The Arctic Patrol Mystery (13 page)

“Quiet!” Mar ordered. “They are coming now.”

The door opened and the two men stepped inside.

Gummi, who stood beside Frank, quickly stepped to the other end of the room. In doing so, his foot accidentally banged into Diran's leg. The fellow cursed and hit the Icelandic boy with the back of his hand. Gummi staggered before regaining his balance, but said nothing.

“Outside, all of you!” Musselman commanded. He spoke in English, and the Hardys pretended not to understand. The chief jerked his thumb toward the door. Frank and Joe walked out behind Gummi and Mar.

Waiting behind a boulder were three carts with ponies harnessed in readiness. The two men hopped into the first one and beckoned the others to follow. Mar got in one cart with Frank.

“That fellow Diran didn't curse in Icelandic,” the seaman whispered.

“What was it?”

“Some kind of Balkan language. I heard it when I was shipping in the Black Sea.”

The lead pony cart wound in and out among the boulders on a trail which slanted up the hillside. Finally the boys realized what their destination was when the yawning blackness of a cavern appeared before them.

Flashing powerful lights, Musselman and Diran drove right into the cave, beckoning the others to follow. Then Musselman stopped and everyone jumped down.

“Follow me!” ordered the chief.

They walked deeper until the light revealed three rectangular boxes in one corner of the volcanic cave. They were made of fresh wood and stood against the wall like oversized coffins!

THE sight of the three boxes propped against the wall of the cave struck fear into the hearts of the boys. Joe gulped and looked about for a possible clue. His eyes lighted upon a khaki jacket crumpled on the hard floor. It bore the U.S. insignia of majorl

No doubt any more. The astronaut must have been here! Frank also spied the jacket and glanced at Joe. Both had the same plan in mind. With Gummi and Mar they would make a break out of the cave at any cost, and try to get back to the Asdis.

Joe signaled Gummi, and Frank motioned to Rex Mar. Then Joe let out a bloodcurdling war whoop and made a dash toward the daylight at the mouth of the cave.

Frank and Gummi raced after him, but Mar had no chance to escape. Musselman had blocked his way the very instant Joe let out his cry.

Just as the three youths dashed into the open, the cave echoed to the crack of a pistol shot. Two men, lying in wait outside, reacted to the signal.

They jumped Frank and Gummi and sent them flying. Joe whirled around to join the fierce fracas which followed. Fists flew. Gummi was downed by a blow to the head, but Frank staggered his opponent with a right cross to the jaw.

Then Musselman and Diran plunged into the fray. A swinging pistol butt sent Joe Hardy to the ground. Frank was seized, and it was all over.

Pulling stout cords from their pockets, the men tied the boys' hands behind their backs.

Just then Rex Mar, looking bewildered, walked out of the cave. “What are you doing to my crew?” he demanded.

“Quiet!” Musselman snapped.

The three were dragged to their feet, still reeling under the impact of the assault.

“These boxes will be of good use after all,” Musselman said and nodded toward the cave. Then he laughed loudly.

“The major and that fat kid would have been awful heavy anyway,” one of his henchmen said.

“So would his buddy, the tall one,” said the other.

Musselman looked grim. “That is not the point. Bring the boxes out. We will go back to the hut and await instructions.”

The two fellows went inside and carried the boxes out one by one. Then they stacked them on one cart. Musselman ordered the three boys into the second cart, which he drove himself, while Diran and Mar took the third.

Soon they were back at the sod hut. Frank, Joe, and Gummi were pushed inside and shoved onto the cots. Mar followed and fell into a chair.

Musselman and Diran sat down also, while the other two men lifted the trap door and disappeared into the radio room below.

“So we have captured the Hardy boys at last!” Musselman sneered.

“How did you recognize us?” Frank demanded.

“Your brother spoke English in a moment of danger. It was not very smart!”

Joe gritted his teeth. You won't get away with this, Musselman!”

His captor merely smiled and went on quietly, “We have gotten away with it already. And it was not easy. You slipped through our net in Bayport, but we caught the little sardines in Iceland!”

“Let us go!” Gummi hissed. “I'm an Icelander. My countrymen will find us and you'll pay for it, you finky foreigners!”

Color rose to Musselman's face. He pointed to Diran. “Mr. Ionescu and I happen to have Icelandic passports.”

“Fake ones, of course,” Joe said sarcastically.

“Why did you try to get rid of us?” Frank asked.

“We knew your father was working on the astronaut case and suspected he sent you up here to help.”

Frank stiffened. So the spies had known all along that his father was involved in the case. Would they try to capture him, too—or perhaps had done so already?

“Then you tried to pose as Rex Hallbjornsson to get the fifty thousand dollars,” Frank went on.

Their captor snapped his fingers. “Fifty thousand dollars! It is nothing compared to our real prize. We wanted you—as a ransom to get your father off the case, but now it is too late. You are expendable.”

Diran Ionescu pointed a finger at his superior. “But you almost did not catch them. They slipped away at the airport, and they got off the glacier, too!” He laughed.

Musselman snarled, “Quiet! If you had had that plane's engines tuned up, I could have flown them to the east coast and then to our—”

He was interrupted by one of his henchmen, who poked his head through the trap door. “I just made contact. Plan B is in operation. They are on their way.”

Musselman smiled. “Excellent. We are ready.”

