The Secret of the Forgotten City by Carolyn G. Keene Read Free Book Online

nothing about Fleetfoot, nor would they identify the man to whom they had given the package as being the thief we’re looking for.
    “Of course, we had to let them go,” McGinnis continued, “but they’ll be kept under surveillance. If anything else comes in, I’ll let you know.”
    Nancy thanked him, then went back to hear more of Mrs. Wabash’s story. She confessed to having thought the chuckwalla lighted up but probably was wrong.
    Bess had been studying one of the human figures. She giggled. “This creature doesn’t seem to be wearing any clothes but has a very fancy headdress.”
    The Indian woman said she had translated this to mean that the two figures, which she thought were male and female, could indicate a battle between the chief and his leaders and the common people.
    “I believe the common people won,” Mrs. Wabash said, “because of the elaborate headdress, which no doubt was taken from the chief and put on the head of the rebel leader.”
    George remarked, “That’s a fascinating theory. It will be fun to prove it someday.”
    As they all stared at the other figures, Nancy, who had been using her magnifying glass, suddenly exclaimed, “Look at this!”

CHAPTER VIII
    Say It in Code
    IN the lower right-hand corner of the plaque, Nancy had detected an almost obliterated oblong mark.
    “It has very faint petroglyphs on it,” she announced.
    First Mrs. Wabash, then Nancy’s friends, looked at it through the magnifying glass.
    Finally Bess said, “What do you think the marks represent, Nancy? It doesn’t look like much to me.”
    Nancy waited for Mrs. Wabash to answer but when she did not speak, the young detective said, “Could this carving depict one of the golden tablets?”
    Ned remarked that if it were, this was an amazing deduction. Nancy, now thoroughly intrigued, went for an even stronger magnifying glass, which her father kept in a desk drawer. She trained it on the faint petroglyph.
    “This looks like a man gathering something from a stream. I think this hairline mark indicates a stream. Maybe he has found gold nuggets and will make a plate from them!”
    She handed the magnifying glass to the owner of the tablet. “What do you think, Mrs. Wabash?”
    The Indian woman gazed at the symbol a long time. “I believe you’re right, Nancy,” she said, smiling.
    She added that Nancy had made a valuable contribution to the mystery. “I would even guess that the long-forgotten city ran along the banks of this stream. The golden plates perhaps were made from nuggets found there, and the plates are hidden in that area.”
    Bess sighed. “Do you think we can ever find that city and the sheets of gold?”
    “I’ll wager,” said Burt, “that if anybody can find them Nancy Drew can.”
    The young sleuth grinned. “It’s a big order, but I hope you’re right.”
    Mrs. Wabash rose to leave. She said she would meet the young people in Las Vegas.
    “I’ll memorize your address there, so if anybody takes my purse again, it won’t reveal where you are.”
    Nancy thanked her for thinking of this. “Now my friends and I will memorize your address and phone number.”
    They all repeated it several times, then said good-by to the Indian woman. Soon afterward the three couples separated to attend to their packing.
    Early the next morning they gathered again at Nancy’s house, and Mr. Drew said he would drive them all to the airport. Hannah Gruen bid them farewell, her eyes moist with affection. She pleaded with Nancy to be careful of Fleetfoot and of poisonous serpents or reptiles like the gila monster.
    “I’ll do my best to avoid them,” Nancy agreed.
    She hugged the housekeeper affectionately and hurried to the car.
    On the way to the airport Nancy said to the others, “Don’t you think it would be a good idea if we had a signaling system in code?”
    “Great,” Ned agreed. “You mean hand signals?”
    “No, that is too obvious,” Nancy replied. “How about three or four