Introduction
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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #44
The Clue in the Crossword Cipher:
Lovely young Carla Ponce, who lives in Peru, invites Nancy and her friends Bess and George to visit her and solve her “monkey mystery,” which promises to lead to a fabulous treasure. A clue is carved on an intriguing wooden plaque that is so old, most of the crossword cipher is obliterated. When a notorious gang headed by El Gato (the Cat) steals the priceless relic, Nancy’s hopes of solving the mystery are almost shattered. But the daring young detective’s ability to think fast and act quickly results in the recovery of the plaque.
Nancy’s determined efforts to decode the crossword decipher take her to the magnificent, awe-inspiring Incan ruins at Cuzco and Machu Pichu. Through clever deductions, perseverance, and dangerous adventures, Nancy and her friends help to capture a ring of vicious smugglers and go on to make an astounding archaeological discovery.
Copyright ©️1967 Simon & Schuster Inc.
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Content
Foreign phony chemist, Senor Velez, took Nancy's advice.
He laid the wooden handle with the suspicious powder back on the workbench.
Nancy walked over and now unscrewed the handle of the fork.
It too contained the powder I wonder how much of this stuff Luis Losa shipped.
She said as soon as the police returned I think we should ask them to get in touch with the New York police and the Customs officials.
There you mean said George that they should investigate Wallace's importing activities Nancy nodded.
Just then one of the police officers returned.
He said that they had not caught Luis Losa.
Perhaps he is at this address, said Nancy and showed the policeman the letters the address on the envelopes is not the one he gave me when he came to work here observed Senor Velez, you must have moved.
Probably Losa doesn't stay anywhere, very long.
Nancy commented he doesn't want the police to catch up with him.
We will get him, though.
Senorita said one of the officers.
He took the letters from Nancy the other policeman screwed the handles back onto the spoon and fork then put them in a pocket of his jacket.
I will have these tested and report to Senor Velez and you what is inside soon after the officers had left the girls took a taxi to the Pond's home Carla's parents were astounded at the story of what had happened at the shop and in the mountains, very much worried about you, girls, Senora Ponce, said.
Perhaps a secret trip instantly Nancy told of her desire to visit the nazcon lines.
Carla's father said he thought this was a very good idea.
It would be far safer for you, girls to disappear for a while than to stay here.
I will arrange a camping trip to the desert.
That would be marvelous said.
Nancy Senor Ponce said that his company owned a large helicopter.
He was sure he could make arrangements to borrow it for the trip.
It is better to go that way than in a plane, because a helicopter can be set down wherever you wish in the desert.
The girls were thrilled by the prospect of visiting the extraordinary place.
Nancy was confident that they were getting closer to the solution of the age-old mystery of the plaque.
Senora Ponce told her visitors that several letters had come for them from the United States Nancy had received three one from her father, another from Hannah and one from NED Nickerson in it.
The young man asked how she was getting along with her bob-tailed monkey.
Nancy laughed at the quip, then suddenly snapped her fingers.
Of course, why didn't I think of that before the spiraling lines? On the other side of the plaque, Were Meant To Be The, Monkey's Tale.
She immediately began to study the spiral lines again.
It dawned on her that the tip of the tail was at the center of the plaque and right in the middle of the crossword Cipher I'm sure.
That means it's the most important part of the mystery.
She decided that's where we should make our camp in the naskin desert and start our dig, but first we must find the right monkey conversation during a late dinner was confined entirely to the coming trip.
Senor Pont said that he had been able to make arrangements with the government and his own company for a real Safari, Senora, Ponce and I are going along with you, girls.
We have never seen the nazcon lines and I think it is high time that we do so.
Our pilot will be Ernesto Mong and his co-pilot can hey ho Carla's mother, smiled I offered to take my cook and the food she said, but the company has arranged everything there will be a steward named Rico who will act as Camp cook? Also, oh, this sounds so exciting.
Best remarked George could not resist teasing her cousin, you mean the trip or the young man Bess wrinkled her nose at George and disdained to answer the others laughed then Senor Pont said it will be hot in the desert, so we will take polls and awning tops.
There will be several sets, so we can sleep under some of them and move others around to places where we might want to dig for treasure.
Nancy told of her theory about the tip of the monkey's tail being the most likely spot.
All agreed that it was an excellent deduction will take along plenty of digging tools, so everyone can make a search.
Senor Ponce said a short time after dinner was over, the police telephoned a report on the case.
