The Message In The Hollow Oak

Hey all, welcome back to Do the Drew.  For those of you who don't remember what this blog is about---and let's be honest, it's been a while, so it would make sense if some folks did forget---is my blog that's dedicated to the original Nancy Drew series from the thirties and discusses the differences---if any---between the revisions of their later editions.  Message In The Hollow Oak is one of many volumes that was penned by Mildred Wirt Benson.

Characters: Nancy and Carson Drew, Bess Marvin, George Fayne

Premise: Nancy finds herself in over her head when she tries to find a message in an old tree.

Nancy's surprised when her submission to a radio contest----coming up with a title for a mystery story---wins and she's deeded some land in Canada. Which, I mean, since when did radio contests include real estate?  If I had known that, I may have tried to enter some contests as a kid. Sorry digressing.  Anyways, this is obviously a big deal and almost immediately, a man named Raymond Niles offers to buy the land from her, though she refuses.  Look, how he had found out is anyone's guess as this was not explained anywhere in the story.  Guess we'll just have to go with plot device. 

Anyhoo, after this, she meets a woman named Mrs. Donnelly at a bank who explains that she's waiting for a friend in a red car to take her to the train station and Nancy accidentally lets a man in a red car take Mrs. Donnelly's suitcase---tough in her defense, he didn't give her a chance to respond before taking possession of the suitcase, so not really her fault, and sir!  Rude!---and after she gets the property back, Nancy learns that the man, who's named Tom Stripe, has caused trouble for Mrs. Donnelly before, so obviously, you know you're gonna see this guy again. 

At the same time that Nancy's getting involved in a mystery, Carson has a new case trying to prove that a mining company by the name of Yellow Dawn Mining Company has fleeced several people by selling their victims worthless stock of land, and learning what his daughter's up to, warns Nancy to be careful, even though he agrees to let her travel to Canda as long as Mrs. Donnelly, Bess, and George accompany her.  While they're on the train, Nancy happens to meet Anne Chappelle, who is not only the author of a mystery series that Nancy's following, but is also the author of the story that had the radio contest (and how lucky is that?  Kind of coincidental if you ask me). Before reaching their destination, the train goes off course, and Anne and Mrs. Donnelly are injured, with Anne's injuries being bad enough that she needs surgery, which honestly, isn't something you see very often in a Nancy Drew story, so that was exciting to read about.

Nancy takes Mrs. Donnely to the home of Mrs. Ranny---whom she had met shortly after the accident---to recuperate and it turns out that the two women are bitter enemies, presumably because one of them convinced the other to invest in stocks that turned out to be worthless (the text wasn't very clear on this).  Nancy also learns that that a war vet by the name of Norman Ranny (from World War 1 I believe), is nursing a broken heart because his childhood sweetheart chose her grandfather's money instead of eloping with him.

While she's surveying her land, Nancy finds some prospectors, led by a guy named Buck Sawtice---gee, what a name.  Why do books written in the thirties and forties always have such weird names?---are already there and trying to find the gold/treasure.  She soon learns that Annette's grandfather has been kidnapped and goes to search for him, finding a cache of gold which she re-buries, losing her bracelet in the process which is then discovered by Buck and his cronies. Fearing for the old man's life, Nancy agrees to sell her land to Sawtice and it looks like the theft is going to be un-punished, but after finding most of the gold had been squirreled away and securing it in a safe spot, Nancy floods the land and the bad guys are arrested while Nancy gets to keep the gold, the Donnelly and Ranny families make up, and Annette and Norman finally marry.  

In 1972, the story was revised by Grace Grote, who again, I wasn't able to find any information on, and in this version, the message in the Hollow Oak, was left by a missionary named Pere Francois after he was forced to flee the area due to strife with an Indian tribe.  Nancy's invited to solve this by her aunt Eloise who starts her conversation by telling Nancy that she's "wanted in New York", which, woman!  No!  You nearly gave your niece a heart attack!  As it turns out, she's being invited to solve the mystery of Francois' treasure, which had been started by a group of detectives on vacation before they had been forced to abandon it due to work, though one had gone missing.

With Carson's permission, Nancy goes to make plans to join the dig, taking Bess and George on the dig where they meet Ned's cousin, Julie Ann, and Nancy's invited to do some digging of her own and discovers a bone from a small baby (which, why would Nancy be allowed to dig at an excavation when she's had absolutely zero training and not even a part of the group's school?) and the girls are eventually joined by Ned, Dave and Burt.

During this time, Nancy gains the attention of one of the workers on the dig---Art---who is enamored with her and is put out when Ned arrives, leading to some hostilities within the group until Art and Julie Anne start spending time together and things become peaceful once more.  All I gotta say about this is, Nancy, girl, this was entirely your fault as you never told Art that you had a boyfriend. I getcha not telling him right away because you weren't sure if he was just being friendly, but once you realized he had romantic feelings or you, you should've come clean.

Of course, as it so happens, Nancy's not the only one looking for Francois' message.  A man named Kit Kadle---ooof, what a name----is also after the message, being convinced that it'll lead him to a great treasure and he does all he can to discourage her from the case including trying to lure her outside of the camp and kidnapping two of her friends---Art and Bob---and while Art is rescued quickly, Bob is missing for the bulk of the story.      

Of course, Bob is eventually found, and Nancy also finds a detective that had gone missing, learning that Kit Kadle's gang had taken him, and of course, Nancy is the one to find the "treasure"----which is just some of Pere Francois' belongings---as the bad guys are arrested.

Both versions of the story have their charms and I enjoyed both of them.  However, the revised version asks for a big suspension of belief about Nancy being able to participate in the dig.  But hey, that's beauty of fiction sometimes.  Be daring and bold like Nancy. Do the Drew.