"Oh, I can do it," George a.s.sured her. "I guess I'm lucky that the trap didn't break my finger."

She insisted upon taking care of the injury herself, so Nancy and Bess continued their hunt for hiding places in the secret bedroom. Nancy swung her flashlight into the area where the mousetrap had been. She could detect nothing but dust in the hidden recess. The rest of the cupboard yielded no clue either.

"Nancy, I guess we'll have to give up," Bess told her chum. "Let's go upstairs and see how George is making out."

"Just a minute," Nancy requested. "Actually we haven't investigated this room and the bath thoroughly."

Every inch of the ceiling, walls, and floor were inspected again. Finally the girls' search was rewarded. They found a loose floor board under the bed. There was a small hollow s.p.a.ce beneath it but no treasure lay within.

"If there ever was anything in here," said Nancy, "it has been taken out and I'd guess not long ago."

Finally the girls went upstairs. George was still soaking her finger in the ice water, but Mrs. Bealing had brought a bottle of witch hazel. She soaked a piece of cotton, wound it around George's finger and put on a bandage.

"That should do the trick," she said. "Incidentally, I don't see how any mice could get into that room downstairs. Besides, you say the trap wasn't baited. This means that evil man put it there, hoping to harm somebody."

"And he did," George said ruefully.

Early in the afternoon Nancy telephoned the Beverly. Mr. Pratt told her that Gus Woonton did indeed know Morse code. "He learned it in our craft shop. Please tell me why you inquired about that."

"Because we think that possibly Gus is hiding in this house and may be responsible for the strange tapping-heel sounds we hear at night, sometimes in Morse code. He did spell out one sentence."

"That's a unique situation," Mr. Pratt remarked. "With you and the police and ourselves hunting for Gus, he should be caught soon."

Nancy said she would pa.s.s along the latest information about Gus to the authorities, then expressed her thanks and said good-by. Two minutes later she was talking with the sergeant on duty at Berryville Police Headquarters. He said that unfortunately it would not be possible to put a twenty-four-hour stakeout on the Carter home.

"We're short-handed with some of the men on vacation," he explained. "I suggest that Miss Carter engage the services of a private detective agency. Of course we'll take a look around the house every time we go through Amity Place."

Nancy was disappointed. She felt that the police were not taking the mystery seriously enough. Furthermore, she was sure Miss Carter could not afford the services of private detectives.

"We girls will just have to do it ourselves," Nancy decided.

When she mentioned this to Bess and George, the latter said, "But you can't watch tonight, Nancy. You have a rehearsal."

"Yes, I know. But how about you two detectives standing guard?"

The cousins looked at each other. Finally Bess said, "Of course we'll do it, Nancy. George and I will take a nap this evening, then spend the night watching."

When Hannah Gruen heard that Nancy had to return to River Heights that evening and Ned would not be there to take her to the rehearsal, the housekeeper insisted upon going along.

"You've had so many narrow escapes, I want to keep you from any more danger."

Nancy laughed. "You're such a dear, Hannah," she said. "Well, be prepared for anything."

Everyone had an early supper, then Bess and George went to take naps. Mrs. Bealing was to call them at nine o'clock.

Nancy and Hannah left. They were alert to danger all the way, but the ride to River Heights was without incident.

"I'm afraid I cheated you out of some excitement," Nancy told Hannah. "n.o.body followed us or tried to harm either of us."

"Thank goodness for that," Hannah said.

They entered the school auditorium. Mrs. Gruen insisted upon sitting in the second row.

Nancy laughed. "The orchestra may make you deaf."

"I'll take that chance," the housekeeper said.

In a few minutes the rehearsal began. The director said it was getting so close to performance time that he had decided to have the scenery set up.

"I want you to get used to it so your movements through doorways and on the stairs will look natural."

As the rehearsal proceeded, Mr. s.k.a.n.k began to nod approvingly at the various performers. Nancy came in for her share of praise for her early tap number.

Her second dance took place near a heavy side wall. It was not raised and lowered by pulleys; but had heavy braces behind it so that it could be pushed to wherever it was needed.

Nancy was about halfway through her number when others on the stage became aware that the wall was teetering. Suddenly it began to fall toward Nancy.

"Look out!" several actors warned.

"Nancy!" Hannah Gruen screamed.

Instinctively Nancy glanced over her shoulder. She was horrified at what she saw. It was not possible to escape the falling wall!

Instantly four quick-witted young men sprang forward. Two caught the front end of the wall, the others the rear. Carefully they eased it to the floor.

Mr. s.k.a.n.k rushed over. "Are you all right?" he asked Nancy.

She nodded, then said, "I wonder what caused the set to fall."

"Somebody's carelessness," the director replied angrily. "I'm going to find out!"

One of the young actresses, who had been backstage, came running forward. She said that a short, heavy-set man who was not connected with the play had been leaning against the wall.

"The next thing I knew the scenery was falling. It almost seemed as if he had done it on purpose."

"Where is he now?" the director asked.

The girl said he had run away as soon as the wall had started to tumble.

Everyone rushed from the stage to find the man, but he had disappeared. Nancy said nothing to the others but she had a strong hunch he might have been Gus Woonton and that he had intended to harm her.

"He's really dangerous," she told herself. An involuntary s.h.i.+ver went down her spine as she thought of perhaps meeting him face to face.

Suddenly the wall began to fall toward Nancy!

The wall was put back in place and the rehearsal continued. By the time it was over, Nancy had begun to feel hungry. It had been hours since the early supper at Miss Carter's house.