Senor Pond spoke to them and, after a long conversation came to tell the others what had happened.
The powder in the handles of the wooden Fork and Spoon was quinine.
Quantities of this drug were smuggled into the United States, for a most peculiar reason seems there is a dishonest chemist up there who owns a small laboratory and Factory.
He was producing a certain wonder drug pill for a pharmaceutical company and being handsomely paid.
The medicine, however, proved to be very expensive to produce.
This chemist began substituting quinine for one of the costly ingredients.
The quinine was smuggled into New York by Harry Wallace and sent to the chemist after Wallace had removed the powder from the forks and Spoon.
He sold the rare aerogeneous pieces at a high price.
The rest of the shipment made at the Velez craft shop by Losa was fashioned from the common canar wood and sold in regular channels at a fair figure.
What a neat racket George exclaimed, Nancy asked: did Luis Losa get the quinine here, probably Carla's.
Father replied the Lima police believe that Luis Losa stole his supply of it from various sources in South, America I, don't see why he went to the trouble of getting aerogeneous wood.
George remarked he could have used something easy to buy.
We'll have to find out about that later.
Nancy replied, Senor Ponce were the other articles in the shipment, stolen from velez's shop I'm, afraid so her host answered.
How did the police learn about the wonder drug racket? George asked Senor Ponce smiled thanks to Nancy Drew.
He said they contacted United States authorities who picked up Harry Wallace out on bail.
He was at the return address given on the envelopes she found.
After a surprise, inspection of the chemist's place he also was arrested.
Did they find Luis Losa Bess asked no Senor.
Ponce replied: the police learned that he was only boarding at the Lima address on the envelopes.
He had not been there in a week best burst out now that his Pals have been caught.
Maybe he'll get scared and run away, and he won't bother us anymore.
George scoffed, don't be silly, it'll be madder than ever and keep after us.
Nancy was inclined to agree with George and wondered what Luis Losa would do next.
She hoped it would be nothing to delay or ruin their trip to the naskin lines.
There will be one other passenger I did not tell you about Senor Pont said he is a government official who is an archaeologist.
His name is Dr Benavides soon the group said good night to one another.
They were to be up early to make the trip the next morning, Senor Ponce drove them all to the Airfield, and there the girls met the men who would be their traveling companions.
They were handsome with charming manners and all spoke English Nancy and George noted how bess's eyes sparkled and they winked at each other Nancy thought affectionately for Bess.
The Expedition is a success.
Even before it starts helicopter Rose, gracefully and set off for the pebbly desert in southern Peru, two hours later, the pilot Ernesto announced over his mic that they were nearing the naskin lines immediately.
The ponces and their friends crowded to the various windows and gazed below the co-pilot kanejo came back to join them.
Oh, my goodness, Bess cried out.
Look at that giant.
She pointed at the outline of a man etched in the ground below Conejo told her.
It was 800 feet tall, there's a fish George exclaimed a highway is running right through the middle of it.
Conejo explained that this was the Pan-American Highway, which had been built before present-day people realized that among the markings on the desert, there were giant figures.
I see a monkey stretched out on his back Carla called out.
The co-pilot said that this particular figure was 262 feet in height is a marvelous bit of work, said Senora Ponce.
This is not like the monkey on our plaque, though.
The whole group was fascinated by the long lines that looked like roadways, many of them interlocked.
There were also several Spirals and huge figures of birds.
This is the most amazing thing in archeology.
I have ever been privileged to see Senor Ponce remarked, Dr Benavides agreed wholeheartedly.
The entire project is such a mystery.
Everyone wonders why those ancient Indians made their figures, so gigantic Nancy smiled, may I Venture a guess she asked please do.
The doctor said smiling.
Nancy told him about their trip to Machu Picchu and the elderly Indian, who had remarkable eyesight.
He can see small objects, two-thirds of a mile away.
If the ancient Indians who lived around here had that kind of vision, they could easily see the giant figures from far away and enjoy doing their artwork on a grand scale.
The archaeologist looked at Nancy with interest.
That is a very sensible theory.
He said, and one I have not heard anybody Express I understand.
Some scientists think that this whole area was a great agricultural calendar for the use of farmers or possibly it had something to do with the nazcon religion of the time before Dr Benavides had a chance to make any further comment.
Bess gave a shriek of delight.
Look, she cried out.
There's our monkey with the spiral tail end of chapter 18.