"Miss Drew!" the riding master cried.

He knelt beside her, hoping that she had broken no bones and that she had not hit her head.

"Miss Drew!" he murmured over and over. "Are you all right?"

Nancy nodded slowly and struggled to a sitting position. Then, with Señor Roberto's assistance, she got to her feet. To the man's amazement, her first words were:

"Is Belgian Star all right?"

It was typical of Nancy not to think of herself first. She had been in many tight spots while solving the various mysteries that had come her way, but the safety of the innocent persons involved had always been her chief concern. Starting with The Secret of the Old Clock, she had proved herself adept in handling difficult situations and bringing many criminals to justice. This had been particularly true in her most recent case, which had come to be known as The Clue of the Velvet Mask.

"Miss Drew," said Señor Roberto, "you look very pale. We'll go into my office and I'll fix you some tea."

Nancy was not to be sidetracked in her concern for Belgian Star. The horse had left the ring and was now out of sight.

"Where did Star go?" she asked. "Is she all right?"

"Well," said Señor Roberto, raising his eyebrows high, "my first concern is for you. But if you insist upon knowing about the horse, we'll find out."

Nancy managed a wan smile. "I didn't mean to seem ungrateful," she said, "but someone hurled a rock at Star's head. It may have injured her."

The riding master stared in amazement. "You say someone threw a rock at the horse?" he asked.

Nancy nodded. "A man was lying on the ground outside the fence. I saw him toss the rock. There it is over on the grass." She pointed.

Señor Roberto looked worried. "I understand now why you were anxious about the mare," he said. "We'll look into this at once. Have you any idea who the person was?"