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remarked with mounting concern.
    “I’ll be glad to do it,” Nancy spoke up. “That is, if Art will take me to town. And I want to phone home.”
    “I’ll get the motorcycle.”
    He brought the vehicle to the front of the house and said to Nancy, “Hop aboard!”
    As they neared Walmsley, Art said he thought they should call Bob’s house before notifying the police.
    “It’s possible that he escaped from his captors and is home by now.”
    Nancy doubted this, but agreed it was a good thing to do. They went to the telephone booth they had used before and Art put in the call. Bob’s father was shocked to hear the news. Not only had his son not come home, but he and Mrs. Snell had not heard from him since he had left for the dig site.
    “This is alarming,” Mr. Snell said to Art. “If I don’t hear from Bob or the police soon, I’ll notify the FBI. Bob may have been taken out of the state.”
    Art hung up. Then he dialed State Police Headquarters and handed the phone to Nancy. She reported Bob’s disappearance and the fact that the farmhouse near the dig had been visited more than once by an intruder or intruders. “The one last night tried to steal a skeleton,” she said.
    “We’ll look into this whole matter at once,” the officer promised. “Men will come to the dig. And if you get any more clues, be sure to let us know.”
    Nancy agreed to do this and said good-by. As she paused before making her next call, Art asked, “Phoning your dad?”
    Nancy shook her head. “I want to tell Ned about the arrangements for the towboat and barge trip.”
    Art walked off a little distance looking very glum. There was no doubt about it—he was jealous! Nancy hoped there would be no trouble between him and Ned.
    It was fully a minute before she reached Ned. “Everything’s set,” she reported. “Julie Anne and Art and I will meet you tomorrow afternoon at the Delta Motel in Cairo. Toward suppertime we’ll go aboard the towboat. It’s called the Sally O. ”
    “Sounds great!” Ned replied. “I’ll get in touch with the others right away. It sure will be good to see you again, Nancy. It’s been a long time.”
    Nancy smiled. It had been only two weeks! But she was delighted that Ned felt this way and replied, “Yes, it has seemed like ages.”
    After she had finished talking to him, Nancy phoned her own home. Her lather was not around, so she told Hannah Gruen the news, including the disappearance of Bob Snell.
    “That’s dreadful,” the Drews’ housekeeper said, then gave a great sigh. “Nancy, every place you go, it seems as if mysteries just pile up one after another.”
    “I guess you’re right, Hannah dear,” the young detective replied. “All of us are terribly worried about Bob. We think he was kidnapped, but nobody can figure out why. There’s been no ransom demand. His family hasn’t a great deal of money, anyway, and certainly Bob doesn’t.”
    “I’ll be thinking good thoughts for him,” Hannah said. “Let me know the minute he’s found.”
    Hannah also reported that Mr. Drew had been away overnight and would not return until that evening.
    Nancy said to give him her love, then went to join Art. Riding back to the dig, he seemed lost in thought. She wondered if he was worrying about Bob Snell or just being foolishly jealous of Ned.
    “Would you mind stopping at Clem Rucker’s farm?” she inquired. “I asked to have messages for me sent in care of him at the Walmsley post office. There might be one or two.”
    Art turned onto a side road and the couple bounced along until they reached the elderly farmer’s house. He was just coming in from the fields.
    “Howdy, folks,” he greeted them. “Nancy, I went to the post office this mornin’ and picked up a couple o’ letters for you. Figgered to bring ‘em over later. Wait a minute. I’ll get ’em.”
    He disappeared inside the house but was back in a few seconds with Nancy’s mail. She asked if he and Art would mind if