The Spider Sapphire Mystery by Carolyn G. Keene Read Free Book Online

possibly Mombasa,” he said. “At least that is where the Prasads are from.”
    Nancy thanked him for the information and walked off. “So Prasad is the name Jahan and Dhan used on their passports!” she thought.
    Soon her friends came downstairs.
    “Boy, did I sleep!” Burt burst out.
    Everyone admitted having slept well and all had ravenous appetites. In the dining room they were seated at a table for six. Bess ordered two kinds of fruit, soup, baked fish, and a whipped cream dessert.
    “If all you do is sit in a plane and sleep and eat, they’re going to charge you for being overweight,” George teased her.
    Bess endeavored to defend herself and finally told the waitress she would skip dessert.
    As dusk came on, Professor and Mrs. Stanley gathered the members of the safari and engaged taxis to take them to the airport. Although the group was as merry as on the previous evening’s flight, the gaiety did not last so long. By ten-thirty everyone was sound asleep.
    Nancy did not know how much later it was when she was suddenly awakened by all the lights being turned on brightly.
    In a moment the captain’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Please fasten your seat belts! Turbulence ahead! I repeat, please fasten your seat belts immediately!”
    The sleepy students did so almost automatically. They wondered why the order had been given because the plane seemed to be rushing through the night without trouble.
    The stillness was abruptly shattered by Gwen Taylor exclaiming, “I hate seat belts! They make me positively ill! I’m not going to put mine on!”
    She was defiantly standing in the aisle when the plane made a sickening drop. Gwen grabbed the back of the seat and eased herself down.
    A few moments later the plane began to roll sharply to left and right. The craft sank again as if it had suddenly lost all of its lift. This time the plane seemed to be going completely out of control. Tensely the passengers clutched the armrests of their seats.

CHAPTER VIII
    The Lemur Cage
    ALTHOUGH everyone became more alarmed as the plane continued to lose altitude, they all managed to remain quiet except Gwen Taylor.
    Again she stood up in the aisle. Her friend Hal Harper tried his best to make her sit down but she refused.
    “If I’m going to be killed,” she exclaimed, “it’s going to be standing up, not tied to a seat!”
    She pitched forward and almost fell. Hal grabbed her and pushed the hysterical girl into her own seat.
    At the same moment the pilot’s voice came clearly over the loudspeaker. “Will the young lady who is standing up please stay in her seat and put on her belt? This is an order from your captain.”
    Gwen did not adjust the seat belt, but she was quiet for several seconds. Then suddenly she got up again and lurched forward. “I’m going to have my father sue this airline!” she cried out.
    Within seconds she had yanked open the door to the pilot’s compartment, bolted inside, and slammed the door. Hal Harper unfastened his own belt and started after her.
    From the rear of the cabin the steward yelled frantically, “Sit down! Put on your belt!”
    As Hal obeyed, there came a scream from the pilot’s compartment. The next moment the plane went into a dive!
    Those in the cabin held their breath, but the pilot seemed to be a magician. No matter how violently his craft was tossed about, he seemed able to get it back under control.
    The plane climbed rapidly and in a few moments leveled out in smooth air. Everyone uttered groans of relief, then turned their eyes toward the door of the pilot’s cabin. What was going on inside?
    Presently the door flew open. Gwen came out, looking very disheveled. Her wig was awry, giving her a comical look.
    As Gwen half stumbled toward her own seat, Bess called out, “What made you scream, Gwen?”
    The unruly girl stopped short and said haughtily, “If you must know, the flight engineer grabbed me.”
    Bess’s eyes lighted up. “How