In a whining voice Karl tried to defend himself. "I found this place for us, didn't I? When we discovered it was empty and we couldn't collect any reward for those kids, I rented it for our record factory."

Reward for the children! Nancy and Cecily stared at each other in bewilderment.

Karl went on, "Wasn't I the one that set up that sound movie of the phantom launch to scare off the summer residents and that Winch fellow?"

There was no answer, and Driscoll added, "I was watching from the attic the night Nancy Drew and the other girls came to that cottage. And later when I spotted her near here, I signaled to Vince over the intercom to stop the machinery in the beach house.

"That was a busy night for me. Susan Wayne had escaped. Vince and I caught her in the woods, tied her up, gagged her, and dragged her back to the lodge. On the way I heard footsteps and saw some girl climbing the slope. I pushed her from behind and she fell down. I guess she was knocked out because she didn't move. When I went back later to take a look, Nancy Drew was with her. So I rolled a big log down on the two of them."

"All right," said Raskin. "So you captured Susan Wayne because she found out too much about you three and the racket. But you still didn't stop that Drew dame."

"You messed up things yourself!" Karl retorted. "You try to kidnap her and Niko Van Dyke and they get out of the car and walk away!"

Raskin snorted indignantly. "How did I know she suspected they were being kidnapped?"

"I worked hard on this business," Karl insisted. "I even apologized when Vince ordered those girls away so they wouldn't get suspicious, and then bought that iron bird to fool them. When you told me the Drew girl's friends came to your office I tried to scare her away from Misty Lake. I locked her out on the roof and sent Vince flying over to wreck the cottage so they'd all go home. And just in case that didn't work, I had him put a hole in the canoe."

"But that didn't frighten off Miss Nancy Drew, either!" Raskin said angrily.

"Is it my fault she don't scare easy?" Karl asked. "Even when Vince and I sneaked down to the cottage and threw a rock inside, she and her pals didn't leave."

"Yes, but what good did that do?" Raskin sneered. "That girl detective sure can put it all over you. She tricked you by makin' you think a red-haired girl on the beach was Susan and that she had escaped."

Karl admitted this, saying he had panicked and had not stopped to think. But his wife had, and found Susan still locked in the attic room. "So I moved her down here to the beach house and whistled for Vince to come back. I had a feeling Nancy Drew would get the police. But I fooled them plenty, so you can't say I haven't done anything."

Raskin complained, "We had a swell racket goin'. Now, thanks to those nosy girls, we got to stop it. After we get the load of records out tonight, we'll be out of business."

There was no conversation for a few minutes. Nancy and Cecily could hear boxes being shoved around. Finally Karl said, "This is the last box. We'll carry this up, load the truck-it'll be full-and take care of Susan later."

The two girls heard footsteps receding. When she was sure they had left the room, Nancy tried the door. It would not budge. She called Susan's name but there was no answer.

"Oh, we must get in there and save Susan!" Cecily said, as she and Nancy kept pushing and pulling on the door.

It had started to drizzle and instantly Nancy thought of slippery roads. She wondered how the boys were making out.

At that very moment Ned, Burt, and Dave had pulled into an all-night gas station. While the attendant filled up the tank, Ned rushed to a phone booth and called police headquarters in Baltimore, asking that Detective Morton be alerted about the Driscoll truck headed for the city.

Ned dashed outside, climbed behind the wheel, and resumed the pursuit. Vince's truck was not going very fast in the misty drizzle, so it was easy for the boys to catch up. Suddenly the truck turned into a bumpy side road, only one lane wide.

"Where do you suppose they're making this delivery?" Dave asked.

Burt replied, "I can't imagine."

It had begun to rain hard now and the poorly paved road was very slippery. On the left side was a deep ditch. Ned kept as far from it as possible.

Presently he slowed down at a sharp curve where a large sign warned:SOUND HORN

Go SLOW

"Vince Driscoll didn't sound his horn," Dave pointed out.

"You can bet I'm not going to sound mine," Ned answered.

He had driven only a short distance beyond the curve when the trio saw the truck turning around in a widened place in the road. It started forward -straight for the boys!

"That guy's not going to stop!" Ned exclaimed, and began to back up. He negotiated the curve successfully, but had to go so slowly that the truck overtook them. It hugged the inside of the road and squeezed the boys' car toward the deep ditch.

Ned's car skidded, and swerved to the edge. He applied the brake, but it was hopeless. The next moment the car dropped backward and crashed into the ditch.

CHAPTER XIX.

Captured!

THE truck roared away down the narrow road. Ned, Burt, and Dave had instinctively let their bodies go limp and were only badly shaken up when the car had plunged into the ditch.

They scrambled out and surveyed the situation. At first glance the boys were sure a wrecker would be needed to pull out Ned's car.

"It's going to be a long walk in the rain," Dave complained. "I'd like to get hold of that Vince Driscoll and let him have it!"

"I would too, but right now we're stuck," said Ned. "Let's try to get this bus out of here. First, I'll see if it still runs."

To his relief, the engine started at once. Ned climbed out and together the three athletes tried to shove the car onto the road. They found it was impossible to move it up the steep side of the ditch, but in the glare of the headlights, Ned saw that the ditch grew shallower a short distance ahead. Together, the boys pushed the car through the mud and weeds until they reached this spot. Then, with a mighty heave, they managed to get one front wheel onto the pavement. A few minutes later the car was back on the road.

The boys grunted in satisfaction. Burt remarked, "I never thought we'd do it. Well, let's get those pirates!"

"I don't think there's much chance of that now," Ned said. "I'll stop back at the service station and phone the Baltimore police."

When Ned pulled in, the attendant looked at the boys in surprise, then at the mud-covered car.

"We were forced off the road," Ned explained. "I'd like to use your phone again."

"Help yourself."

When Ned talked to a sergeant on duty, the officer surprised him with some good news. "The State Police nabbed those men in the truck. They're being held at Sayreville."

"That's great!" Ned said. "Have they confessed?"

"They won't say a word. But we've got that load of records."

Ned started to ask if anyone from the State Police had gone to Pudding Stone Lodge. Then the line went dead. He hurried outside and reported to the other boys.

"We'd better get back there pronto ourselves," Ned urged.

He jumped behind the wheel and drove off. Despite the heavy rain, they made good time to the cottage. No one was there and the boys were concerned about Nancy and her three friends.