“That's enough!” the bald man ordered. Roughly he shoved the captives toward the gaping cavern.
“Hold it!” Stark rasped. “First I have a bone to pick with this nosy kid.” Then he cuffed Joe on the ear and laughed wickedly.
“What was that for?” Joe complained, trying to draw the man out more.
“You'd like to know, wouldn't you?” Stark sneered and pushed Joe so hard that he fell to the ground.
“Cut it out!” Jerry protested, and lunged forward to help his friend. Nick seized the boy and held him fast.
Stark yanked Joe up by the shoulders and yelled at him, “You and your pesky brotherâalways interfering with our plans! I had things all worked out!”
“I'll bet you did,” Joe retorted. “Who stole the car in Northport?”
“Nick did,” Stark replied, “while Ben and Pops took the
Black Cat
for a spin. Ben found out where your boat was kept, and later Pops took it.”
“He broke into our boathouse while the rest of your gang was robbing the bank,” Joe egged him on.
“That's right, smart boy.” Fritz Stark sneered. “Ben was with us. Pops had the
Sleuth
waiting. We were going to head straight for Hermit Island.”
Despite their predicament, Joe and Jerry could not help but gloat. “Instead, you landed high and dry miles up the coast,” Joe said.
Stark's face darkened. “Yeah. Well, that didn't stop us. We hotfooted it back to Shantytown, picked up Ben's car there, and drove around looking for another fast boat. We found one and âborrowed' it.”
“Ben ran the boat up the coast to Shantytown while I drove back. I'd heard over the radio your father was working on the bank robbery case. Soon as Ben got back to Shantytown, I told him about it and that I'd seen you Hardys in the costume store.”
“So,” Nick broke in, “Ben got the idea of kidnaping you two to make your old man drop the case.”
“We told him what costume your brother was wearing,” Fritz went on.
“And he sent two bunglers to do the job,” Nick interrupted resentfully. “Moran and Duke! They drove to French's place and made him tell where the party was. Then they nabbed the wrong boys!”
“Where are they now?” Joe demanded. For answer their captors merely laughed.
“When did you discover who they were?” Joe asked. “After you took them to Shantytown?”
Stark shot him a hard look. “You know that, too?”
“Whoever tried to burn the costumes and hid the robbery masks didn't do a very good job,” the young sleuth commented. “They were found.”
“Duke's carelessness again,” Pops muttered.
Nick cut in. “You fellows won't ever find your two friends. And nobody will find you!”
The boys learned the crooks had spotted the
Sleuth
and pretended to ram her to find out her full power. “We needed a fast boat for our get away,” Stark said, “and we knew yours would do.”
Joe now said, “We saw you leaving the island during the storm. Why?”
Stark smiled briefly. “Nick and I had urgent business to check on in Bayport and no time to lose! We've got one more job to do tonight and then we're clearing out.”
“And we need a fast boat to pull it,” Pops said.
“You mean you'll leave your own brother in jail!” Joe taunted Stark. “You're a real pal!”
The man's face twitched with rage. “Listen, kid, I don't leave my brother in the lurch.” He turned to Pops and snarled, “Get these guys in the cave! We'll take care of âem later!”
The thug reinforced the belt which held Joe's hands with stout Manila rope. He tied Joe's ankles too, and then moved on to bind Jerry. All the while Joe thought over what he had learned. “Stark says they're doing one more job, and he won't abandon his brother. That must mean they went to Bayport to plan a jail break, which they're going to pull tonight. Then they'll all flee together!”
“All rightâinside!” Pops ordered gruffly.
Stumbling in the gloom, Joe and Jerry were dragged far back into the cave. The place smelled musty and damp.
Stark threw them to the ground and walked away.
The boys waited in silence until their eyes became more accustomed to the darkness. Then Joe felt a chill up and down his spine as he discerned the shape of someone lying beside him! Could it be Chet or Biff?
Wriggling over, Joe nudged the unknown prisoner. He moaned, as though dazed, and turned his face upward.
