“Suppose one of us gets into troubleâmore than he can handle?” Gummi asked.
“Then we'll give a rebel yell,” Joe suggested.
“It'll be all for one,” Frank said. “Let's each get some rope so we can tie up our friends.”
They found rope in a locker, then gathered on the bridge. Gummi took the binoculars and scanned the forbidding coastline.
“What if they don't come?” he asked nervously.
“Don't worry,” Frank replied. “This caper is too big for them to drop it now.”
“So we catch them. Then what?”
“We'll go back and search the cave. I have a hunch that someone is still there.”
“Like who?” Gummi put the question without removing the glasses from his eyes.
“It could be thatâ”
“Here they come!” Gummi interrupted.
On the brow of the hill appeared a strange-looking caravan. In the lead was the jeep, occupied by four men. Tied to the back of the jeep were the pony carts. Two boxes were laid across one of them, the remaining box was in the second cart, along with Rex Mar.
“Okay, fellows, to your places!” Frank said.
Joe remained on the bridge. He opened a vertical locker, which contained only the captain's coat, squeezed in, and closed the metal door until only a crack remained.
Gummi hastened to the captain's quarters, where he hid behind the washroom door. Then Frank, making sure to keep himself shielded from view, lifted one end of the lifeboat cover.
He crept inside and peered out from beneath the canvas. Musselman's caravan jounced along.
“We've got them fooled so far,” Frank thought as he watched Diran Ionescu brake the jeep to a halt by the dock.
Musselman turned to address the boxes behind him. “Here we are! Ready for the big ride?” He laughed and turned to his lieutenant. “They are not talking!”
“I suppose they know when they are defeated,” Ionescu said. “All right, men, onto the boat with them!”
The three boxes were lugged onto the deck and placed alongside the rail. Then Musselman ordered his crew to cast off. The engine was started and a low throbbing vibrated through the
Asdis.
“Onto the bridge, Mar!” Musselman commanded.
“What do you want me to do?” Mar protested as Musselman shoved him roughly toward the wheel house.
“Head for Greenland! Once we are past the twelve-mile limit, over go the boxes.”
“You are going to kill them?” Mar asked as he steered the boat out of the little cove.
Taking in every word, Joe Hardy shuddered at the thought of the fate that might have overtaken them.
“But what about me?” The old seaman sounded frightened.
“We will take care of you when we get to Greenland.”
The spy stepped backward. Should Joe attack now? He could fling open the door hard, but before he could act, Musselman quickly left the bridge.
Joe opened the door wider.
“Psst!
Captain Mar!”
The skipper whirled around in astonishment, then an expression of relief came over his face.
Joe put a finger to his lips. Quickly he told where the other boys were stationed and added, “The next guy who comes onto the bridge will get it!”
Mar nodded and smiled.
Frank, meanwhile, peered out from beneath the lifeboat cover. One of the two henchmen walked casually past and leaned on the rail to look over the sea. Silently Frank crept out of his hiding place. The davit rocked and squeaked, causing the thug to turn around. But Frank had already launched himself. He collided with the man in midair and together they sprawled on the deck.
The thug wore a look of complete amazement as he scrambled to his feet. Frank got in the first blow, a crushing right hand to the solar plexus!
“Umph!”
His opponent doubled up, just as Frank delivered a stiff left to his chin. The man went down like a sack!
Quickly Frank bound his hands and feet. Then, struggling with all his might, he lifted him up and dropped him into the lifeboat. One down, three to go!
The boy stalked the deck, then ducked behind a stanchion as the second henchman came by. Swiftly Frank put his foot forward. The man tripped, landed on the deck, and turned, wild-eyed.
Frank grappled with him, but the wiry henchman wriggled from his grasp and ran along the deck, shouting, “They're out! Musselman, they're out!”
Instantly the chief and his lieutenant appeared. Musselman reached for his gun, but Frank bulled into him, head lowered. At the same time, he let out a bloodcurdling rebel yell.
