HOME AGAIN
Tony Prito and his chums guided the landing party to the boulders
behind which the gangsters and their captives had disappeared, but when
Frank Hardy saw that the prey had flown he assumed the rĂ´le of guide.
"They've gone up to the cave," he said. "I know the way."
With Joe, he went in advance of the party. Tony, Phil and Jerry
came behind, with the officer and his men, their faces alight with
anticipation of a battle, clambering up the hillside in their wake. The
sturdy, tanned men were alert and ready for the approaching fight.
Through the grove, down the leafy trail, the Hardy boys led them, and
at last they came within sight of the clearing. The great rock and the
dark entrance of the cave were in sight. There was no sign of any human
being.
"Deploy!" ordered the officer.
The men scattered. The Hardy boys and their chums, being unarmed, were
obliged to watch from the shelter of the grove, because they realized
that there would probably be gunfire.
The men began to make their way across the open space, running from
rock to rock, keeping well scattered, all eying the entrance to the
cave.
Suddenly, a shot sounded from the cave entrance. Almost simultaneously
one of the revenue men fired. The boys had seen no one in the cave
but the keen eyes of the rifleman had, and when the body of a man
slumped forward out of the cave, falling on the rocks, with a revolver
clattering from his nerveless fingers, his judgment was verified.
And this, to the disappointment of the watchers, was the end of the
fight. For the gangsters, like so many of their kind, were cowardly
and they became unnerved at the fate of the first of their men who had
shown fight.
Out of the cave entrance came a man bearing aloft a white handkerchief
in token of surrender. He was followed by the others, with hands
upraised, and behind them came Chet Morton and Biff Hooper, their
wrists still bound, but their faces alight with joy, in contrast to the
surly visages of the gangsters.
"Well, well!" declared the officer in charge, as he confronted the
rascals, noting the frowning red-haired man. "If it isn't Red Hawkins
and his gang! And you too, Pete! We've been looking for your hangout
for the past three months--and for you as well. Put the cuffs on 'em,
boys."
In a few moments the gang were securely handcuffed. The man who had
been shot was attended to and it was found that he had been wounded,
but after a brief examination and the rendering of first aid, the
officer assured the victim that he would live to face trial with the
rest for the abduction of Chet and Biff.
"And if that charge falls through--which it won't," he assured them
all, "we have a list of other charges against you, as long as your arm."
But the Hardy boys and their chums were oblivious to this scene. They
were too busy staging an impromptu reunion. Chet Morton and Biff
Hooper, freed of their bonds, were busy shaking hands all round and
trying to explain to their excited comrades some of the adventures they
had gone through since leaving Bayport.
Then the Hardy boys were called on to explain how they had encountered
the revenue cutter and how they had told their story and prevailed on
the revenue men to come with them to Blacksnake Island to effect the
rescue of their chums.
"But we can talk it over better on the way back," declared Frank.
"Coming back with us?" asked the officer. "We're taking these men to
Rock Harbor, but you're welcome to come along."
"No thanks--we'll be going back in the motorboats."
"I see. Well, we'll take this gang back to the ship. Forward--march,
you!" he shouted to the crestfallen gangsters.
So the party returned to the shore and Red Hawkins and his four men
were herded into the boat. They had not said a word, but on their way
back to the cutter Red turned to the Hardy boys and snarled:
"Well, you've got me, but our men in the West got your father. We've
got that much satisfaction, anyway!"
With that he lapsed into silence, realizing that his words had the
immediate effect of dampening the spirits of the Hardy boys and their
chums.
Back at the revenue cutter, Frank and Joe said good-bye to the officer
and his men, leaving Red and his gang in their charge. The motorboat
had been towed behind the ship and they resumed their places in the
_Sleuth_ and cast away.
Tony Prito and the others took their places in the _Napoli_ while Chet
and Biff returned to the _Envoy_. One of the captured boats turned
out to be none other than Biff's own craft, which the gangsters had
been using while they were prisoners in the cave. Thus the journey home
began.
Although there was rejoicing in the other boats and much good-natured
badinage was passed about, the Hardy boys found it difficult to be
cheerful. Red's words had brought back to them their fears concerning
the safety of their father and they dreaded the news that might await
them when they returned to Bayport.
"If there is no news from him, I think we should go to Chicago and
search for him," said Frank gravely.
"I'm with you in that. But perhaps it won't be so bad. Red may have
been only trying to frighten us."
"I hope so. If that was his object he sure succeeded."
"At any rate, we found the missing chums."
"Another feather in our cap, eh?" grinned Frank. "If dad does come back
safely he won't have any reason to be ashamed of his sons."
"The Mortons and the Hoopers will be glad. The whole city will be in a
fuss over what happened to Chet and Biff."
