Part 6 (1/2)
He grabbed a chair, stood on it, and pushed the trap door open. ”I'll need a boost,” he said.
Biff gave him a lift. Frank scrambled into the dark opening, then disappeared. His footsteps made the boards creak ominously above Joe and Biff. The wailing noise came again with a kind of taunting quality.
”Owoooooo-oo!”
”Hey, what's going on?” Joe called out.
There was no response.
CHAPTER IX.
Warning by Code JOE broke out in gooseflesh as the wailing abruptly ceased. The attic floor creaked again and Frank looked down through the opening into the kitchen. ”I've captured the ghost!”
”No kidding. Show me,” Biff said.
”Here!” Frank replied. He handed down an empty lemonade bottle.
”What do you mean?” Joe asked as Frank swung himself through the open trap door and dropped to the floor.
”Listen,” Frank said.
He held the neck of the bottle to his lips and blew hard. The others heard a low, thin version of the doleful sound that had terrified Chet.
”Where did you find this?” Biff asked.
”The bottle was being used to plug a hole in the roof,” Frank explained. ”When the wind blew across it in a certain way - it hooted!”
Joe laughed. ”I wonder if Hanleigh heard that sound and that's why he said the place has spooks!”
Frank took a piece of wood from the box beside the stove. ”This'll do to plug the opening,” he said. With a boost from Joe, he went into the attic again. After plugging the hole, he lowered himself onto Joe's shoulders and closed the trap door before jumping down.
The three returned to the north bedroom. Biff pulled Chet from his coc.o.o.n of blankets. ”Here's your wailing ghost,” he said, handing the lemonade bottle to his friend. Then he explained how the wind had produced the noise.
Chet placed the bottle on the floor and gave the others a scornful look. ”Maybe this is what we heard,”
he said, ”but it's not what I saw running through the woods in a white sheet!”
”Now that you're awake, Chet, why don't you take your turn standing guard?” Joe suggested.
”Oh, all right!” Chet grumbled, crawling from bed. When he reached the living room, he called out, ”Hey, everybody! Come here! Our patient is waking up!”
The three rushed to the sofa. ”W-where am I?” the stranger asked, blinking his eyes and staring in bewilderment at the boys' faces hovering above him.
Joe took a match and lighted the paraffin lamps, then sat on the floor beside the sofa.
”Easy,” he cautioned. ”You had a close call!”
”The sudden storm!” the man muttered. ”The wind and the snow - I couldn't see - ”
”We know,” Joe said soothingly. ”But you're safe now, and the storm is over.” The boys realized for the first time that the wind had stilled.
”How do you feel?” Frank asked.
”I'm all right,” the man insisted, as he started to rise.
”Be careful!” Chet warned, but the stranger chuckled and sat upright. They noticed that the man's eyes were bright blue, and had a merry twinkle.
”You may be injured,” Frank said. ”Please lie down. We can take you to see a doctor.”
”I don't need any doctor!” the red-haired man declared cheerfully. ”I feel a little sore and I must have b.u.mped my head, but that'll do no damage!” He moved his arms and legs. ”See? I'm okay.”
”Who are you?” Frank inquired again.
”My name is Mack Malone. Call me Mack.”
The boys introduced themselves and the man's face crinkled into a big grin. ”So you're the Hardys!” he said to Frank and Joe. ”I came out to give you a message.”
”Who sent you?” Joe asked excitedly.
”Your father,” Mack replied. ”You see, I often do errands for the Bayport police. Fenton Hardy asked me to bring his sons a message. I drove my car to the mainland road across the cove from here and walked over on the ice.”
”Didn't you realize the danger?” Joe asked.
”The storm hit suddenly. For a while I nearly gave up. But then I thought I'd finally reached Cabin Island.
The ground was so slippery I couldn't get out of the way of that falling tree.”
”Lucky we found you,” said Joe. ”What was the message-?”
Mack Malone chuckled. ”It's a funny one-doesn't seem worth the trouble we've all been through! Well, here it is: 'The alley cat is after the mice, but feed him well!'”
”Very strange!” Joe commented.
”I'll say!” Frank agreed.
”Boy! It's a riddle to me!” Chet declared, then added, ”It's almost daylight, and you Hardys will probably puzzle your brains over that message anyway. How about some breakfast?”
”Good idea!” Biff agreed.
The boys dressed and a short time later Mack Malone joined them for a hearty meal of fried eggs, bacon, and toast. When they had finished, the man stood up and said, ”Well, fellows, the sun is rising. I'd better be on my way.”
”We'd be happy to take you to Bayport for a checkup,” Frank reminded him.
”No, thanks. I'm fit as a fiddle, except for a few bruises,” the redhaired man a.s.sured him. ”I'll stroll over to my car and be home in no time!”
”Watch your step crossing the ice,” Joe cautioned.