"No," they replied. Then suddenly Nancy said, "The treasure—is it still there?"
"Treasure!" Dave repeated.
"It was an authentic pirate chest filled with old gold coins," Ned explained. "We found it in the hold."
"Then whoever knocked you out must have stolen it!" declared Burt. "We didn't see a chest."
No one had seen any strangers leave the showboat and so much time had elapsed since the attack that the group knew it would be futile to try finding Nancy's and Ned's assailant.
"He must have set the fire, then run up the stairs, and got away when no one was looking," said George.
To make sure he was not still aboard, a careful search was made. The thief, or thieves, had vanished!
"We must return to Sunnymead and report this to the police at once," Nancy decided.
As Captain Runcie and the young people were about to leave the River Princess, the gentle sound of paddles came from two directions. In a few moments they saw Charles Bartolome approaching from one entrance to the pond, Uncle Rufus from another. The new arrivals were amazed to hear what had taken place on the showboat.
"I'm sorry that you two were hurt," said Charles grimly. "So the legend about the pirate treasure was true!"
Uncle Rufus said he had news for Nancy. He had seen nothing suspicious at the River Princess the evening before. But he had been making some inquiries among his neighbors. One, a Negro boy, had secretly watched two men at work in the showboat late one night. The younger man had carried tools, the other a "talkin’ machine with records". While there, they had played tom-tom and calliope records. "They also played some hymns," Uncle Rufus added. "The men called each other Alex and Spike."
"Not Alex Upgrove?" Charles asked.
Bess motioned the young man aside and quickly told him the unfortunate story and their further suspicions about Alex. Charles's face became grave, and he said softly, "I'm sorry for Donna Mae."
"She's just crushed," Bess told him. "She realizes how foolish she was to think that she was in love with Alex," Bess smiled. "You know, Charles, despite what you may think, Donna Mae has always been very fond of you." Charles looked thoughtful, but made no reply.
As Bess turned back to the others, she heard Uncle Rufus say that he thought Spike was hiding out in an empty shack in the bayou.
"Let's go get him!" Ned urged.
Captain Runcie insisted upon going along. But he added, "I'm much older than the rest of you and I offer this advice. Girls, don't go on this manhunt. Those fellows are too dangerous." Nancy reluctantly conceded that he was right.
Being familiar now with the bayou, the three girls set off alone in one of the canoes to return to Sunnymead. When they told their story, the Havers were astounded. While the group were excitedly discussing the new developments, Captain Runcie and the Emerson boys returned.
"We caught one of the men!" Dave announced. "But the other one got away with the pirate chest just before we arrived."
Ned said that the man they had caught was Spike Lander, who had many aliases. They had driven him to police headquarters and he was now in jail. If he had any idea where Alex had gone with the pirate gold, he had refused to admit it. But the Louisiana police and those of Mississippi and other adjoining states had been alerted.
"Alex ought to be caught soon," Ned prophesied.
Colonel Haver said he certainly hoped so. Then, turning to Captain Runcie, he asked about the possibility of moving the showboat to the Sunnymead dock.
"I can move the River Princess with very little trouble," the captain stated. "I’ll get men to clear out the rest of the stream and fetch that showboat down here in no time."
Two days went by and still there was no word of Alex. Spike Lander had confessed to stealing Nancy's convertible. As the young detective had suspected, he had attempted by several sinister methods to keep her from coming to New Orleans. Other than that he would tell nothing.
"I wish I knew where Alex is," Nancy fretted.
The battered showboat had been hauled to the Havers' dock. Since carpenters and painters of the area were busy on Mardi Gras floats and grandstands, none was available to repair the River Princess. Everyone at Sunnymead offered to help.
"I'll accept it," said Colonel Haver gratefully.
Charles heard about the plan and came over to help, bringing Frank and Jack. Hammers, saws, and paintbrushes were kept in use from morning until night.
The River Princess would be restored and ready for the grand ball!
Another kind of change was also taking place. Bess, in particular, was thrilled to see Donna Mae and Charles working side by side, talking and laughing. He seemed to have forgotten his hurt feelings and became more and more attentive to his former fiancée each day.
"Oh, I do hope they’ll get married," Bess sighed audibly.
At last the River Princess was completely restored. The theatre was ready for the play. The large room on the upper deck and all the decks were spick-and-span and waxed for dancing. Only the hold would be barred to visitors.
Mrs. Haver remarked, with a pleased smile, "The Princess looks simply beautiful. I shall be so happy to have our friends see her."
Colonel Haver thanked everyone as he gazed proudly at the showboat, then said, "From now on no more work! I want everyone to get into the carnival spirit. Tomorrow evening Mardi Gras week officially begins. I have grandstand seats for the parades."
