Mystery of Smugglers Cove (12 page)

Joe, in the meantime, had followed the poachers after they left their camp. The trail through the mangroves was soaked from the night's torrential downpour, and the soil mixed with dead leaves was slippery. Joe struggled to keep his balance and felt glad he was wearing heavy boots.

After an hour's trek, the group heard a roaring noise up ahead. Lami ordered his men to halt.

“Check your guns!” he commanded.

The sound of hands slapping on metal gun barrels made Joe realize the poachers were getting ready for action. Then Lami gave the order to move out. Joe stayed close behind the men.

The roar grew louder as they descended a small hill and stopped at the last row of mangroves. While the poachers were concentrating on the view from the trees, Joe felt safe sneaking up close enough to see what they were looking at.

The land sloped down on all sides to a pool about one hundred yards across. Dozens of alligators were sunning themselves on the banks. Others were cruising through the water or snapping at fish. The alligators bellowed ferociously, and Joe realized this was the roaring sound he had heard down the trail.

Lami addressed the gang. “Each of you concentrate on one ‘gator. Take careful aim so we don't waste any bullets!”

The poachers raised their rifles and got ready to fire. Thinking quickly, Joe picked up a large stone and lofted it high over the trees. It fell into the pool with a loud splash.

Instantly the alligators on the banks slithered into the pool, swam to the spot where the splash had occurred, and submerged with those already in the water.

Lami was thunderstruck. “What was that?” he demanded, lowering his rifle.

“Musta been a mangrove fruit falling in,” Fatso said. “Anyway, they think it's something to eat. We'll have to wait for ‘em to come up again.”

Just then a swishing noise in the undergrowth behind him caused Joe to whirl around. A giant alligator was charging at him! Its jaws were wide open revealing rows of long, jagged fangs!

Instinctively Joe grabbed a mangrove branch over his head and swung himself into the air. The lizard pounded underneath, its snapping jaws barely missing the boy's feet.

Its momentum caused it to hurtle into the gang of poachers. Screaming in terror, the men ran for safety, dropping their rifles as they fled into the underbrush. Apparently the alligator was equally scared. It careened into the pool and dove under with the rest of the lizards.

Since the poachers were scattered quite a distance away, Joe saw his chance to ruin their hunt. He dropped to the ground and raced to the spot where the rifles lay. One by one he picked them up and tossed them into the pool.

Then he darted back into the mangroves, hoping to reach safety before the poachers realized what he had done.

But it was already too late! He heard Lami yell, “That's Joe Hardy! Grab him!”

Fatso, who was closer than Joe had thought, jumped from behind a bush and collared the young detective. Breaking loose, Joe knocked him down with a karate chop. Then he got past another gang member by kicking his feet out from under him. But a third man seized Joe in a bear hug and wrestled him to the ground.

They rolled over and over. Two other poachers rushed up and pulled Joe to his feet, holding him with his arms behind his back.

He was the gang's prisoner!

“The great Joe Hardy!” Lami snickered. “Where's your brother?”

“He'll be here any minute,” Joe replied.

Fatso grinned evilly. “Good. We'll grab him, too!”

“I doubt it,” Joe said. “Frank's bringing the rangers with him!”

The poachers gasped. “The rangers!” Lami snarled. “We gotta get outa here, quick!”

“Not until we take care of this snooper!” Fatso declared. “We've been saying all along we'd like to toss the Hardys to the alligators. Now let's do it!”

Lami nodded. “Good idea. He can use one of our rifles to fight off the little pets!”

The poachers guffawed at this joke, then they hustled Joe down to the shore of the pool. No movement broke its calm surface, and there was no sign of the giant lizards.

Joe shuddered. He could imagine dozens of the ferocious animals lying at the bottom, then swarming to the kill as soon as he hit the water! He had never been in a tighter spot!

“Okay,” Lami said. “Let's give him the old heave-ho!”

Four of the men grabbed Joe's arms and legs and lifted him off the ground. They swung him back and forth a few times to gain momentum and were just about to let him fly through the air into the water, when three alligators surfaced right in front of them! The lizards slithered up the bank and rushed toward the gang!

In a spasm of fear, the four dropped Joe on the ground and the whole gang ran off with the alligators in hot pursuit!

One ‘gator clamped its jaws on Lami's ankle, and only his thick leather boot saved him from serious injury. He kicked frantically until the lizard let go, then rushed into the mangroves.

A second ‘gator attacked Fatso and caught his coat between its fangs. The coat ripped off, and the lizard swallowed it. Fatso dashed after Lami, while the third 'gator dispersed the rest of the gang by snapping its jaws and lashing its tail.

The lizards had ignored Joe in their initial pursuit of the poachers. But as he picked himself up, he saw the three alligators staring at him. A chill ran down his spine and his knees almost gave way as he realized he was trapped between the ferocious beasts and the pool!

Glaring savagely, the three alligators advanced toward Joe. There was no chance to escape!

Then, a rustling in the undergrowth caused the lizards to turn. A terrified rabbit rushed past, chased by a bobcat. When it saw the alligators, the rabbit turned and fled along the side of the pool.

Slithering forward, the alligators intercepted the bobcat, which doubled back along the route it had come. Forgetting all about Joe, the lizards chased the bobcat into the woods.

Joe ran into the mangrove forest. Having no choice, he had to take the same direction as the gang. He hoped that the men were far enough away, allowing him to find a safe hiding place. However, two of the poachers noticed him and began to shout.

“Head him off!” Lami yelled back. “Do him in this time!”

