Read Online The Spider Sapphire Mystery by Carolyn G. Keene - Free Book Online
Authors: Carolyn G. Keene
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reaching the animal, he jumped to the railing and scooted to the far side of the roof. As Nancy dashed after him, he raised his upper lip, baring his teeth. She knew now that the only way to get the hair piece away from the baboon was to use kindness and coaxing.
Nancy took a piece of candy from her handbag and held it in the palm of her hand. The baboon looked at it, then turned back to the wig and began pulling the hair from it.
Nancy laid the candy on the railing and waited. Quick as a flash the baboon ran toward it, grabbed it in his mouth, and ran off without dropping the wig. The next moment he jumped toward a tree and started downward.
CHAPTER X
A Doubtful Robbery
NANCY could reach neither the baboon nor the wig. All she could do was try some strategy.
“Nice boy!” she called to him in a soft voice. “I shan’t hurt you. Come on over here.”
The animal eyed her without flinching and did not move. Then, as if trying to tease her, he reached up and hung the wig on a high branch of the tree.
At that moment a waiter came up the stairs carrying a tray of pineapple slices, cookies, and teacups. He was followed by a man with the tea service. Behind him walked the White Hunter with his rifle. He stationed himself at the far end of the roof, while the waiters set the food down on a long table.
“Tea, miss?” one of the waiters asked Nancy.
“Not now, thank you,” she replied, “but is it against the rule to feed the baboons?”
“Oh no.”
“Then may I have a couple of cookies for my friend up there in the tree?”
A waiter handed some to her and she walked over to the railing. Nancy called to the baboon, “Cookies in exchange for the wig!”
The animal did not comply. He jumped to the railing and put out a hand for a cookie.
“First go get that wig,” she said, holding back.
The baboon had other ideas. With a quick swoop of his arm, he took the cookie out of her hand and jumped back to the tree.
Guests began to troop up the stairway. Bess and George appeared first, then the three boys.
“Where’s the wig?” Bess asked.
Nancy pointed and said, “I have half a mind to jump over to that branch myself and get it.”
The boys said that if anyone was going to get the wig, one of them would. Again the baboon outwitted them. Grabbing the hair piece in his hand, he scooted down the tree and out of sight.
George spoke up. “Who’d want to wear that now anyway?” she asked. “It’s ruined and probably full of fleas!”
The others nodded but Bess said sympathetically, “I feel sorry for Gwen. That wig meant a lot to her.”
“Too much,” said George crisply.
“Someone will have to tell her,” Nancy remarked. “As soon as I have a piece of this delicious-looking pineapple, I’ll go do it.”
“Please let me,” Bess begged. “I have an idea what to say to her.”
As soon as Bess had eaten, she excused herself and hurried off. She found Gwen in her room. It was evident she had been crying. Bess went up and put an arm about the distressed girl.
“Gwen, don’t let an old baboon get you down. You know something?”
“What?” Gwen asked.
“It’s foolish of you to let a hair piece spoil your whole safari. Gwen, you have beautiful dark hair and just between you and me it’s a lot more becoming to the color of your eyes and skin than blond hair is. Tell you what! Let me shampoo and set your hair. I’ll bet you’ll love it—and Hal too.”
Gwen looked at Bess for several seconds before she said, “I’ve been so horrible on this trip I don’t see how anybody would want to bother with me.”
Bess hugged her. “Don’t be a silly, Gwen. You just be yourself and everybody will love you.”
“You mean it?”
“Sure. I’ll go for some shampoo I brought and we’ll get to work.”
Gwen smiled at her new-found friend. “Okay,” she agreed. “You’re a darling, Bess.”
Up on the roof, Ned suddenly called out, “Here come the rhinos!”
“I can’t say they’re
Nancy took a piece of candy from her handbag and held it in the palm of her hand. The baboon looked at it, then turned back to the wig and began pulling the hair from it.
Nancy laid the candy on the railing and waited. Quick as a flash the baboon ran toward it, grabbed it in his mouth, and ran off without dropping the wig. The next moment he jumped toward a tree and started downward.
CHAPTER X
A Doubtful Robbery
NANCY could reach neither the baboon nor the wig. All she could do was try some strategy.
“Nice boy!” she called to him in a soft voice. “I shan’t hurt you. Come on over here.”
The animal eyed her without flinching and did not move. Then, as if trying to tease her, he reached up and hung the wig on a high branch of the tree.
At that moment a waiter came up the stairs carrying a tray of pineapple slices, cookies, and teacups. He was followed by a man with the tea service. Behind him walked the White Hunter with his rifle. He stationed himself at the far end of the roof, while the waiters set the food down on a long table.
“Tea, miss?” one of the waiters asked Nancy.
“Not now, thank you,” she replied, “but is it against the rule to feed the baboons?”
“Oh no.”
“Then may I have a couple of cookies for my friend up there in the tree?”
A waiter handed some to her and she walked over to the railing. Nancy called to the baboon, “Cookies in exchange for the wig!”
The animal did not comply. He jumped to the railing and put out a hand for a cookie.
“First go get that wig,” she said, holding back.
The baboon had other ideas. With a quick swoop of his arm, he took the cookie out of her hand and jumped back to the tree.
Guests began to troop up the stairway. Bess and George appeared first, then the three boys.
“Where’s the wig?” Bess asked.
Nancy pointed and said, “I have half a mind to jump over to that branch myself and get it.”
The boys said that if anyone was going to get the wig, one of them would. Again the baboon outwitted them. Grabbing the hair piece in his hand, he scooted down the tree and out of sight.
George spoke up. “Who’d want to wear that now anyway?” she asked. “It’s ruined and probably full of fleas!”
The others nodded but Bess said sympathetically, “I feel sorry for Gwen. That wig meant a lot to her.”
“Too much,” said George crisply.
“Someone will have to tell her,” Nancy remarked. “As soon as I have a piece of this delicious-looking pineapple, I’ll go do it.”
“Please let me,” Bess begged. “I have an idea what to say to her.”
As soon as Bess had eaten, she excused herself and hurried off. She found Gwen in her room. It was evident she had been crying. Bess went up and put an arm about the distressed girl.
“Gwen, don’t let an old baboon get you down. You know something?”
“What?” Gwen asked.
“It’s foolish of you to let a hair piece spoil your whole safari. Gwen, you have beautiful dark hair and just between you and me it’s a lot more becoming to the color of your eyes and skin than blond hair is. Tell you what! Let me shampoo and set your hair. I’ll bet you’ll love it—and Hal too.”
Gwen looked at Bess for several seconds before she said, “I’ve been so horrible on this trip I don’t see how anybody would want to bother with me.”
Bess hugged her. “Don’t be a silly, Gwen. You just be yourself and everybody will love you.”
“You mean it?”
“Sure. I’ll go for some shampoo I brought and we’ll get to work.”
Gwen smiled at her new-found friend. “Okay,” she agreed. “You’re a darling, Bess.”
Up on the roof, Ned suddenly called out, “Here come the rhinos!”
“I can’t say they’re
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