George spoke up. "But Nancy will solve it. She's a detective and a very good one."

Niko looked surprised. "I've never met a girl detective before, I sure wish you luck on this case. Cecily wants to find the fortune for us, but I keep telling her I can earn enough, and we don't have to live in grand style."

Nancy and her friends were impressed by the young man's sincerity. George spoke up. "Are you staying in town tonight or going back to Baltimore?"

"I'm staying at Mrs. Hosking's guest house," he replied. "But I must leave tomorrow morning."

A mischievous look suddenly came into Niko's eyes. "I tell you what. I'll come back here tomorrow night after our performance. But don't tell Cecily when she returns. I'd rather surprise her."

The girls promised, thenNiko went on, "How would you three like to bring your dates and be my guests at our performance day after tomorrow?"

"Oh, we'd love it!" Bess burst out. "I'm dying to hear you and your band."

George added, "Your new record is neat!"

"It certainly is," Nancy agreed. "That's one reason Cecily was trying so hard to talk with you. We've found out your new record has been pirated!"

"What!" the musician cried out.

Nancy told the story and Niko frowned. He said, "I'm glad to learn that my record company is honest. I'm sure they'll sue this pirate immediately. Who is he?"

"We're not sure," Nancy replied. "We have one lead. We're going to follow it up in the morning and hope we'll have news for you tomorrow night. We've notified your record company and are going to take the two records to them."

Niko said he was very grateful for the girls' help. Bess insisted he stay and have some refreshment, and quickly served cookies and bottles of soda.

The foursome continued to discuss the mysteries as they ate, then Niko Van Dyke said good night.

As the girls were getting ready for bed, Bess said, "I almost wish I hadn't promised not to tell Cecily that Niko was here. I just know I'll have to bite my tongue half a dozen times before he gets back."

The others smiled, saying it was going to be difficult for them also.

In the morning the girls were up early, and drove to the village. The first thing they did was telephone their friends Ned, Burt, and Dave and invite them to Baltimore for Niko's performance. The three boys eagerly accepted, since their college term had not yet started. They would drive and plans were made for meeting in Baltimore.

Ned Nickerson had been a friend of Nancy's for some time. Burt Eddleton dated George, and Dave Evans was Bess's favorite escort.

Nancy and the cousins now headed for the highway, and Neal Raskin's office. This was in the warehouse of an electrical appliance factory, one of several manufacturing plants in the area. Nancy parked in the appliance factory's lot and went in to the warehouse office alone. Upon inquiring, she found that Raskin was still away.

"I understand he sells records," Nancy said to the office clerk. "Would it be possible to look at a catalogue or list of what he has in stock?"

The young woman shook her head. "Mr. Raskin keeps his affairs to himself. When he leaves he locks up his office and nobody around here has the key to it."

Nancy thanked her and went outside to the car. As she got behind the wheel, the young sleuth reported what she had learned.

"Sounds suspicious to me," George remarked. "He's probably out delivering more of those phony records."

"Of course we have no proof of this," Nancy reminded her. She turned the car and started back for Misty Lake village. Just then a slow-moving oil truck came toward her. Behind this, and honking impatiently, was another truck. As Nancy pulled opposite it and glanced at the driver, she recognized him as Vince Driscoll. He looked over at her, scowled, and drove on.

"I wonder where he is going," Nancy said.

"Probably to service one of these factories around here," Bess remarked.

George said, "I think we ought to report him to the police. They could hold him until Niko gets back and can identify him as the man who broke into our cottage."

Nancy disagreed. "We'd feel pretty foolish if Vince was not the vandal," she said. "Then the Driscolls would make our sleuthing harder than ever for us."

"I guess you're right," George conceded. "But don't forget, Niko said that when the man ran away from the cottage, he went toward the lodge."

Nancy said she thought as soon as they got back they should make another visit to the foggy area to look for clues to the phantom launch, but this time they would do it secretly. They would hike along the path through the woods near the lake front.

"Let's have lunch in the village," Nancy proposed. "I want to stop in that gift shop where they had the iron bird."

"To find out if Karl Driscoll bought it?" Bess guessed.

"Yes."

As soon as the girls finished eating, they went to ask the gift-shop owner about the iron bird they had seen in the window.

"A man bought it," was his reply.

On a hunch Nancy described Karl Driscoll.

"That's the one," the man said.

The trio drove home. Nancy, although excited about this clue, kept wondering what Karl's motive was. Did he hope to find the real iron bird? Or did he wish to keep the girls away from the lodge for some other reason? There were so many angles to the mystery-if she could only solve one!

When the girls reached the cottage, they found Cecily there. She was depressed, reporting that she had missed Niko in Baltimore. "No one knew where he was." The red-haired girl's voice trembled. "At first I thought of staying longer, but then I began to think probably he didn't want to see me again, so I came back."

Bess put her arms around the girl. "Now listen, Cecily," she said, "Niko is-" Bess caught herself just in time. "You mustn't lose heart. Niko loves you, I know."

"Oh, I want to believe that!" Cecily said.

She turned down the girls' invitation to go with them on the hike up the lake. Nancy, Bess, and George changed into blue jeans, shirts, and hiking shoes. They started out at a brisk pace. When they reached the swampy area, the afternoon sun was already waning.

"We can't go much farther and get back before dark," Bess reminded the others.

Nancy was hardly listening. She had noticed a shabby rowboat half hidden in the mud among the reeds. It had not been there on her former visit! All three girls took off their shoes, and carrying them, waded in to look at the boat. This might be a due to one of the mysteries!

"I see something!" Nancy exclaimed.

She reached inside the boat and picked up a small shiny object. Dangling from a bracelet was half of a heart-shaped gold locket!

CHAPTER XI.

The Treacherous Slope

THE gold half-locket looked like Cecily's. "And this one is in perfect condition!" Nancy exclaimed. "So it hasn't lain in the boat very long."