Hearing, it, Joe dashed out of the locker and down the deck. Gummi came out of hiding and raced up the deck. The melee that followed was a bone-crushing battle. Each of the boys took an opponent.
Frank struggled to subdue Musselman, while his brother exchanged blows with Ionescu. Gummi had his hands full with the third man. They rolled over on the deck, scrambled up, and fought along the rail.
Suddenly Gummi was seized by the shirt front and lifted halfway over the rail. Another few inches and he would be cast into the cold sea!
Just then Rex Mar raced over and grasped the thug around the throat with his huge paw of a hand. Together, he and Gummi tossed the man over the rail. With a splash he hit the water and screamed for help.
Gummi grabbed a life jacket and threw it to him. The fellow clung to it, then disappeared far behind the boat in the wake.
Joe, meanwhile, was near exhaustion, battling the powerful Ionescu. Gummi came to his aid, distracting the spy for a split second. It took Joe only a moment to deliver a chop to the forehead. Ionescu went down.
Now Mar and the boys turned their full attention to Frank's fight. But Frank needed no help. He had Musselman on the rail, flailing him with rights and lefts.
The man's knees sagged and Rex Mar rushed over to seize him. He lifted Musselman overhead like a sack of grain, and threatened to drop him into the sea. Musselman screamed for mercy and Mar dropped him to the deck.
“So you were going to murder these boys!” he shouted. “Frank, Joeâtie him up. The captain is in command of his boat again!”
Mar went back to the bridge and radioed the coast guard for help. Then he turned the boat around. A few minutes later they picked up the man bobbing in his life jacket.
With all the criminals safely tied, Mar headed for the old dock. When he pulled up, Frank and Joe jumped ashore.
“Captain Mar, will you and Gummi wait here for us?” Frank asked. “We'll go back to the cave and search the place thoroughly.”
“We sure will,” Gummi replied, grinning. “The coast guard should be here shortly to take care of these jerks!”
“We should put
them
into the boxes and drop them in the ocean,” Mar growled.
“We'd better leave their punishment up to the authorities,” Joe said. “Well, keep your fingers crossed that we find Major McGeorge and the fellows!”
The boys waved, disengaged the pony carts, and set off in the jeep. Soon they reached the place where the ponies had been left. Each mounted one of the rugged little horses and rode to the sod hut.
Reaching it, they cautiously looked about in case any of Musselman's men were around. There were none. Joe found a flashlight in the hut, then they hastened to the cave. Inside, it was dark and gloomy.
“This is much bigger than I thought,” Frank murmured as they made their way cautiously into the farthest recess. At the end, their beam illuminated a figure, bound and gagged, lying face down.
“Major McGeorge! Is that you?” Frank cried out as he raced ahead and bent over the man. There was no reply. “Here, let's roll him over, Joe!”
They grabbed the shoulder of the husky figure and rolled him face up. Their light shone upon a pale face with eyes closed.
It was Biff Hooper!
CHAPTER XIX
Hijackers!
WORKING speedily, Frank and Joe untied Biff, then carried him out of the cave into the daylight.
“He's in bad shape,” Joe said worriedly as he glanced at the peaked countenance of their once-rugged friend.
“Come on. We'll give him a good massage,” Frank suggested.
After the Hardys had stimulated Biff Hooper's circulation, their pal opened his eyes. He tried feebly to rise, but fell back onto the ground.
“Easy now,” Frank said. “You're very weak, Biff. Where are Chet and Major McGeorge?”
With a blank expression, Biff looked straight ahead, as if not seeing the Hardys at all. Joe patted his face vigorously.
“Biff! Wake up! Tell us what's been going on!”
Biff's lips moved wordlessly. Finally, with great physical effort, he whispered, “Bombâbomb set toâ”
“Good night, Joe! Let's get out of here before the cave blows up!”
Frank and Joe lifted Biff upright, with an arm over each shoulder and ran as quickly as possible.
Well away from the cave entrance, the boys stopped and glanced back. They had reached their ponies, but needed another one to carry the injured Biff.
“Look, Joe,” Frank said, pointing to the side of the cave, “there's another pony grazing.” The boys called to the animal, but it paid no attention to them.
