interruption. “Then when I discovered what they were about, they made me a prisoner and took me aboard their boat, bound hand and foot. When we were rammed by the yacht, they left me to drown.”
“That’s so.” The two men who had rescued Nancy confirmed this statement. “When we found her she was tied up all right.”
“The motorboat was running without lights,” a quiet voice put in. “Otherwise my yacht wouldn’t have run her down.”
Everyone turned and saw that an elderly, dignified man in uniform had joined the group. Nancy instantly recognized him as the captain of the yacht.
“This is Captain Dudley,” the naval officer said by way of introduction. “There isn’t a more careful man on the river. You can depend on his word.”
For the benefit of Captain Dudley, Nancy repeated her story, but when she had finished, Mary Mason again denied the accusations made against her.
“It’s all a trumped-up story,” she repeated. “It’s true she was tied up and gagged, but for a very good reason. We caught her trying to steal our jewels!”
“That’s right!” Bud agreed quickly.
Nancy Drew was aghast at the statement. For a moment she was so taken aback that she could not say a word, and Mary was quick to press her advantage.
“It’s only her word against the three of us,” she declared boldly. “Let her prove her story if she can.”
Captain Dudley glanced at Nancy with troubled eyes.