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possibility. Anyhow, I’d like to do some investigating in the area of the lodge. Please don’t mind if I skip helping with the dishes.”
    “Do you think you’ll be safe alone?” Cecily asked fearfully.
    Nancy assured her she would be and said she might be able to hide among the trees better if she were alone. She changed into dry clothes, and directly after eating, set off.
    This time, Nancy chose a vantage point on the side of the house which faced the lake. Her attention was drawn to a third-floor window, called a bull’s-eye window because of its roundness and small size.
    Suddenly Nancy tensed. Sharp flashes of light were coming from the room where the bull’s-eye window was. Apparently a mirror was being used to reflect sunlight.
    Nancy watched intently to see if anyone would appear at the window, but no one did. “Maybe the pane is too high from the floor,” she thought.
    The young sleuth could well believe that something strange was going on inside the big stone house and even that someone was signaling for help. Her mind conjured up all sorts of possibilities about a prisoner who was bound and gagged in the room.
    “I certainly can make a deep, dark mystery out of almost anything,” she chided herself with a smile as she moved away. Nancy realized she had been gone from the cottage for some time and no doubt the other girls were eagerly awaiting her return so they might all go to town to start their investigating.
    When Nancy arrived at the cottage, she heard Niko’s hit record being played and realized Cecily must be using the cottage owner’s phonograph.
    “Sounds better than it did last night,” Nancy thought, walking in. She mentioned this to the others.
    Cecily said it was her very own record which Niko had given her. Nancy, curious, went for her disc and put it on the player. It was good, but definitely not so clear-cut as the other.
    “It does sound different,” Cecily conceded. “Not so sharp. Sometimes it seems a bit fuzzy.”
    Nancy picked up the two records and compared them. Although at first glance they looked exactly the same, she noticed that the label on hers was paler than the other.
    “These records have the same serial number,” said Nancy, “but it’s just possible the one I bought last night is a pirated recording.”
    “You mean,” said Bess, her eyes opening wide in astonishment, “that someone is forging Niko’s records and selling them?”
    “It’s possible,” Nancy answered. “I think we should ask Eddie where he bought this supply of records. Also, I think you, Cecily, should telephone Niko’s record company and tell them.”
    Nancy said she had still another suggestion. “Let’s drive on to the county seat at Ridgeton. One of us can go to the courthouse and trace the ownership of Pudding Stone Lodge as far back as possible.”
    The other girls were ready, so as soon as Nancy showered and dressed for town, they set off. As they were driving past Henry Winch’s dock, they saw the stocky man coming out of the rear of his store with a suitcase and an armful of clothes.
    “He’s leaving!” George exclaimed.
    Nancy stopped and asked him if this were true and he said Yes, indeed—he was not going to stay in that haunted spot another night. She urged him not to be hasty, saying she was sure the girls would get to the bottom of the launch mystery soon.
    “I sure wish you could,” he answered. “I tell you it would save this lake as a summer resort.”
    Nancy smiled. “After all, Mr. Winch,” she said, “no harm has come to you. Why not wait a few days? We’re not far away if you need help.”
    “Well, I’ll think about it,” he said. “Maybe I won’t go right now.”
    “I’d like to rent a canoe from you,” Nancy went on. “I may want to inspect that phantom ship at close range.”
    A wild look came into Mr. Winch’s eyes. “Don’t, Miss Drew! It ain’t safe! I’ll leave a canoe at your cottage, but you’d better think twice, young lady,