Joe raced on, realizing some of the outlaws were behind him, and the rest ahead. He could hear them closing in on him. Gasping for breath, he looked around desperately for a spot to hide.

A mound of branches, twigs, leaves, and grass caught his eye. “An alligator's nest!” he thought. Quickly he made sure the baby alligators were gone, then climbed into the nest and pulled some of the vegetation over his head. He had to huddle up with his chin on his knees, hardly daring to breathe!

The gang came together moments later right next to him. “Where is he?” Tom exploded.

“He musta got through somehow,” Fatso said. “One of the guys goofed, and he sneaked past.”

The men blamed each other for Joe's escape, and argued loudly until Lami motioned for them to be quiet. “Look, he ain't here anymore,” he said. “We might as well go back to camp.”

“Frank Hardy and the rangers might be there,” Fatso pointed out.

Lami shook his head. “I think the kid was bluffing. Anyhow, if the rangers found our camp, they'd be headed for the alligator pool. We'll take a side trail so we don't run into them. But we'll have to return to our boat, unless one of you has a better idea of how to get out of this wilderness!”

No one had, and Lami cautioned his men to be very quiet and on the lookout for the Hardys or the rangers. As they turned to leave, Tom slipped and fell right next to the alligator nest. Joe held his breath. Any closer, and he'll be in here with me! the boy thought nervously.

Lami picked himself up. “That ‘gator tore my boot when it grabbed my ankle,” he complained. “Makes it hard for me to walk, especially on this ooze. Let's get out of here, fast!”

Joe sighed with relief when the poachers had left. He pushed aside a patch of branches and peeked out. The coast was clear, so he stood up and quickly circled around the men, trying to head them off. He wanted to get to the camp before they did, to warn Frank.

However, he ran into dense vegetation that slowed him up. In some places he had to break through tangles of vines and creepers. As a result, the gang reached their destination before him. They had stopped to discuss their next move when he arrived.

Joe surveyed the area from his hiding place among the mangroves. There was no sign of Frank or the rangers.

Lami had ordered two of his men to scout around the camp. They now came back and reported seeing no one. “But there's a blue outboard right behind our boat,” one of them said.

“Must be the Hardys‘,” Fatso guessed. “Search it and see if there's anything that tells us what they're up to.”

The men inspected the boat thoroughly. “Nothing here!” one called out.

“They covered their tracks well,” Fatso declared. “But they have to come back to the boat. Let's set a trap for ‘em!”

“We don't have time,” Lami objected. “The rangers might be on our trail, and we have to get back to Everglades Junction to get more ammunition and guns.”

“You want to resume the hunt?” one of the men asked.

“In a few days, when the heat's off,” Lami said.

“Why don't we sink the Hardys' outboard?” Fatso asked.

“Good idea,” Tom agreed. He was already in their own boat trying to start the engine. It came to life, coughed a few times, and died. While two of the men headed for the blue outboard, Lami made several more attempts to turn the engine over, with the same negative result.

“What's wrong with this thing?” he shouted furiously.

Fatso tore a branch from an overhanging mangrove, stripped the leaves off, and pushed it into the tank. Then he examined the discoloration where it had extended into the gasoline.

“Somebody put water in here!” he exploded. “I bet it was that Hardy kid! He did it before he sneaked up on us at the alligator pool!”

“It's always the Hardys,” Lami said through clenched teeth. “We'll fix ‘em!”

The poachers got out of the boat and Lami called the two men who had begun to work on the blue outboard. Excitedly, they debated what to do.

Tom had an idea. “Let's siphon off what's in the outboard and use the gas for our boat. Might be enough to get us to Everglades Junction.”

Fatso grinned. “Good idea. I'm glad you guys didn't sink it yet!” Then he held up a hand, motioning for silence. “Sh! Somebody's coming!”

A hush fell over the gang. They heard footsteps approach in the distance.

“Maybe it's one of the Hardys!” Lami hissed. “Fan out—we'll trap him!”

Quickly the men moved into the woods and took up positions behind the trees. The footsteps became louder, and a figure appeared behind the foliage. Tom and one of his cohorts leaped on him in a flash.

A second later, Lami cried out in surprise. “It's Butch! Let go of him. He works with Morphy!”

The newcomer straightened his collar where the two had gripped him. “I'm glad you noticed before slugging me,” he grumbled. “I just been out looking for mangrove fruit. Got hungry waiting for you guys. ”

“How'd you get here?”

“Came with Morphy in the blue outboard. He went to meet the chief while I waited to fill you in. ”

“What's up?” Lami asked.

“We're all to go to the stone house. The chief wants to talk to us.”

Lami looked surprised. “That's a switch. He always left messages and wouldn't even see me and Nitron.”

“He will now,” Butch said. “Nitron's been busted by a couple of spies.”

“What!”

“The Hardys infiltrated his gang,” Butch said, and reported what had happened.

“Those pests!” Tom exploded, then told Butch about their encounter with Joe at the alligator pool.

“I wish we could leave right now,” he concluded. “We're not safe with these kids on the loose.”

“We'd better go see the chief,” Butch advised. “I know the way. Follow me and be very quiet. He'll tell us what to do.”

He led the gang into the woods. Joe wondered where his brother was. “He wouldn't have left without planting a clue for me,” the boy thought. “But where?”

Then he had an idea. He hurried to the skiff the Hardys had hidden before sneaking up to spy on the poachers. He saw the note Frank had anchored on the bow and nodded with a grin. Next he called park ranger headquarters.