This proved to be the case. When the three motorboats returned to
Barmet Bay and finally docked at Bayport they found a cheering throng
awaiting them, for the news had been sent to the city by the revenue
men from Rock Harbor, and the anxieties of the boys' families were
set at rest. The Hoopers and Mortons, in particular, had been almost
frantic with worry and Chet and Biff were given a welcome befitting
heroes of an expedition given up for lost for many years.
Nor were the Hardy boys and their chums forgotten in the welcome. Chet
and Biff gave full credit to the Hardys for the part they had played in
the round-up of the gangsters. When Frank and Joe were finally able to
break away from the crowd and make their way back home, the news of the
exploit was beginning to spread rapidly through the city.
When they came within sight of the familiar house they broke into a
run. They raced up the front steps. They flung open the front door and
burst into the hallway, almost knocking over Aunt Gertrude, who was
dusting.
"Lands sakes!" she exclaimed. "Can't you boys ever learn to come into
a house properly? I never seen the like in all my born days! Go right
back out that door and come in again like gentlemen!"
"Home again!" exclaimed Frank, with a grin. Then he turned anxiously to
his aunt. "Any word yet from dad?"
"He's in the library!" sniffed Aunt Gertrude.
"In the library!" exclaimed the boys, in astonishment.
"Yes, in the library. And what of it? Where did you expect he'd be? Up
in the attic?"
But the Hardy boys did not wait to reply. With a whoop of delight
they rushed through the living room and into the library, where they
found Fenton Hardy seated at the table. Their father got up quickly as
they rushed at him, and in a moment all three were shaking hands and
chattering in gladness and relief.
"We heard you'd been caught by the gang!" gasped Frank.
Fenton Hardy smiled. "It was the other way around," he corrected them.
"The gang was caught by me."
"And we caught the rest of them!"
"Not Red Hawkins and his crew?"
The Hardy boys nodded. Their father gazed at them in incredulous
astonishment for a moment. Then he slapped them heartily on the back
and indicated the chairs near by.
"And I thought they'd clear out when they knew Baldy and the others
were behind the bars! Why, this rounds up the entire pack! Tell me
about it. But--first of all, have Chet and Biff been found?"
The boys nodded.
"We found them on Blacksnake Island. That's how we rounded up the gang.
They captured Chet and Biff in mistake for us. They had 'em in a cave."
Then, in the seclusion of the study, the Hardy boys told of their
search for the missing chums, of their deduction that the boys might
have gone to Blacksnake Island, of their arrival on the island and the
finding of the gangsters and their cave.
Fenton Hardy listened to the recital with sparkling eyes, for he
realized that his sons had played a part that made him proud of them,
and when the tale was finished his approval was evident by the manner
in which he pounded the desk with his fist.
"Fine!" he declared. "It was real detective work in the first place and
real grit and courage from then on. I'm very proud of my boys."
"But all the time," added Frank, "we were worried about you. The men
said you had been captured in the West."
"It was a false report," said their father. "They thought they had
captured me, but it wasn't for long. I played into their hands once,
just to find out where they were all hiding. But I had another
detective to shadow me and when I found out where the gang were
gathered I gave the signal and we rounded them up."
"And now I hope the whole kit and bilin' of you will stay at home for a
while!" declared a voice from the doorway. "I declare I never did see
such a family for the men-folks to go gallivantin' around the country
and never stayin' at home. It's a wonder to me, Laura, that you put up
with it."
"Well," smilingly replied Mrs. Hardy, who had entered the room with
Aunt Gertrude, "with three first-rate detectives in the family, I'm
afraid I can't expect anything else. And they always come home again."
Aunt Gertrude sniffed.
"I'll guarantee that if I visit here much longer I'll see that those
two boys haven't much chance for more detectiving!" she announced.
"I'll cure 'em, so I will. It's no business at all for boys."
Mrs. Hardy smiled serenely.
Fenton Hardy winked gravely at his sons, so Aunt Gertrude's threat did
not greatly disturb them.
There were to be more exciting adventures in store for the Hardy boys,
and what some of these were will be related in the next volume of this
series, entitled "The Hardy Boys: Hunting for Hidden Gold," a strenuous
story of the West.
"You're welcome to try, Aunt Gertrude," said Mr. Hardy; "but I'm afraid
you'll never cure my sons of wanting to be detectives. I've set them
the example, you see."
"More's the pity," sniffed Aunt Gertrude. "Why couldn't you have been a
plumber? It's safer."
"But not as exciting," said Fenton Hardy, with a laugh.
THE END
* * * * *
MYSTERY STORIES FOR BOYS
By FRANKLIN W. DIXON
THE HARDY BOYS: THE TOWER TREASURE
THE HARDY BOYS: THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF
THE HARDY BOYS: THE SECRET OF THE OLD MILL
THE HARDY BOYS: THE MISSING CHUMS
THE HARDY BOYS: HUNTING FOR HIDDEN GOLD
GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK