Mystery of the Ivory Charm

Table of Contents

 

 

What secret life-giving power does the exquisite ivory elephant charm contain? Can the trinket really protect its wearer from all harm?

Nancy Drew finds out when the owner of the Bengleton Wild-Animal Show asks her to investigate one of the performers who may be involved in some mysterious illegal scheme.

The girl detective’s assignment becomes complicated when the elephant trainer’s young assistant, Rishi, seeks refuge at the Drew home from his cruel foster father, Rai.

While following clues to help the boy find his real father, Nancy learns about an eerie abandoned house. She is harassed by its strange owner, Anita Allison, and the fiendish Rai.

How Nancy uses the ivory charm, reunites a maharaja with his son, and brings the evildoers to justice will mystify readers from beginning to end.

Acknowledgement is made to Mildred Wirt Benson, who under the pen name
Carolyn Keene, wrote the original NANCY DREW books

Copyright
©
1974, 1964, 1936 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., a member of The Putnam & Grosset Group,
New York. Published simultaneously in Canada. S.A.
NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES
^®
is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster,
Inc. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Grosset & Dunlap, Inc.

eISBN : 978-1-101-07714-6

NANCY sat in her father’s law office, waiting for him to finish a long-distance call.

As he cradled the telephone, she said, “What’s up, Dad? Another mystery?”

Mr. Drew nodded and smiled. “It concerns a member of a wild-animal show.”

“Man or beast?” his eighteen-year-old daughter teased, her blue eyes twinkling.

“Maybe both,” the tall, handsome lawyer replied. “That’s for you to find out.”

He explained that his friend, Mr. Stanley Strong, who owned the traveling Bengleton Wild-Animal Show, had asked to consult him about some suspicious and perhaps illegal proceedings.

“There will be a performance tomorrow afternoon in Tannberg,” Mr. Drew went on. “Unfortunately, I can’t go, and Mr. Strong said he preferred not to discuss the case over the phone. So I thought I’d send you.

“After the show he’ll be glad to tell you about his suspicions. He sent me four front-row seats,” Mr. Drew added, pulling the tickets out of his pocket. “Can you make it?”

“Indeed I can,” Nancy replied. “I’ll ask Bess and George to come.” Bess Marvin and George Fayne were girl cousins who often helped Nancy. “And I can take little Tommy from down the street. He’ll love the special elephant act from India I saw advertised.”

“Don’t let him get into any mischief,” her father warned, knowing the boy’s tendencies.

Nancy laughed. “I promise.” She took the tickets and rose to leave.

“Good luck,” the lawyer said.

His slender, attractive daughter walked toward the car. It was a sunny, warm May afternoon. Nancy’s strawberry-blond hair vividly contrasted her teal-blue convertible.

As soon as she reached home, Nancy phoned Bess and George, who were eager to attend the wild-animal show. Tommy was also ecstatic over the idea. He came up to the Drew house at once to show his delight by doing a series of somersaults, cartwheels, and Indian war whoops.

“We’re going to have a super time,” the five-year-old blond-haired boy predicted.

The following afternoon Tommy was on hand promptly, and he set off with Nancy, first to pick up pretty, blond, and slightly overweight Bess, then boyish, dark-haired George.

“I hope we see elephants,” said Tommy as the car neared Tannberg half an hour later. “Someday I want to ride one.”

Nancy smiled. “There’ll be a special elephant act.”

As she drew closer to the fairgrounds, the group began to feel the festive atmosphere. People were hurrying toward the entrance, flags were flying, and a brass band was playing.

Nancy found a parking space. “Would you like to go directly to our seats, or shall we look around first?” she asked her friends as they walked toward the grounds.

“Let’s find the animal cages first,” Bess suggested.

She and the others had just reached the area, when Tommy spied a vendor who was selling fresh-roasted peanuts.

“Oh, Nancy, please buy me a bag so I can feed them to the elephants.”

Bess offered to do it and added, “I’d like to give some to the monkeys.”

Her cousin George spoke up. “I understand it’s against the rules to feed the monkeys. I guess in the jungle it’s all right for them to eat the nuts raw, but here ours are too well——”

She never finished the sentence because at this moment the crowd nearby began to scatter. A huge elephant was slowly plodding down the passageway toward them.

“Run!” cried Bess, scooting out of the way.

Nancy held Tommy’s hand tightly. She noticed a handsome, olive-skinned boy of about twelve years, wearing a bright-green tunic over straight-legged white pants, hurrying after the beast. Some distance behind him was a tall slender man, dressed in a long exotic-looking gown and turban. He carried a whip and a metal-tipped stick.

George was fascinated but said, “I hope that man doesn’t intend to use those things on the elephant. It will certainly get mad and might trample anyone in its path. In any case, it’ll begin to trumpet.”

“Trumpet?” Tommy questioned. “Where does an elephant carry a trumpet?”

The girls smiled. Nancy explained to the little boy that when elephants become angry, they swing their trunks around in the air and sometimes make loud sounds that slightly resemble those of a trumpet.

Tommy thought the explanation was funny. Just as the elephant stomped by them, it raised its trunk a bit as if sniffing the air.

Suddenly Tommy jerked away from Nancy and ran to the great beast. With surprising agility, the little boy swung his arms and one leg up onto the elephant’s trunk.

“Oh!” Bess exclaimed.

Several people in the crowd screamed. It was Nancy, however, who rushed to Tommy’s aid. By this time the annoyed elephant was trying to fling the boy off. Tommy clung tightly but looked terrified.

“I’ll catch you,” Nancy offered.

He released his hold and fell into Nancy’s outstretched arms. His weight caused her to stumble backward.

When she set Tommy on his feet, he began to cry. The elephant had stopped walking and now turned his head toward Nancy and Tommy. Did he intend to attack them both?

By this time a boy who looked like a native of India had rushed up. He stood alongside the elephant and spoke softly to him in words his listeners did not understand.

“Shānt ho jao dost!”
Rishi said. (“Be calm, friend!”)

“I guess,” said George, “he’s talking Hindi.”

Just then the man who had been running after the boy and the elephant dashed up. He spoke angrily to them and flourished the whip but did not strike either the boy or the beast. The young helper cringed, however.

The man now turned his attention to Nancy and Tommy. In English he said sharply, “Why don’t you watch your boy better? He’s a nuisance. You should take him home at once.”

Nancy eyed the man steadfastly, then said, “I’m sure Tommy regrets what he has done. But since he didn’t harm the elephant or any of the people here, I see no reason why he shouldn’t stay. I’m sure he’ll behave.”

The animal trainer said no more to her but again turned to the boy. In English he shouted, “Rishi, you will be punished for this! Your job is to guard old Arun, and you let him get away!” Once more he brandished the whip.

Nancy sprang forward. “Don’t touch that boy!” she cried out.

The man looked at her with scorn. “I am Rai, the great Rai. This is my son. I can whip him if I want to.”