Nancy darted into the next room, while George and Bess struggled with their captor, trying to block the door and give their friend more time.

   "Stop that girl!" Maurice Hale shouted angrily. "If you let her get away, I'll-"

   Nancy plunged into the tunnel and was swallowed up by darkness. She ran for her life and for the lives of her friends, realizing this probably was her only chance. The long white robe hindered her, but there was no time to tear it off. She held it high above her knees. Once she stumbled, but caught herself, and rushed on frantically.

   The tunnel seemed to have no end. Behind her. Nancy could hear pounding footsteps and angry shouts. She thought the men must be gaining. If only she could reach the mouth of the cave! The tunnel wound in and out and several times Nancy brushed against the rough stone wall. The route was so circuitous that she began to think she had taken a wrong turn.

   Then, just as she was giving up hope, Nancy spotted a dim light far ahead and knew she must be nearing the mouth of the cave. No one appeared to be left guarding the entrance. Her only chancel In a moment more she had reached the open air.

"Saved!" Nancy breathed.

   At that instant a dark figure loomed up from the grass. Nancy felt a heavy hand on her shoulder!

CHAPTER XIXDestroyed Evidence

"Not so fast there!" The man leered as he clutched Nancy firmly by the arm and whirled her around. "What's the big rush, anyway?"

Nancy, staring into his hard face, saw that he was the man who had been addressed as "Hank," one of the three men she had seen at the filling station. Frantically she struggled to free herself.

"So-" he muttered in satisfaction, "the pretty blond spy the boys were telling me about. I thought you were warned by the guard to keep away from here! This time, I take it, you're lookin' for something besides a stray cow!"