CHAPTER XVII. A Maharaja’s Son

CHAPTER XVII

A Maharaja’s Son

“MRS. Allison did this! ” Nancy thought as she ran to the professor’s side. “That awful woman was afraid he would reveal to the police what he’d heard! ”

Just then the front door bell rang. Instead of going to answer it Nancy called loudly for help.

“Coming! ” a masculine voice shouted from the kitchen.

The next moment Ned Nickerson ran into the room, but stopped short as he saw the professor lying on the floor.

“What happened? ” he asked.

“Dr. Stackpole is badly hurt, ” Nancy cried frantically. “I guess he was struck with this heavy bookend. ” She pointed to one that lay nearby. “We must give him first aid! ”

She and Ned worked silently over the aged professor, and were relieved that his heartbeat seemed regular, although weak.

“He’ll be all right in a few minutes, I think, ” Ned said after a time. “But we need ice or a cold compress. ”

“I’ll see if I can find the maid, ” Nancy offered.

She went to the kitchen. Neither the cook nor the maid were there, but the refrigerator contained an ample supply of ice cubes. The caller at the front entrance had been forgotten, and he did not ring again.

Nancy was searching for a plastic bag in which to put the ice when she heard a slight noise at the kitchen door.

“Come in! ” she called.

The door opened and there was a gasp of surprise. Nancy turned.

“Rishi! ” she cried.

The boy laughed in relief and joy. “I ring front bell. Nobody answer. ”

“Oh, I’m so glad to see you! ” Nancy exclaimed, then asked, “Why are you here? Why didn’t you return to my house? ”

“Rishi afraid Rai look there for him. Rai in this city now. He trail me like dog. ”

“Then you were wise to come here, ” Nancy acknowledged. “Rishi, a few minutes ago Dr. Stackpole was injured. ”

While she was explaining what had occurred, Ned appeared. He was wondering what had detained Nancy and was greatly startled to see the young boy. With the professor in urgent need of attention, however, there was no time to exchange introductions or to hear Rishi’s full story of who had captured him, how he had escaped from Rai, or where Rai might be found.

“Dr. Stackpole is conscious now, ” Ned told Nancy. “But I need the ice. ”

They returned with it, followed by Rishi. When they had ministered to the elderly tutor, they were able to lift him to a couch.

After a time the man’s strength returned and he gazed about the room, trying to locate objects and persons. Rishi stood gazing sorrowfully at his stricken tutor.

“Is it really you—Rishi? ” the injured professor asked in a barely audible voice.

“Yes, yes, ” the boy said eagerly. “It is me, Rishi. I mean—it is I, ” he stammered, trying to use the correct grammar the man had taught him recently.

“I shall always be proud that I served as your tutor, ” Professor Stackpole said in a half whisper. “The lost son of a maharaja! ” he murmured weakly.

“The lost maharaja, ” the professor murmured.

Rishi stared at Nancy in bewilderment as if expecting her to offer an explanation for the man’s strange words.

“It is true, ” she told him. “We have evidence that proves you were kidnapped from your own country by persons who had great political influence and made lama Togara both governor and a maharaja. Your mother died of a broken heart when she received word that a tiger had killed you. Your father left the country. ”

For a long moment Rishi did not speak. But tears of joy trickled down his brown cheeks as he eyed Nancy with a worshipful gaze.

“Rishi very happy boy now. Thank you, Nancy, for find out truth. ”

Professor Stackpole slowly rose from the couch. “If you will excuse me, I shall retire to my room. My head aches severely. ”

“Shouldn’t we call a physician? ” Nancy inquired anxiously.

“No, no, I will be quite all right after I have slept. ” The man moved toward the door and then paused. “Rishi must remain with me until Rai and Mrs. Allison are apprehended. He will be safer with me. ”

“Yes, ” Nancy admitted. “I doubt that they would think of searching for him here. ”

“I will ask the maid to prepare a room for Rishi at once, ” Dr. Stackpole said. He bowed to both Nancy and Ned. “You must forgive me for deserting you in this manner. I am very tired and not myself. ”

After the tutor had gone to his room, Nancy and Ned told Rishi the details of Mrs. Allison’s plot against him. The boy in turn described Rai’s cruelty toward him during the boy’s captivity.

“He keep me in small room. When he go away even for one hour, he bind me to chair so I no run away again. Rishi not have enough to eat. Every night he beat me for go to Nancy. Say take me far away. Be in new animal show. Today I work and untie ropes and run away. ”

“Good for you! ” Ned told him with a grin. Nancy said sympathetically, “You’ve had a bitter experience, Rishi. But I’m sure you’ll be safe as long as you remain with Dr. Stackpole. ”

“Rishi stay very close in house. ” The boy smiled. “Never go outside again until Rai is capture. ”

Nancy rose to leave. It occurred to her to ask Rishi if during his period of captivity he had observed Rai wearing the missing ivory charm.

Rishi shook his head. “Never see it. ”

“I’d give a great deal to get hold of that lucky piece, ” Nancy remarked. “Somehow I can’t help but feel that the story is true, and the charm guards a strange secret. ”

“Rai often say same thing, ” Rishi said gravely. “Once he say charm have power of life or death. ”

“That was a queer remark, ” Nancy mused. “I wonder—”

She left the thought unexpressed, and after bidding Rishi good-by, departed with Ned and spent the rest of the evening with him.

The next morning Nancy slept a little later than usual. She had just finished dressing when Hannah called up the stairway that Nancy was wanted on the telephone.

“I think it’s Dr. Stackpole, ” the housekeeper said. “He seems greatly excited. ”

Nancy had an extension on a table alongside her bed and picked it up.

“Hello. This is Nancy. ”

“I have distressing news for you, ” the professor told her in a strained, tense voice. “During the night Rishi disappeared from my home! ”

“Kidnapped? ” Nancy asked.

“I don’t know. I blame myself, Nancy. I should have watched the boy more carefully. ”

“This is dreadful! ” Nancy cried. “I’ll talk to my father about it. ”

She put down the phone and flew to the dining room, where Mr. Drew was eating breakfast. In terse sentences she revealed what had occurred.

“The case has gone far enough, ” the lawyer responded grimly. “It calls for drastic action. ” He jumped from his chair.

“Shall we notify the police? ” Nancy suggested.

“We’ll do more than that. I’ll call the FBI. ”

Within minutes Mr. Drew was in touch with a friend in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He returned to Nancy who in the meantime was thinking along totally different lines.

“Dad, ” she said, “this is about the time when the importer from India is supposed to return to River Heights. Do you think Rishi has gone there to see Mr. Tilak? ”

⇐ Предыдущая 12 13 14 15 16 171819 20 21 Следующая ⇒