“Jumping catfish!” Joe whispered hoarsely. “It's Mr. French!”
CHAPTER XX
Ambushing the Enemy
“MR. FRENCH, what happened?” Joe asked in amazement.
Painfully the costume dealer drew himself to a sitting position. “It was terrible,” he answered shakily. “Where am I? I was blindfolded by the men who brought me here.”
“You're in a cave on Hermit Island,” Joe told him. “How are you mixed up in this, Mr. French? I wondered once if you belonged to the gang.”
“No!”
the man protested. “You must believe me, boy. The mental anguish I've gone through since I sold those men the masks for the robbery! I neglected my business entirelyâdidn't even check my stock.
“Fritz Stark and Nick Glaser were in the shop when you stopped in for your costumes that afternoon. They had come to pick up the masks they'd ordered. I asked if they were going to a party. Glaser laughed and said, âYesâa big surprise party!' When I went in the back to get the masks, I heard them laugh again and mention the bank.”
“So you put two and two together,” Jerry said.
“That's right. I guessed they were crooks.”
“You should have tipped us off,” Joe said. “Why didn't you go to the police?”
Mr. French said brokenly, “I had made the mistake of telling them my suspicions and who you were. They said they'd kill me and harm my family if I talked. I sent my family away for safety.”
“Why did you come to our house that night?” Joe asked sympathetically.
“The other morning they began to use my store as one of their meeting places and told me to give my assistant a short vacation. I heard them bragging they were going to kidnap you and your brother. Later something snapped inside me. Robbery is bad enough, but I couldn't let them get away with kidnaping no matter what they did to me. So I went to tell your father everything.”
“But Frank and I answered the door,” Joe prompted.
“Yes,” French agreed. “When I saw you were safe, it confused me. Besides, I had a strange feeling I was being followed. I didn't know what to do, so I came away without telling my story.”
“What happened then?” Joe asked.
“Well, when Fritz Stark and Nick Glaser came to the shop early yesterday afternoon, I got my nerve back and told them I'd spill everything if they didn't let me alone.”
“What did they do?” Jerry asked.
“Stark said they'd let me alone if I'd do two things for them. First he made me put the gorilla and the magician suits in the window. They were a signal to the rest of the thieves to knock three times at the back door. The gang was going to have a meeting about something.”
Joe laughed grimly. “Yes, to plan to kidnap Frank and me. I guess that's why they used our costumes in the window.”
“There was only one costumeâa skeleton suit âon display this morning,” Jerry remembered.
“Fritz Stark put it there last night. He took my key. I overheard him say a single costume meant âDanger. Stay away,' ” French explained.
“Stark put up the warning signal too late. He didn't know then that half the gang was in jail.”
“That's right,” the man said. “It was after he left the skeleton warning that he found out Ben and the others were captured.”
“I'll bet the second thing they wanted you to do, Mr. French, was to sell three radios to the hi-fi shop,” Joe guessed.
“Yes,” said the man, surprised, “and immediately. Glaser walked down to the shop with me and waited on the sidewalk. As I came out, Stark drove up in their car, forced me to get in, and blindfolded me. The last thing I remember before I came to in this cave was trying to break loose and jump out.”
“They must have slugged you,” Joe said.
“But what good will it do you to know all this?” Mr. French said despairingly. “We'll never get out of here alive. These men mean business!”
“So do we,” Joe promised grimly. In rapid whispers he told the despondent man how he and Frank, by offering themselves as bait, had trapped Ben Stark and his two henchmen. “But we haven't been able to find Chet and Biff. Do you know where they are?”
The costume dealer shook his head helplessly. “No. You can see for yourself they're not in here. I wanted to look for the stolen money, but naturally I didn't dare. This is the end for us, I'm afraid.”
Joe tried to reassure him. “My brother is free. When Jerry and I fail to show up, he'll bring help.”
“I only hope he's in time,” said Mr. French. “I heard these men planning to leave here in a little while. They said they'd dispose of me before they push off.”
Jerry looked grimly at Joe. “That goes for us too, I guess!”