“I'll go get him, Frank!”
“No! The whole place might blow up in your face! We'd better wait untilâ”
But Joe had already dashed toward the pony. If this had been the running track at Bayport High, he thought grimly, he would have set a new record for the 440!
He reached the pony, grabbed its tether, and pulled. The little horse responded instantly, running by Joe's side as he hastened with eyes half shut, anticipating the bomb explosion.
Perspiration streaming down his face, he returned to the others. Frank had helped Biff onto one of the ponies, but he leaned forward groggily over the animal's neck.
“We'd better tie him on,” Joe panted as he pulled some rope from his pocket. Frank helped him, then they mounted their own ponies and rode on either side of Biff.
They set off at a brisk pace, but their backs were turned to the cave no more than a minute when a terrific
boom
shook the ground.
The concussion nearly knocked the three boys off their ponies, and Frank and Joe struggled hard to keep Biff upright. The animals reared in fear, but finally the Hardys regained control.
Joe glanced back over his shoulder to see a gaping, smoking hole where the small knoll once had been. “I hope Biff can explain everything,” he thought as they plodded on.
Once they were in the jeep, their task was easier. Joe, at the wheel, gave it the gun, while Frank clung to Biff to keep him from bouncing out.
Joe handled the wheel like a race driver, cutting in and around the volcanic boulders. Finally he came to the rise of ground which overlooked the sea.
There, below them, lay two boats! The
Asdis
had been joined by the coast guard ship Thor. There was much activity on both decks. By the time the jeep reached the dock, Captain Magnusson and his men were there to meet the arrivals.
“We got Biff Hooper!” Frank called out. “He can't talk. Here, give me a hand with him!”
Crewmen from the Thor raced for a stretcher and carried Biff below deck where a first-aider worked to revive him. The skipper, meanwhile, lauded the Hardys for their catch.
“The president of Iceland should give you a medal for this!” he said, pumping their hands. “That Musselman's a bad one. Gummi told us how you bagged all four of them!”
Captain Magnusson had just finished telling the boys that the prisoners were now secured in chains on the
Thor,
when a helicopter appeared out of the blue. Moments later it landed neatly on the
Thor's
afterdeck. The door opened, and out stepped Mr. Hardy.
“Dad!” Joe cried out as the boys ran to greet their father.
“Am I glad to see you two alive!” the famous detective said. “You were playing with dynamite. Musselman is known to be a ruthless international spy!”
“Dynamite is right,” Joe said. “He nearly blew the three of us to kingdom come!”
The helicopter pilot, who had stayed with his craft, waved good-by and the chopper slid into the brisk air.
After introductions had been made all around, Captain Magnusson led the Hardys and their friends to his quarters. Everyone sat down, and conversation crackled with vital news.
Mr. Hardy's quest in Texas had turned up a clue which had led to the unmasking of one of Musselman's cohorts.
“This man actually had an important job with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,” the detective reported. Interrogation had led to information that Frank and Joe were in grave danger.
“I hurried here as quickly as possible,” Mr. Hardy continued, then added with a grin of satisfaction, “But you fellows got the job done before I arrived.”
“It isn't finished yet, Dad,” Frank spoke up. “And Biff may have the key to the riddle, if we could only get him to talk.”
Just then the
Thor's
first lieutenant came in with the news that the American boy was regaining full consciousness.
Frank and Joe went to Biff's room and found him greatly improved. But he still seemed unable to give a coherent story.
Captain Magnusson, who had followed the boys, suggested they let Biff rest for a while and have dinner. Soon everyone was seated around the large table, enjoying a hearty meal. Everyone but Rex Marâwho had been assigned three of the
Thor's
men to bring in the
Asdis.
After supper, Mr. Hardy grilled the four prisoners. They refused to answer even the simplest questions. Meanwhile Frank, Joe, and Gummi sat at Biff's side, trying hard to stimulate his memory. It was well after midnight when Biff cried out, “Frank, Joe, I think I've got it now!”