IN PURSUIT
Nancy Drew urged Jacob Aborn to make haste, for she little realized to
what desperate physical straits his long imprisonment had brought him.
At the exultation of being free of his bonds, he had leaped to his feet
in the dark cellar, eager to rush to the bungalow on the lake before
Stumpy Dowd should have a chance to escape. But as he moved forward
several steps, he felt his knees sink uncertainly.
Nancy, unaware of the physical anguish Jacob Aborn was enduring, groped
about in the darkness for the bottom step of the stairway leading from
the cellar. Presently her foot touched it, and she called out to her
companion. He dragged himself to her side, scarcely able to walk.
“Are you ill, Mr. Aborn?” Nancy demanded anxiously. She could not see
his face.
“Oh, no!” the man protested quickly. “I’m only a bit weak from being
tied up like a dog in a kennel. My legs will be all right after I’ve
used them a few minutes.”
But try as he would, the man was unable to climb the stairway
unassisted. Nancy, realizing his predicament, reached out a strong arm
to help him.
Even then Jacob Aborn was forced to stop frequently for a brief rest,
leaning upon Nancy for support while he recuperated his strength. But at
last the top of the stairway was reached, and he then insisted that he
was able to walk without her help.
Nancy led the way to the living room window, and after climbing out to
the porch, assisted Jacob Aborn to crawl through the opening.
“What a relief!” he gasped, filling his lungs with pure air. “This is
the first decent breath I’ve had in nearly two weeks!”
In the east, the moon was just rising over the forest, and stars were
commencing to peep through the clouds which were now breaking up and
drifting swiftly along the sky like scudding ships at sea. The cellar
had accustomed Nancy’s eyes to a blacker darkness than that which now
faced her, and it was possible to make out objects well enough to pick
the route through the forest. Yet, glancing uneasily at Jacob Aborn, she
wondered if he would be able to walk the short distance to the roadster.
“Do you think you can make it?” she questioned. “It isn’t far to my
car.”
“I think so,” Laura’s guardian declared grimly.
Nancy offered her arm again, and at a slow pace they walked across the
clearing. Entering the forest, they had gone but a short way when Mr.
Aborn sank down on a log along the trail, breathing heavily.
“I’ve got to rest,” he murmured, his voice shaky from fatigue. “You go
on without me, Nancy!”
“Just rest here for a moment, Mr. Aborn,” Nancy said encouragingly. “I’m
sure you will be all right in a few moments.”
She was unwilling to desert Jacob Aborn, for if she went on ahead, she
was afraid he would never reach the bungalow on the lake. At the same
time, she was impatient at the delay. Already, Stumpy Dowd had a good
half-hour’s start. Unless they hurried, he would escape with Laura’s
fortune. Once he had left the bungalow it would be difficult to pick up
his trail again.
“It’s only a little way farther to the car,” Nancy urged gently after
Mr. Aborn had rested for a few minutes.
With an effort, he arose from the log and wavered unsteadily on his
feet.
“I can make it now,” he insisted. “We can’t let that scoundrel escape!”
Leaning heavily on Nancy, he moved forward again, more rapidly than
before. His breathing came hard, but he offered no complaint and refused
to pause again even for a brief rest. His nerve carried him along. For
Laura’s sake he exerted himself to the utmost.
It was a walk that Nancy never forgot. Time and again Jacob Aborn
stumbled and would have fallen headlong had it not been for the sturdy
support the girl gave him.
“You’d better leave me and go ahead alone,” he said several times. “I’m
willing to try my best, but I know I can’t make it.”
“Oh, yes you can, Mr. Aborn,” Nancy urged. “It’s only a short distance
now to the place where I left my roadster. As soon as we reach that
you’ll be safe.”
“You’re a very kind girl to do all this for me,” murmured the exhausted
man.
“We’ve got to do it. Think of Laura,” and thus Nancy urged him forward.
Through the bushes and around a number of the rocks they stumbled. Once
both went headlong, and Nancy had almost all the wind knocked out of
her. But she picked herself up and managed to drag the man once more to
his feet.
“How much farther?” he whispered hoarsely.
“Only a short distance,” she answered as lightly as she could. “Keep up
your courage and we’re bound to get there.”
Presently, with a feeling of relief, Nancy caught sight of her
automobile standing in the bushes where she had left it. Although she
had not mentioned her fears to Jacob Aborn, she had been afraid that
Stumpy Dowd might have taken the car.
