body like a cat, and a long, ringed, striped tail.”

“The only place in the world where there are lemurs is on the island of Madagascar,” Mrs. Northrup told her guests.

The Americans stayed for several minutes to watch the animal. Then all of them except Nancy went back up the steps to the house. She was too fascinated by the pet to leave.

“I’d love to own one of these,” she thought. “But I suppose it would be cruel to—”

Nancy’s thoughts were suddenly blotted out when a sack was pulled down over her head and quickly tied around her neck. As Nancy tried to grab her attacker, a piece of paper was thrust into her hand. Then she heard running footsteps.

Nancy began to suffocate. She realized that the sack was lined with plastic. She must get it off at once! But this was impossible. The knots which held the cord tight were firmly tied. Nancy knew that in a moment she would black out!

FRANTICALLY Nancy tore at the cords which held the plastic-lined sack over her head. She could not do without air much longer, but her struggles to free herself were in vain.

“I must get help!” she thought wildly.

Feeling as if her lungs were ready to burst, Nancy stumbled toward the steps of the terrace. Then she collapsed to the ground. The next moment she felt hands working at the knots and the sack was ripped from her head.

“Nancy, whatever happened?” she vaguely heard Ned say.

Then, dazedly, she realized that he was massaging her back and she was gulping in fresh air. Nancy was still too weak to open her eyes, but she could hear Ned’s voice as if coming from a far distance.

“Nancy! Nancy! Wake up!” he pleaded.

Seconds later she opened her eyes.

“You all right now, Nancy?”

“Yes, I guess so,” she answered softly.

Ned told her not to try talking until she felt stronger. Finally she was able to tell him what had happened.

“Who was the rat who did it?” he asked. His eyes blazed with anger.

“I don’t know,” Nancy replied. “I didn’t see anyone. The sack was pulled over my head by someone who crept up behind me.”

Just then she remembered the paper which had been thrust into her hand by the unknown assailant. She asked Ned to look for it.

He found the crumpled paper near the lemur’s cage and brought it to where she was sitting on the grass. They looked at it together. Both gasped. The warning message read:

Ned stared at the paper a moment, then looked at Nancy fondly. “I agree with the writer about giving up the case.”

Nancy did not reply at once. Finally she said, “Ned, you know I never give up on a mystery.”

“But, Nancy, if anything should happen to you on this trip, how could I ever explain it to your father?”

“But you wouldn’t be responsible,” Nancy countered.

Ned looked directly at her. “Leaving all that aside, I personally don’t want anything to happen to you. Hereafter I’m going to stay close to you whether you want to be guarded or not.”

“Thanks. With you nearby I know I’ll be safe,” she said with a smile. “Well, I feel all right now. Let’s go back up to the party.”

Nancy brushed her dress. Then she tidied her hair with a comb from her purse, which had not been disturbed by her attacker.

The couple walked up the steps. As they reached the top terrace, they were met by their friends. George inquired why Nancy had not joined them. When they heard what had happened, Bess, George, Burt, and Dave became alarmed.

“It seems,” said Bess, “as if you aren’t safe anywhere, Nancy. Somebody must be following you every minute, waiting for a chance to harm you.”

Nancy smiled and said, “I hereby appoint all of you as my bodyguards. Surely no one could get at me with you five brave people surrounding me.”

George grinned. “Not with us facing outward at all times!”

Bess looked at Ned. “I think we’d better put you inside the ring too: I haven’t forgotten yet that you were kidnapped and left to starve.”

Nancy noticed Mr. and Mrs. Northrup coming toward them. “Let’s not say anything to them about what happened,” she begged, and the others nodded.

“I’m fascinated by your lemur,” Nancy told the couple. “Did you bring it from Madagascar?”

“No, a friend brought it. She travels a great deal. She is particularly keen on safaris.”

This gave Nancy an idea. “By any chance have you or your friend ever heard of a guide named Tizam?”

Mrs. Northrup looked surprised. “Did you know him?”

“No,” Nancy replied, “but I had the pleasure of meeting his sister Madame Lilia Bulawaya. We heard her sing at Emerson College and she told us about her brother.”

Mrs. Northrup said that her friend, Mrs. Munger, had mentioned the sad fate of the guide. “The story is he was attacked by a lion.”

“Yes,” Nancy answered, “but Tizam’s sister believes he may still be alive. She asked us to try to find out what we can while we’re traveling around Kenya.”

“Would you like to meet Mrs. Munger and learn more about what happened on the safari?” Mrs. Northrup asked.

“Yes, indeed,” Nancy replied.

Mrs. Northrup offered to telephone her friend immediately and make an appointment.

“Our group,” said Nancy, “is leaving tomorrow morning for Treetops Inn. We’ll be staying there overnight. May we see Mrs. Munger when we come back?”

“I’ll try to arrange a meeting two days from now,” Mrs. Northrup said. She went off to telephone but soon returned. “Mrs. Munger has invited you and your friends to tea that day.” Nancy thanked her for making the arrangements.

A few hours later she and the others said good-by to the Northrups, thanking them for their delightful hospitality. Everyone slept soundly and was up early for the next part of their safari. All of them looked forward to staying at Treetops Inn, built into the branches of enormous fig trees. From there, they would watch wild animals come to the nearby water hole.

