The Mystery of the Antique Doll

thought, trying to concentrate. There are more of us than there are of them. But they have guns, and they’re tying us up. Well, they haven’t tied me up yet. I still have time to think of something.
    Then suddenly she did—and it was so funny she almost burst out laughing. Lady! Of course! I’ll do what Lady does! Lady was one of the Wheelers’ horses who was very clever. She also knew exactly how to handle people. Whenever she was saddled, she “blew herself up” to a larger size. Then she “let herself out.” Naturally, a loose cinch meant the saddle would suddenly swing down to dangle loosely under her belly as soon as anyone tried to mount. You could almost hear Lady laugh each time she’d managed to fool someone. I’ll just blow myself up, Trixie thought, when he ties the rope around me. Then when I let myself out, the rope will loosen up just the way Lady’s cinch does!
    At last the man came over to her. She carefully watched his face as he jerked her arms in front of her and prepared to loop the rope over her wrists. If I can get untied, she thought, I can untie the others. Then maybe we can overpower them.
    She decided to give it a try. She clenched her fists and twisted her wrists slightly as the rope looped over them. If she could somehow keep the ropes loose, then there was an outside chance she could wriggle loose when no one was watching. But the man pulled the ropes painfully tight and, with a sinking feeling, Trixie despaired of ever getting loose.
    She hunched her shoulders and silently inhaled, filling her lungs with air as he pulled the rope down over her shoulders, pinning her arms against her sides. I feel exactly like Lady, she thought, as the rope pulled tight around her body, but she kept herself blown up. She desperately hoped she could hold her breath till he was through.
    As soon as he had finished, she relaxed slightly and exhaled. However, she kept her muscles clenched just enough so no one would see the ropes slackening.
    “Now sit down on the floor!” Carl Reid commanded, once they were tied up to his satisfaction. “And no tricks!”
    Knowing the intruders were no longer able to interrupt, the three men quickly went back to work. From where they were sitting, the Bob-Whites could see the press in the back room. They watched glumly as the sheets of paper were fed into the press. The man running the press handed the sheets to the other man, who hung them up to dry. It was his job also to slice the dry bills apart. Mr. Reid counted and stacked the finished money.
    Suddenly Trixie felt a nudge at her back. It was Honey.
    “Maybe we should start screaming,” Honey whispered in Trixie’s ear. “Maybe Mrs. De Keyser will hear us.”
    “No,” Trixie whispered back. “It’s late, and she’s probably asleep. We can’t risk the chance that they’d gag us. I have a plan anyway.”
    When Trixie was satisfied that the three men were totally engrossed in their work, she started to wriggle ever so slightly. To her delight, she felt the ropes slowly slip. At the same time, she worked her wrists back and forth, trying to open up more slack. Working quietly for about fifteen minutes, she was finally able to get one hand free.
    With a glance of warning at the others, she slowly began to shift her position toward Inspector Patou. Each time Carl Reid walked by with a stack of money, Trixie stopped moving, but at last she reached her goal.
    Making as little noise as possible, she started to work on the knot behind the Inspector’s back.
    But trying to untie a thick knot with one hand was harder than Trixie had figured. Now I know how Mrs. De Keyser feels, she thought. This is going to take forever, and I don’t have forever. These guys are almost finished, and then we’ll be completely up the creek!
    She was working the knot feverishly, when she caught sight of Mart’s face. He was watching her intently. He gestured with his head to the door behind him.
    What’s he trying to tell me? Trixie thought, staring back at him just as intently. Then suddenly she knew! He wants me to go for help! If I can just make it out the door without anyone noticing, I can get the police! Of course! There are so many of us in this little room full of junk, they might not notice if one of us disappeared.
    Slowly and quietly, Trixie wriggled her way to the door. Moving inch by inch, she kept her eyes trained on the three men in the back room. Carl Reid was the only one who came into the front part of