Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene Page B

the street. There seemed to be no road leading out, but she concluded there must be some way for cars and people to get in and out of the grounds.
    Presently she spotted a truck off to one side. There was no name on it but she jotted down the license number.
    “Here’s what I’ve been looking for,” she whispered, and pointed to a narrow road which zigzagged among the moss-covered trees.
    As the girls walked along it silently, they listened for sounds of anyone approaching and watched the ground to avoid any holes. George, however, sank down in a soft spot. Her feet were sucked in so quickly she could not pull them out.
    After trying for several moments she called out, “Girls, come and help me! I’m stuck!”
    It took the combined efforts of Nancy and Bess to pull George out of the oozy mass. She looked down at her shoes which had changed from white to brown.
    “I’m sure a mess!” she said. “The sooner I can get into a tub the better I’ll like it.” She thanked her rescuers who could not help laughing at George’s appearance. Mud was splattered over her clothes, hair, and face.
    A few feet farther on, the ground was harder and the girls quickened their pace. As they zigzagged along the curving road, the three grew careless about being watchful.
    Nancy suddenly pulled back and bumped against George. The others looked to see what had startled her. A snake had begun to unwind itself from a tree branch and was trying to reach Nancy with its forked tongue!
    She recovered her wits quickly and said, “He won’t harm us if we don’t bother him.”
    “I hope you’re right,” said Bess, and took a circuitous route to avoid the reptile.
    In a few moments the girls came to a small orange grove. As they hurried through it, Bess picked one of the luscious-looking fruit and put it into her pocket.
    “In case I get hungry,” she explained to the others.
    A few minutes later the girls reached another bit of jungle-like area. If it had not been for the roadway, they would have found it hard going through stout reeds and brier bushes. At last the street came into sight.
    Nancy, in the lead, suddenly called back in a whisper, “Hide!”

CHAPTER X
    Disastrous Fire
    “QUICK!” said Nancy, ducking behind a brier bush. “Mr. Scarlett is just outside in a car!”
    Bess and George squatted down too. The three remained very still, not making a sound.
    Mr. Scarlett got out of his car and walked up and down, looking and listening. The girls were puzzled by his actions. Perhaps someone had seen them going toward the moss-covered mansion and had reported this to him.
    In a few minutes the realtor seemed satisfied about something. He got back into his car. Then, to the girls’ amazement, he drove toward them along the winding path. They crouched lower behind the tall bushes. His car soon disappeared but they could hear the motor. Seconds later it was shut off approximately where the house would be.
    “He must know the animal trainer,” Nancy thought.
    She and her friends came from hiding. Nancy wanted to go back to the moss-covered mansion but Bess objected. “I think we’ve had enough adventures for one day. Besides, George is a mess. Please, let’s return to the Billingtons.”
    As they walked down the street toward the Webster house to get their car, the girls discussed Scarlett’s furtive behavior. Why had he come to the mansion with the wild-animal enclosure?
    “He’s hiding something, that’s sure,” George declared. “Nancy, if you see him again, are you going to ask him why he was here?”
    “No, George. I believe we can find out more by having him think we didn’t see him.”
    When they reached home Hannah Gruen met them at the kitchen door. “My word, George, where have you been?” she cried out. “Did you fall in the water?”
    “I wish I had,” said George. “I’d have been better off.” Quickly she explained about their sleuthing trip to the moss-covered mansion.
    The housekeeper was aghast.