came into the room and was introduced as Debbie, Neil’s younger sister.
“I’ll take you to your rooms,” she offered.
On the way through the split-level house, they passed the dining room. In it was a very long table set up as if for a banquet.
Debbie saw the looks of surprise on the visitors’ faces. “Big party here tonight,” she explained. “The rest of the Emerson group is in town and all the people going on the dig are coming here to dinner.”
“That’s great,” said Nancy. “Now we’ll be able to meet everyone. Debbie, I just can’t wait to see our caravan.”
“It’s pretty super,” the girl said. “I wish I could go on the dig, but they tell me I’m not old enough. I guess because I have so many little accidents, they think I don’t know how to be careful. I might ruin something precious that’s dug up.” She giggled.
“We’ll take lots of pictures,” Bess said kindly. “We’ll see that you get some.”
Since the dinner hour was only thirty minutes away, the young people quickly bathed and changed their clothes.
By the time they appeared, the other diggers had arrived. There were introductions, a lot of conversation, and a great deal of laughter.
Nancy was thrilled. What fun it was to join this jolly group and to try solving the mystery of the Forgotten City!
After dinner, the young people gathered in the garden. A graduate student from the University of Nevada, named Archie Arnow, immediately walked over to Nancy’s side to speak to her. At first she answered his questions lightly, but eventually she realized that he was trying to get information from her.
“I’ll pretend not to notice this,” she thought, giving him vague answers.
Several times Nancy tried moving away from him so she might talk to other people. He followed her very closely, and before she could say anything to her new friends, he would ask her another question.
“What a pest he is!” she told herself.
Nancy spotted Neil Anderson at one side of the garden. She made a sudden move, wedged her way through a group, and managed to get to Neil before Archie was aware of what had happened. Quickly Nancy asked Neil what kind of a person Archie was.
“Oh, he’s an archaeological whiz,” Neil replied, “but he’s not well liked. He’s very opinionated and secretive. Be careful, Nancy, or he may try to solve your mysteries for you.”
Nancy smiled. “Thanks for the tip.”
She said Archie had been following her around and asking questions. “I don’t know how much he has heard about what we’re going to hunt for out on the desert, so I thought it best not to tell him anything I knew.”
“You were wise, Nancy,” Neil said, “and you’d better warn your friends.”
Nancy alerted each one in her group.
George made a wry face. “I didn’t like Archie from the moment I met him. I wondered how you could be so patient, talking to him as long as you did.”
Nancy chuckled. “I couldn’t get away, but he didn’t learn anything from me.”
The following morning Nancy telephoned her home in River Heights. Hannah Gruen answered and told her that the police had phoned.
“They reported that Fleetfoot Joe had definitely left town,” she said. “McGinnis had phoned the Las Vegas police to be on the alert. So far he has heard nothing and suggested that if you should call, I should tell you to phone the police out there for information.”
Nancy did so at once but was told there was no news of the elusive thief.
As she left the phone, Nancy saw Ned coming toward her. She relayed her latest clue.
“Keep your eyes open,” he urged her.
Ned now told Nancy that he and the other boys would be busy the following day, helping to get the caravan ready.
“Is there anything we can do?” Nancy asked.
Ned shook his head. “Why don’t you girls go off and do some sightseeing in town?”
“I’d rather go out in the desert and visit the Lost City Museum.”
George and Bess were intrigued by this