his lips tightly. After a few seconds he said, “You trying to pin something else on me? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The officer ordered the prisoner taken away, telling him he could have a lawyer of his own choosing or the court would get one for him.
Wallace said, “I’ll let you know tomorrow.” He followed the guard out of the room.
Nancy and the chief discussed the case a few minutes longer, with Carla looking on wide-eyed. Finally she said, “Oh, I am so sorry to be such a lot of trouble.”
Chief McGinnis gave her a fatherly smile. “We will probably end up thanking you for having the police of two continents looking for this mysterious El Gato. I hope, Nancy, that you solve the mystery of the crossword cipher and have time for some fun on your trip.” He shook hands with both girls. Then they went back to their waiting taxi.
When they reached the motel, Bess and George were eager to hear what had happened. After Nancy and Carla had told of the episode at headquarters, George snorted, “If that Harry Wallace is an importer, then I’ll bet a cookie he’s a smuggler!”
Bess gave an involuntary shudder. “Already everything’s getting complicated.”
The following morning the girls had breakfast in their rooms, then hurried to the check-in counter at the airport. At noontime they arrived in New York City and went directly to the apartment of Nancy’s aunt, Miss Eloise Drew. She was delighted to see them and happy to meet Carla. The four girls briefed her on the mystery and their plans.
“They sound very intriguing,” Miss Drew commented. “Since you girls are going to Lima, you might be interested in the Peruvian exhibits here in New York. There are some at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, others at the Museum of Natural History and a special exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art. On the other hand, perhaps Carla would prefer doing a little sightseeing in New York City.”
“I think I would,” she said. “I have seen very little of it and this city is such an exciting place.”
Aunt Eloise had a suggestion. “Suppose I take Carla with me and you other girls go to the exhibits. They will give you a good idea of the history and customs of ancient Peru.”
After luncheon Nancy, Bess, and George set off. At the Metropolitan they were fortunate enough to join a group with a guide. During his lecture, he said, “The Indians of ancient Peru, particularly the Incas, had a religion in which they worshiped the sun, thinking of it as a god.
“They also had a succession of human rulers, called the Inca, who were supposed to have received divine powers directly from the sun god. As you look at the exhibits, you will note that the decorations on many of them illustrate this fact.”
The three girls were intrigued by the various effigies, most of them made of clay. Many were hunched-up figures, seated with their knees near their chins. “This was also the position in which they usually buried their mummies,” the guide explained.
The young visitors stayed so long at the Metropolitan that they had time only to visit the special exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art. Here all the ancient objects from Peru were gold. They included various kinds of jewelry. Many of the necklaces and earrings were studded with turquoise or other semiprecious stones.
“Goodness, what are those things over there?” Bess asked. “They look like golden Halloween masks.”
The girls walked to the cases and read the cards on the wall back of these objects.
“Funerary masks,” Nancy said.
A man standing nearby told them that the mask was not put over the mummy’s face but laid down just above the head. “Nobody had figured out why.”
Suddenly George chuckled. “Look at that mask over there. It looks just like a llama’s face. Do you suppose someone had it made for his pet llama that died?”
The man grinned. “Perhaps, or else for some important person who looked like a llama.”
The object in
The officer ordered the prisoner taken away, telling him he could have a lawyer of his own choosing or the court would get one for him.
Wallace said, “I’ll let you know tomorrow.” He followed the guard out of the room.
Nancy and the chief discussed the case a few minutes longer, with Carla looking on wide-eyed. Finally she said, “Oh, I am so sorry to be such a lot of trouble.”
Chief McGinnis gave her a fatherly smile. “We will probably end up thanking you for having the police of two continents looking for this mysterious El Gato. I hope, Nancy, that you solve the mystery of the crossword cipher and have time for some fun on your trip.” He shook hands with both girls. Then they went back to their waiting taxi.
When they reached the motel, Bess and George were eager to hear what had happened. After Nancy and Carla had told of the episode at headquarters, George snorted, “If that Harry Wallace is an importer, then I’ll bet a cookie he’s a smuggler!”
Bess gave an involuntary shudder. “Already everything’s getting complicated.”
The following morning the girls had breakfast in their rooms, then hurried to the check-in counter at the airport. At noontime they arrived in New York City and went directly to the apartment of Nancy’s aunt, Miss Eloise Drew. She was delighted to see them and happy to meet Carla. The four girls briefed her on the mystery and their plans.
“They sound very intriguing,” Miss Drew commented. “Since you girls are going to Lima, you might be interested in the Peruvian exhibits here in New York. There are some at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, others at the Museum of Natural History and a special exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art. On the other hand, perhaps Carla would prefer doing a little sightseeing in New York City.”
“I think I would,” she said. “I have seen very little of it and this city is such an exciting place.”
Aunt Eloise had a suggestion. “Suppose I take Carla with me and you other girls go to the exhibits. They will give you a good idea of the history and customs of ancient Peru.”
After luncheon Nancy, Bess, and George set off. At the Metropolitan they were fortunate enough to join a group with a guide. During his lecture, he said, “The Indians of ancient Peru, particularly the Incas, had a religion in which they worshiped the sun, thinking of it as a god.
“They also had a succession of human rulers, called the Inca, who were supposed to have received divine powers directly from the sun god. As you look at the exhibits, you will note that the decorations on many of them illustrate this fact.”
The three girls were intrigued by the various effigies, most of them made of clay. Many were hunched-up figures, seated with their knees near their chins. “This was also the position in which they usually buried their mummies,” the guide explained.
The young visitors stayed so long at the Metropolitan that they had time only to visit the special exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art. Here all the ancient objects from Peru were gold. They included various kinds of jewelry. Many of the necklaces and earrings were studded with turquoise or other semiprecious stones.
“Goodness, what are those things over there?” Bess asked. “They look like golden Halloween masks.”
The girls walked to the cases and read the cards on the wall back of these objects.
“Funerary masks,” Nancy said.
A man standing nearby told them that the mask was not put over the mummy’s face but laid down just above the head. “Nobody had figured out why.”
Suddenly George chuckled. “Look at that mask over there. It looks just like a llama’s face. Do you suppose someone had it made for his pet llama that died?”
The man grinned. “Perhaps, or else for some important person who looked like a llama.”
The object in
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