Nancy and her friends were glad to turn their thoughts to the colorful spectacle. But Nancy still could not get Alex Upgrove out of her mind. Just before leaving for the first parade, she phoned the police, only to be told there was not a clue to the young man’s whereabouts.
“If you get any leads, Miss Drew, let us know,” the captain requested.
The Havers and their visitors hurried off to New Orleans and found places in the mayor’s grandstand. Soon they heard band music, and down the street came the long line of floats.
“It’s just like being in fairyland!” Bess exclaimed after several gorgeous floats had passed, lighted by torchbearers running alongside them.
High above the street rolled the glittering imitation gardens, palaces, scenes from mythology, Indian history, Nature, ships, and the sea.
Silks, satins, and velvets were used in profusion in costume and decoration. Every float sparkled with gold or silver posts and canopies.
On the pavement below them crowds of people clapped and cried out for souvenirs. Thousands of imitation pearl necklaces were tossed by the actors into the upturned hands.
“Oh, isn’t this the most exciting thing you’ve ever seen?” Bess asked Nancy as she caught one of the necklaces on the third night of the parades.
“It’s simply gorgeous,” Nancy agreed.
“Absolutely super!” added George.
Bands were plentiful and high-stepping drum majorettes led by baton twirlers kept up a lively pace behind the musicians.
During all this time Nancy had not forgotten Alex Upgrove. She had remained alert for any clue to him among the vast crowd of people. But night after night went by without a sign of him.
Finally came Shrove Tuesday, the final day of the Mardi Gras celebration. As soon as breakfast was over at Sunnymead, the entire Haver family and their guests donned costumes in preparation for joining the revelers in New Orleans. Today the parade would start at ten-thirty.
As the girls from River Heights and the Emerson boys, all dressed as clowns, rode towards the city in Nancy's car, she said, “I have a hunch. Maybe it's farfetched, but I feel that we'll find Alex Upgrove today."
"How?" Ned asked. "Even if he's around—which I doubt—he'll probably be in costume. That would be the easiest way for him to hide his identity."
"I know that," Nancy answered. "But he hasn't been caught, so I believe he's in town. I can't get that wadded piece of paper out of my mind. I mean the one Alex threw from the car. On it was a patch of maroon with a gold stripe running through the center. It might have meant a float covered by maroon velvet with a gold stripe.”
"You mean Alex might be on it?" Ned asked incredulously.
Nancy nodded. "In some way he'll be using the pirate coins." The young detective laughed. "I think Alex might even have made some kind of arrangement to rent the coins to the parade committee, provided he found them before the Mardi Gras. He'll use the cash to get out of town while still in costume."
"And leave the chest of pirate money behind?" Burt asked unbelievingly.
"Oh, no," said Nancy. "He'll manage to take it with him.”
Nancy suggested that since all of them were in similar costumes, it might be wise for them to separate. "If Alex is around, he won't be so apt to notice us. We'll meet you later on where the parade breaks up on Claiborne Avenue."
Ned parked the car and the six masked revelers alighted. He and Nancy found an advantageous spot from which to watch the parade as it went along St. Charles Avenue. Float after float went by without arousing any more than admiration on the part of the young people. Then suddenly Nancy grabbed Ned's arm.
"Look!" she whispered excitedly. "Here comes a pirate float and round the outside is maroon velvet with a gold stripe!"
She and Ned watched intently as the float came closer. Three of the "pirates" were busy throwing necklaces to the costumed revelers in the street below them. A fourth pirate was bent over a treasure chest. He was busy sifting gold coins through his fingers, much to the delight of the crowd.
"Throw me some of your money!" cried a by-stander dressed as a knight in armor.
"Yes, I'd like some pirates' money!" called his companion in a skeleton costume.
The cloaked pirate merely laughed. As he passed just above Nancy she peered at him searchingly, trying to figure out what his face would look like without make-up and moustache. After the float had gone by, she whispered excitedly to Ned, "I think that was Alex. Let's follow him!"
"I think the cloaked pirate is Alex," Nancy whispered to Ned
The two kept a short distance behind the float and wound their way in and out among the crowd. By the time they reached Canal Street, where the parade turned, Nancy was positive that the float pirate with the gold coins was Alex Upgrove.
"I'm going to notify the first policeman we see," she told Ned.
"Good idea," he agreed.
Not far away they met an officer and quickly apprised him of their suspicions. He promised to alert headquarters at once, have the pirate float put under surveillance, and the man handling the coins questioned when the parade disbanded.
"I'll be there to identify him," Nancy said.
She and Ned continued to follow the maroon-and-gold float. As it came near the area where the parade would break up, they saw the "pirate" suddenly stuff his many pockets with coins from the treasure chest. The rest he dumped into a small sack he was holding and tucked this into his velvet waistcoat.