As dusk fell, the prisoners waited anxiously. While Joe tried to keep Mr. French's spirits up, Jerry watched Stark and Pops passing and repassing before the entrance.
“Joe,” he said after a while, “I haven't seen those two guys outside for the last ten minutes. Do you think something's up?”
The three prisoners stiffened, all senses alert.
“Sh!” Joe hissed suddenly. “Listen!” In the distance they heard a motorboat.
“That's a big one,” Jerry whispered excitedly. “Sounds like a cutter.”
“It's coming here!” Joe said as the sound grew louder. Suddenly it ceased and they heard shouts in the distance, then closer.
“It's Frank!” Joe exclaimed. “Sing out, everybody!”
“Halloo! Frank! Help! In here!”
Their voices rang and echoed hollowly against the rock walls. Before long, the beam of a flash light pierced the cave opening.
“Joe! Jerry!” came an anxious, familiar voice. “You okay?”
“Back here, Frank!” Joe called eagerly to his brother.
Seconds later, Frank and two young Coast Guardmen were cutting the ropes that bound the prisoners.
“Mr. French!” cried Frank in recognition. “So the gang had you, too! Are Chet and Biff here?”
“No!” his brother replied worriedly. “And neither are the bank robbers.”
Already the cave was filled with men. Flashlight beams flickered up and down the damp walls. Seamen and policemen stood by with guns ready. Chief Collig and Lieutenant Parker hurried into the cave.
“You boys all right?” he demanded.
“We're okay,” Joe answered, “but we must go after the robbers. Two of themâFritz Stark and Popsâwere here twenty minutes ago. And Nick Glaser, who drove the getaway car, was here too.”
“They probably spotted the cutter and headed for their boat or the
Napoli,”
said Joe.
Quickly he described the location of the hidden inlet where the
Napoli
and the robbers' stolen craft were concealed. Lieutenant Parker immediately dispatched men to the spot.
“With a twenty-minute head start,” Joe said, “Fritz Stark and the other two probably will get away.”
“But the cutter could pick them up easily,” Jerry put in.
“Right,” said Frank. “Those men know they haven't a chance against the Coast Guard. I think they're hiding here.”
“Where?” asked Mr. French.
“We'll comb the island,” Lieutenant Parker said.
“Let's search this cave first,” Frank suggested. “There's a slight draft coming from the back. That might mean there's another chamber.” Slowly Frank played the beam of his flashlight over the rear wall until he spotted a narrow crevice. He stepped quickly over and shone his beam into it.
“Look!” he exclaimed softly.
Joe, Chief Collig, and Lieutenant Parker crowded around. In front of them, well inside the opening, hung a piece of burlap. Frank slipped into the crevice and pulled the rough curtain aside. A long rock passage was revealed.
“Come on!” Joe exclaimed. “Let's go!”
As Joe stepped forward, Chief Collig clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Hold it,” the chief ordered. “Let the armed men go first. Those crooks are desperate and won't hesitate to use their guns.” Reluctantly, all three boys heeded the order.
At Collig's signal, Parker drew his service revolver and led the men into the narrow rock corridor. The chief and his two policemen followed, with Frank, Joe, and Jerry impatiently bringing up the rear.
The narrow passage twisted and turned. Only one kind of sound could be heardâthe heavy breathing of the pursuers. Suddenly there came an earsplitting
crack!
A gunshot from up front!
“Halt!” Lieutenant Parker's voice rang out. “Do not return fire!”
The file of men flattened against the rocks. The boys craned to see what was happening.
In a chamber at the end of the passage, their hands tied, stood Chet and Biff! Behind them were Stark and Pops, a cloud of gun smoke above them.
Though the two men were using the captives as shields, and the situation was desperate, Frank, Joe, and Jerry were jubilant. They had found their missing chums!
The Coast Guardmen and the police were forced to stand by helplessly, not daring to endanger Chet and Biff. But Joe saw a chance to change the situation. At a signal, he motioned Frank and Jerry to back out of the passage quietly. The three dashed from the cave.