the buses reached the hotel, Professor Stanley announced that the Emerson safari had been invited to supper at the home of an American couple, Mr. and Mrs. Northrup. Everyone was to be ready to leave at six o‘clock.
The Northrup home was situated on the outskirts of the city. It was a large English-type house, set in a beautiful tiered garden. Huge poinsettia plants, two stories high, grew against the walls. All the other flowers in the garden were of massive size. An attractive swimming pool was ringed with bright-red and white hibiscus.
The Northrups were a charming couple. Their host was connected with the American Embassy in Nairobi and related many interesting stories about this former British Protectorate, now being governed entirely by blacks.
The visitors divided into groups. Mrs. Northrup took Nancy and her friends down to the lowest terrace to show them a pet lemur. The animal paced back and forth in a small, barred cage.
“It’s an intriguing-looking animal,” Nancy remarked. “It has a face like a fox, a body like a cat, and a long, ringed, striped tail.”
“The only place in the world where there are lemurs is on the island of Madagascar,” Mrs. Northrup told her guests.
The Americans stayed for several minutes to watch the animal. Then all of them except Nancy went back up the steps to the house. She was too fascinated by the pet to leave.
“I’d love to own one of these,” she thought. “But I suppose it would be cruel to—”
Nancy’s thoughts were suddenly blotted out when a sack was pulled down over her head and quickly tied around her neck. As Nancy tried to grab her attacker, a piece of paper was thrust into her hand. Then she heard running footsteps.
Nancy began to suffocate. She realized that the sack was lined with plastic. She must get it off at once! But this was impossible. The knots which held the cord tight were firmly tied. Nancy knew that in a moment she would black out!
CHAPTER IX
Baboon Thief
FRANTICALLY Nancy tore at the cords which held the plastic-lined sack over her head. She could not do without air much longer, but her struggles to free herself were in vain.
“I must get help!” she thought wildly.
Feeling as if her lungs were ready to burst, Nancy stumbled toward the steps of the terrace. Then she collapsed to the ground. The next moment she felt hands working at the knots and the sack was ripped from her head.
“Nancy, whatever happened?” she vaguely heard Ned say.
Then, dazedly, she realized that he was massaging her back and she was gulping in fresh air. Nancy was still too weak to open her eyes, but she could hear Ned’s voice as if coming from a far distance.
“Nancy! Nancy! Wake up!” he pleaded.
Seconds later she opened her eyes.
“You all right now, Nancy?”
“Yes, I guess so,” she answered softly.
Ned told her not to try talking until she felt stronger. Finally she was able to tell him what had happened.
“Who was the rat who did it?” he asked. His eyes blazed with anger.
“I don’t know,” Nancy replied. “I didn’t see anyone. The sack was pulled over my head by someone who crept up behind me.”
Just then she remembered the paper which had been thrust into her hand by the unknown assailant. She asked Ned to look for it.
He found the crumpled paper near the lemur’s cage and brought it to where she was sitting on the grass. They looked at it together. Both gasped. The warning message read:
Nancy Drew: Give up the spider sapphire case or worse harm will come to you.
Ned stared at the paper a moment, then looked at Nancy fondly. “I agree with the writer about giving up the case.”
Nancy did not reply at once. Finally she said, “Ned, you know I never give up on a mystery.”
“But, Nancy, if anything should happen to you on this trip, how could I ever explain it to your father?”
“But you wouldn’t be responsible,” Nancy countered.
Ned looked directly at her. “Leaving all that aside, I personally
The Northrup home was situated on the outskirts of the city. It was a large English-type house, set in a beautiful tiered garden. Huge poinsettia plants, two stories high, grew against the walls. All the other flowers in the garden were of massive size. An attractive swimming pool was ringed with bright-red and white hibiscus.
The Northrups were a charming couple. Their host was connected with the American Embassy in Nairobi and related many interesting stories about this former British Protectorate, now being governed entirely by blacks.
The visitors divided into groups. Mrs. Northrup took Nancy and her friends down to the lowest terrace to show them a pet lemur. The animal paced back and forth in a small, barred cage.
“It’s an intriguing-looking animal,” Nancy remarked. “It has a face like a fox, a body like a cat, and a long, ringed, striped tail.”
“The only place in the world where there are lemurs is on the island of Madagascar,” Mrs. Northrup told her guests.
The Americans stayed for several minutes to watch the animal. Then all of them except Nancy went back up the steps to the house. She was too fascinated by the pet to leave.
“I’d love to own one of these,” she thought. “But I suppose it would be cruel to—”
Nancy’s thoughts were suddenly blotted out when a sack was pulled down over her head and quickly tied around her neck. As Nancy tried to grab her attacker, a piece of paper was thrust into her hand. Then she heard running footsteps.
Nancy began to suffocate. She realized that the sack was lined with plastic. She must get it off at once! But this was impossible. The knots which held the cord tight were firmly tied. Nancy knew that in a moment she would black out!
CHAPTER IX
Baboon Thief
FRANTICALLY Nancy tore at the cords which held the plastic-lined sack over her head. She could not do without air much longer, but her struggles to free herself were in vain.
“I must get help!” she thought wildly.
Feeling as if her lungs were ready to burst, Nancy stumbled toward the steps of the terrace. Then she collapsed to the ground. The next moment she felt hands working at the knots and the sack was ripped from her head.
“Nancy, whatever happened?” she vaguely heard Ned say.
Then, dazedly, she realized that he was massaging her back and she was gulping in fresh air. Nancy was still too weak to open her eyes, but she could hear Ned’s voice as if coming from a far distance.
“Nancy! Nancy! Wake up!” he pleaded.
Seconds later she opened her eyes.
“You all right now, Nancy?”
“Yes, I guess so,” she answered softly.
Ned told her not to try talking until she felt stronger. Finally she was able to tell him what had happened.
“Who was the rat who did it?” he asked. His eyes blazed with anger.
“I don’t know,” Nancy replied. “I didn’t see anyone. The sack was pulled over my head by someone who crept up behind me.”
Just then she remembered the paper which had been thrust into her hand by the unknown assailant. She asked Ned to look for it.
He found the crumpled paper near the lemur’s cage and brought it to where she was sitting on the grass. They looked at it together. Both gasped. The warning message read:
Nancy Drew: Give up the spider sapphire case or worse harm will come to you.
Ned stared at the paper a moment, then looked at Nancy fondly. “I agree with the writer about giving up the case.”
Nancy did not reply at once. Finally she said, “Ned, you know I never give up on a mystery.”
“But, Nancy, if anything should happen to you on this trip, how could I ever explain it to your father?”
“But you wouldn’t be responsible,” Nancy countered.
Ned looked directly at her. “Leaving all that aside, I personally
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