“Ready for what?” Frank thought frantically. He tried to stall further action by taunting their enemies. In a sarcastic voice he said, “You think you're clever. But we know you got Major McGeorge and threatened to throw him into the sulfur pit unless he gave you NASA secrets. And the Icelandic authorities know it, too!”

Musselman looked startled, and Frank went on, “But he wouldn't talk, would he?”

“He'll talk when we get him out of this country,” Ionescu boasted. “Then we will have the facilities to make him talk!”

“And what is your Plan B?” Gummi spoke up.

Musselman shook his head and said, “You will never know.”

Just then the sounds of a radio broadcast issued from the trap door. It was from the American base in Keflavik. In terse, short sentences the newscaster broke the big story:

“Major McGeorge has vanished on his trip to Iceland. A force of Marines is prepared to comb every nook and cranny of the island....”

“Shut it off!” Musselman screamed and went below. The boys heard him send a message. When he reappeared, he said, “Into the boxes with them!”

The three boys were led outside. Despite the pleading of Rex Mar, they were roughly tossed into the boxes. They struggled, but it was of no use. The criminals shut the lids and secured the latches. Frank, Joe, and Gummi were sealed inside to meet their fate!

Mar was forced to help move the boxes onto the carts and the ponies started off. Joggling and bouncing, Frank looked about the dark interior of his prison. He detected a thin crack of light. At least there was enough air coming in to keep him alive, for the present.

He judged that they were halfway to the place where the jeep had been left. Suddenly he heard Ionescu cry out in fright. “There it is! It's coming for the ponies!”

“Or us!” Musselman shrieked.

Frank heard Rex Mar shout the Icelandic word
isbjorn.

Ice bear—polar bear! Several of the beasts were known to be in the area. If they were hungry, they would attack anything!

Frank pressed his eye to the crack and saw a large white form advancing. The horses reared and his box was almost jerked off the cart.

There was the crack of a rifle, then another, followed by a fierce growl and a snarl amidst the panicked neighing of the ponies.

“Ionescu, you fool!” came Musselman's voice. “You only wounded him. Run—run for your life!”

Rapid footsteps could be heard as the men ran for cover. Frank hoped his frantically galloping pony would not throw off the box and braced himself during the short but violent ride.

Then all was silent. Suddenly Rex Mar's voice sounded above Frank's box. “The bear is after them!” he said hoarsely and opened the lid.

Frank jumped out and helped the seaman free Joe and Gummi.

“Why didn't you run away?” he asked Mar.

“The bear jumped over me and knocked me down. When I came to, they had already fled, and the beast was after them.”

“If they escape the bear, they'll come back for us,” Joe said. “We'd better scram.”

“But then we'll never catch those spies!” Frank said. “I say we fill the boxes with rock. Would you be willing to stay and pretend we're still in there, Mr. Mar? Meanwhile, we'll make a run for the trawler and radio for help.”

Mar nodded grimly. “They will not get away with this. I will stay!”

Quickly they collected chunks of lava, wrapped them in their jackets and put them into the boxes. Then they shut the lids. The men were still out of sight.

One had dropped his gun. Mar picked it up. “Just in case the bear comes back,” he muttered. Then he lay down on the ground about ten yards away from the carts. “I will pretend to be unconscious,” he declared. “This way they will not be suspicious. Now run and radio for help, quick!”

THE trio set off at a fast trot. If they could reach the
Asdis
before Musselman and his gang, they had an outside chance of trapping the spies.

Frank took the lead for a while. The three ran, Indian file, dodging in and out behind the grotesque volcanic formations. Then Gummi took the lead until they came in sight of the jeep.

“Now we can ride the rest of the way,” Gummi panted jubilantly. He sprinted and leaped into the driver's seat. But before he could start the motor, Frank ran up to him. “No, Gummi, that won't do!”

“Why not?”

“If the jeep's gone, they'll know someone took it.”

“Frank's right,” Joe stated. “We don't want to alert them.”

“But when they reach the jeep, they'll overtake us,” Gummi protested.

“I think not,” Frank replied. “Don't forget they're carrying those three big boxes, and they wouldn't fit on the jeep, along with four men!”

Gummi reluctantly admitted that the Hardys were right. He hopped out of the vehicle and lifted the hood.

“What are you going to do?” asked Joe.

“Disconnect one spark plug. That ought to give them a little more trouble.”

Then the three set out again. The short rest had relieved their aching muscles, and the smooth rhythm of their bodies carried them swiftly toward the shore.

Finally they came to the crest of a small rise, and halted to gaze down at the sea, churning and foaming on the rocks below. There, at the crude dock, bobbed the
Asdis.

“What a welcome sight!” Frank called out.

The boys raced down the hill and onto the trawler. Joe's first reaction was to radio the Icelandic coast guard for help, but Frank opposed the move.

“If Musselman's crew has a radio, they might intercept our call.”

“Then they'd have to change their plans again,” Gummi said, adding, “That would be the end of poor Rex Mar.”

“Then ambush is our only choice,” Joe declared.

Frank grinned. “Divide and conquer!”

“How will we work it?”

“Let's talk about it over some chow, I'm starved,” Frank suggested.

The boys quickly refreshed themselves with food and water, all the while discussing the best way to seize the enemy. By the time they had finished their snack, a basic plan had been worked out.

Frank was to hide in the lifeboat, which swung gently on its davits. Joe would secrete himself in a locker on the bridge, while Gummi would hide in the captain's quarters.

“It's going to be mighty rough,” Frank said. “We'll have to take them one at a time.”