when a neighbor asks nancy to accompany her to an old uninhabited mansion she finds a witch tree symbol that leads her to pennsylvania dutch country in pursuit of a cunning and ruthless thief the friendly welcome the girl sleuth and her friends receive from the amish people soon changes to hostility when it is rumored that nancy is a witch superstition helps her enemy in his attempt to get her off his trail but nancy persistently uncovers one clue after another to outwit her dangerous adversary this book is the revised text the plot of the original story 1955 is similar with minor revisions