[410] Nancy urged Miss Flora to go with her daughter. "I'll stay here and try getting Mr. Owl out of the house. Have you a pair of old heavy gloves?"
[411] "I have some in my room," Aunt Rosemary replied. "They're thick leather. I use them for gardening."
[412] She brought them to Nancy, who put the gloves on at once. Then she suggested that Aunt Rosemary and her mother leave. Nancy smiled. "Helen and I will take over Operation Owl."
[413] As the door closed behind the two women. Nancy dragged a chair to the corner of the room beneath the bird. She was counting on the fact that the bright overhead light had dulled the owl's vision and she would be able to grab it without too much trouble.
[414] "Helen, will you open one of the screens, please?" she requested. "And wish me luck!"
[415] "Don't let that thing get loose," Helen warned as she unfastened the screen and held it far out.
[416] Nancy reached up and by stretching was just able to grasp the bird. In a lightning movement she had put her two hands around its body and imprisoned its claws. At once the owl began to bob its head and peck at her arms above the gloves. Wincing with pain, she stepped down from the chair and ran across the room.
[417] The bird squirmed, darting its beak in first one direction, then another. But Nancy managed to hold the owl in such a position that most of the pecking missed its goal. She held the bird out the window, released it, and stepped back. Helen closed the screen and quickly fastened it.
[418] "Oh!" Nancy said, gazing ruefully at her wrists which now showed several bloody digs from the owl's beak. "I'm glad that's over."
[419] "And I am too," said Helen. "Let's lock Miss Flora's door from the outside, so that ghost can't bring in any owls to the rest of us."
[420] Suddenly Helen grabbed Nancy's arm. "I just thought of something," she said. "There's supposed to be a police guard outside. Yet the ghost got in here without being seen."
[421] "Either that, or there's a secret entrance to this mansion which runs underground, probably to one of the outbuildings on the property."
[422] Nancy now told about the furtive figure she had seen dart from behind a tree. "I must find out right away if he was the ghost or the guard. I'll do a little snooping around. It's possible the guard didn't show up." Nancy smiled. "But if he did, and he's any good, he'll find me!"
[423] "All right," said Helen. "But, Nancy, do be careful. You're really taking awful chances to solve the mystery of Twin Elms."
[424] Nancy laughed softly as she walked back to the girls' bedroom. She dressed quickly, then went downstairs, put the back-door key in her pocket, and let herself out of the house. Stealthily she went down the steps and glided to a spot back of some bushes.
[425] Seeing no one around, she came from behind them and ran across the lawn to a large maple tree. She stood among the shadows for several moments, then darted out toward a building which in Colonial times had been used as the kitchen.
[426] Halfway there, she heard a sound behind her and turned. A man stood in the shadows not ten feet away. Quick as a wink one hand flew to a holster on his hip.
"Halt!" he commanded.
[427] CHAPTER VIII. A Startling Plunge.
[428] NANCY halted as directed and stood facing the man. "Who are you?" she asked.
[429] "I'm a police guard, miss," the man replied. "Just call me Patrick, and who are you?"
[430] Quickly Nancy explained and then asked to see his identification. He opened his coat, pulled out a leather case, and showed her his shield proving that he was a plain-clothes man. His name was Tom Patrick.
[431] "Have you seen anyone prowling around the grounds?" Nancy asked him.
[432] "Not a soul, miss. This place has been quieter than a cemetery tonight."
[433] When the young sleuth told him about the furtive figure she had seen from the window, the detective laughed. "I believe you saw me," he said. "I guess I'm not so good at hiding as I thought I was."
[434] Nancy laughed lightly. "Anyway, you soon nabbed me," she told him.