The drive was long and hot. A stop was made at the Outspan Hotel, where they had lunch and deposited their main baggage in a large room. Only flight bags were allowed to be carried for their overnight stay at Treetops.

In the middle of the afternoon, the three black-and-white-striped buses traveled up a winding road through a woods and came to a halt at a fence. Everyone climbed out and a tall gate was opened for the visitors. Some little distance beyond stood a man in a belted khaki suit, a stout rifle slung over one shoulder.

“This is Mr. Zucker, our White Hunter,” Professor Stanley called out.

“Please form a circle,” said the man, who had a broad British accent.

The Emerson group gathered in front of him,

“We have between quarter and half a mile to walk to reach the inn. I must caution all of you to be as quiet as possible. Otherwise you will scare away the animals.”

Bess, looking nervously at the rifle, asked him, “Do you have to use that very often?”

“Not often.” The hunter held out the rifle to show that it was larger than the type usually carried by hunters. “This is the only rifle,” he said, “which can pierce the hide of a rhino or an elephant.”

“You mean they attack sometimes?” Bess queried.

“Sometimes. Keep your eyes open, and again I ask all of you not to talk. When we reach the inn, you are to go up the stairway and remain inside the building until tomorrow morning. It would be too dangerous for you to be on the grounds.”

George glanced at Gwen Taylor. Hal had hold of her arm and was whispering into her ear. No doubt he was reassuring her and warning the girl to do exactly as she had been told.

The hunter turned and the Emersonians followed him in silence. Their eyes darted to the partly grassy, partly wooded area on either side of the path. They saw nothing scary—merely timid gazelles.

Treetops Inn was the most unusual hotel Nancy and her friends had ever seen. There were extra supports besides the tree trunks to hold the weight of the large building. A small wooden stairway led to the first floor, leaving the ground area free for the animals to wander beneath.

The visitors were amazed at the size of the place. There was a center section containing a lobby, a lounge, and a large dining room. To left and right were corridors and here and there a tree branch blocked the path, forcing guests to climb over it to continue down the hallway. The inn had two stories, with long porches on both levels and an observation roof.

As soon as the girls had been assigned rooms, they took their cameras and went to the lower porch. In front of it was a large water hole. Professor Stanley, walking by, told them it was saline and this was one reason the animals came there to drink. The girls chose front-row seats a little distance from one end of the porch.

“Look who’s here,” George whispered.

Seated in a wicker chair at the very end of the porch was Gwen Taylor. Next to her was a wooden partition which separated the porch from the front bedroom area. She was alone and was reading a book which lay on her lap. Apparently Gwen had no interest in the animals that came to the water hole.

“She’s probably sulking because Hal scolded her,” George guessed.

At that moment two warthogs appeared from among the trees. They went directly toward the water, but instead of drinking it and retreating, they waddled in.

“Ugh!” Bess said.

“That’s how they clean themselves,” George said in a whisper.

Nancy was amazed at the silence of the place. Not only the people on the porches, but the beasts that came to the water hole were very quiet. Each breed of animal waited until the ones already there had finished drinking or bathing.

A group of wildebeest had just left, when Nancy said in a low voice, “Get your cameras ready! Here come some water buffalo.”

George grinned. “They have bowed hind legs!”

The girls’ attention was distracted by a baboon which scampered along the railing in front of them. It stopped briefly to grab candy from Bess’s hand.

Then it went on to where Gwen still sat reading. He gazed at her a moment, then Nancy saw one of his great arms suddenly reach out. In a moment he had snatched off Gwen’s wig!

“Oh!” she screamed.

Gwen tried to grab the hair piece but the baboon drew back and slapped her arm. The next moment he scooted up the side of the building, carrying the wig with him.

Nancy leaned out to look up and saw that the animal was seated on the railing of the flat roof. She jumped out of her chair, dashed through the lobby of the inn, and up an outside stairway that led to the top of the building. No one was there. The baboon was swishing the wig back and forth across the floor.

“He’ll ruin it!” Nancy thought.

She hurried forward, but just before reaching the animal, he jumped to the railing and scooted to the far side of the roof. As Nancy dashed after him, he raised his upper lip, baring his teeth. She knew now that the only way to get the hair piece away from the baboon was to use kindness and coaxing.

Nancy took a piece of candy from her handbag and held it in the palm of her hand. The baboon looked at it, then turned back to the wig and began pulling the hair from it.

Nancy laid the candy on the railing and waited. Quick as a flash the baboon ran toward it, grabbed it in his mouth, and ran off without dropping the wig. The next moment he jumped toward a tree and started downward.

NANCY could reach neither the baboon nor the wig. All she could do was try some strategy.

“Nice boy!” she called to him in a soft voice. “I shan’t hurt you. Come on over here.”

The animal eyed her without flinching and did not move. Then, as if trying to tease her, he reached up and hung the wig on a high branch of the tree.

At that moment a waiter came up the stairs carrying a tray of pineapple slices, cookies, and teacups. He was followed by a man with the tea service. Behind him walked the White Hunter with his rifle. He stationed himself at the far end of the roof, while the waiters set the food down on a long table.

“Tea, miss?” one of the waiters asked Nancy.

“Not now, thank you,” she replied, “but is it against the rule to feed the baboons?”