Hastily helping Laura’s guardian into the roadster, she sprang in after
him and took her place behind the steering wheel. With nervous haste,
she started the motor and backed around in the road. The car shot
forward in a burst of speed.
Neither driver nor passenger exchanged a word as they raced madly toward
the bungalow. Nancy had her hands full managing the steering wheel, for
she was taking the rough road at dangerous speed.
Driving as near the bungalow as possible, she helped Mr. Aborn to
alight.
Abandoning the automobile, they started afoot through the forest. As
before, Nancy offered Mr. Aborn her arm, helping him along. She was
relieved that he walked with less difficulty.
A few minutes, and they came to the clearing. Directly ahead, they
caught a glimpse of the house. To their disappointment the windows were
dark.
“I’m afraid the bird has flown,” Nancy observed quietly.
“It looks that way,” Jacob Aborn admitted gloomily.
“Still, he may be there yet. The windows were dark earlier in the
evening, and he was here then.”
“At least, it will be wise to approach cautiously.”
“Yes, we’re unarmed and would be no match for him if he heard us coming.
We don’t want to place ourselves in his power a second time.”
“Oh, if I can get my hands on that scoundrel!” Jacob Aborn gritted.
The thought gave him new strength, and he moved eagerly forward again.
Cautiously, the two crept toward the house, approaching from the rear.
“You haven’t a key, I suppose?” Nancy whispered.
“No. That villain took it away from me along with everything else.”
“Never mind, I know a way to get in.”
However, as Nancy drew near the bungalow, she saw that there was no need
of a latchkey. The back door stood ajar, as though someone had fled
without taking time to shut it.
With Mr. Aborn close behind her, Nancy Drew stepped cautiously into the
kitchen. There was profound silence. The bungalow appeared deserted.
Crossing the room on tiptoe, she groped about on the kitchen table and
found an oil lamp. Lighting it, she picked it up and hurried toward the
living room.
Pausing in the doorway, she cast a critical glance about and saw that
everything was in disorder. A chair had been overturned, a small rug was
out of place, papers were scattered all about. The two suitcases which
Stumpy Dowd had packed earlier in the evening were missing.
“He’s escaped!” Nancy exclaimed in bitter disappointment as she surveyed
the confusion.
Just then her eye fell upon the safe and she saw that the door was wide
open. With a little cry of alarm she rushed across the room and looked
inside. With the exception of a few papers, everything had been taken.
Snatching up the papers, Nancy hastily examined them. As she had feared,
they were worthless.
“Laura’s fortune!” she cried angrily. “That rascal has escaped with
every penny of it!”
“Oh, my poor Laura!” Jacob Aborn groaned.
He moved heavily over to the safe and gave it one hopeless glance.
“He’s taken everything of mine, too! I don’t mind for myself—it’s only
that Laura must suffer for my negligence.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Mr. Aborn. We’ll capture that man somehow! We
must notify the police! I’ll telephone the station this minute!”
“You can’t. There isn’t a phone in the house.”
“You have no phone?” Nancy echoed. “Oh, what an aggravation!”
“Oh, why didn’t I have one installed?” Jacob Aborn demanded of himself.
“I always intended to.”
“Where is the nearest one?”
“At the hotel.”
“Then we must go there at once.”
“I’m afraid it will be too late. That scoundrel has too great a start.”
“We must try to capture him, anyway! With luck we can do it!”
“Yes, we must try!” Jacob Aborn exclaimed.
He started toward the door, but was forced to grasp the back of a chair
for support. Nancy ran to him and eased him into the chair.
“You’re too ill to go!” she cried.
One quick glance had assured her that he was on the verge of collapse.
Only the hope that he might save Laura Pendleton’s fortune had given him
the strength to reach the bungalow. Now he was too nearly exhausted to
go farther.
Mr. Aborn dropped his head on his hands.
“I guess I’m done up,” he admitted.
“Of course you must stay here,” Nancy insisted. “I’ll send a doctor to
you.”
“Don’t think about me. Just set the police on the trail of Stumpy Dowd!”
“I’ll do both. And as soon as I telephone to the police, I intend to
start after Stumpy myself.”
“But the danger! You must think of your own safety!”
“I’ll be careful,” Nancy promised as she turned away. “Just stay here
and rest until the doctor comes. I must hurry now. Every minute counts.”