"That's Alex, all right," said Nancy. "Oh, Ned, look! He's going to jump off the float and get away before the police come!"
"But he won't get away from me," declared Ned grimly.
The man jumped to the sidewalk. As he started to run, Ned made a flying leap and the two crashed to the pavement.
Several revelers screamed. Their outcries caught the attention of the police who were waiting a short distance away. In a few seconds two officers were on the scene. By this time Ned had pulled the "pirate" to his feet and was holding him in a vicelike grip.
Nancy rushed up and definitely identified the suspect as Alex Upgrove. His hat, wig, and moustache had fallen off in the struggle and most of his make-up had rubbed away.
"What's the meaning of this?" Alex asked angrily.
"You're under arrest," said one of the officers.
"I haven't done anything wrong," the fugitive contended stoutly.
"According to this young lady, you have several crimes to your credit."
The officer named only one—knocking out Ned and Nancy on the showboat and starting the fire. On hearing this, Alex broke down and confessed that Alex Upgrove was not his right name, although he refused to say who he was. Months before the Mardi Gras, he had met Spike Lander, who had heard the rumor of the pirate coins.
"Spike needed somebody with class to ingratiate himself with the Havers and keep track of what was going on, so he chose me. I figured out this Oxford business and it worked all right with Donna Mae and her parents. But you, Nancy Drew, spoiled the whole game."
Alex admitted that he and Spike had arranged to haunt the showboat. When Nancy was learning too much, he had followed her to the De la Vernes'. The elderly Oxford graduate had been his undoing.
"So I had to leave Sunnymead," he said. "But Spike and I weren't going to give up hunting for that pirate treasure. When Nancy found it for us, we had to knock her out to escape. The fire was accidental. Spike lighted a match and in the rush to get away I guess he dropped it."
Alex went on to say that he had arranged, also in advance, to be included as a pirate on the float under yet another important assumed name. He had figured if all went well he could use it as a surprise for Donna Mae, whom he really had intended to marry and gain a social position for himself.
At this, Nancy and Ned exchanged glances as if to say, "What tremendous conceit the man has, to believe he could have got away permanently with such a scheme!"
Alex had also figured that if his plans went wrong, Mardi Gras Day would be an excellent one in which to disappear. As Nancy had guessed, he had rented the coins to the parade committee and planned to use the cash to make a getaway.
She had also been right about the wad of paper, with the identifying maroon and gold. It had been a signal to Spike. There was invisible writing on it, asking his partner to help trail Nancy.
"Yes, Spike rigged that vine barricade," Alex admitted when Nancy questioned him on this. "And he and I used a duck call to signal each other whenever he thought anyone else was in the vicinity of the showboat."
"And did he throw the stone at me and play ghost on the River Princess?”
"Yes."
When the captive's story was finished, the police officer said to him, "Well, Upgrove, your masquerade has ended. Your pal is behind bars and that's where you're going, also. It's too bad you chose the wrong kind of company when you got along so well with nice folks."
Bess, George, and their companions reached the group just then. Nancy said, "Alex has confessed," and the prisoner was led away.
"Well, Nancy, you solved the mystery of the haunted showboat and did a magnificent job," Ned praised her.
"Hip—hip—hurray!" said Burt, striking an exaggerated pose.
Nancy laughed. "Now that the mystery is solved, let's have some fun." But suddenly a wistful feeling came over her as she thought, "When will I have a chance to solve another?"
Nancy's question was to be answered very soon, when she found herself involved in The Secret of the Golden Pavilion.
In a gay mood, the young people returned home. Their hosts and Donna Mae were already there. With them was Charles. All listened in awe and admiration as Bess and George told about the capture of the false Alex Upgrove and the recovery of the pirate treasure.
"It's unbelievable," said Colonel Haver. "Nancy, how can we ever thank you? Unless," he added, a twinkle in his eyes, "the pirate treasure you found is reward enough."
Nancy stared in amazement. "Oh, I shan't claim that! I'd like one coin as a souvenir, but you and the De la Vernes should share the treasure."
"We'll see,” said Colonel Haver. There was silence for a few moments, then he continued. "Nancy, you are responsible for something far more important than solving the mystery of the haunted showboat. I want to take this opportunity to tell you all that after the pageant tonight, the engagement of my daughter Donna Mae to Charles Bartolome will be formally announced."
"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!" Nancy cried out, and Bess and George gave a rousing cheer.
Donna Mae hugged Nancy gratefully and on her cheek the young detective could feel a few tears.
"Nancy, you helped me recover something more precious than all the gold in the world," Donna Mae whispered.
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