Part 4 (1/2)
38 ”How many bullets. .h.i.t Dad?” Joe put in, his voice trembling.
”He wasn't shot by a gun,” Mrs. Hardy said, putting a comforting hand around Joe's shoulder.
”He wasn't?” Frank asked incredulously.
”No,” their mother replied. ”He was ...”
”Mrs. Hardy!” It was the doctor's voice. She hurried back into the room. ”Your husband wants to see his sons,” the physician said.
Fenton Hardy, struggling through the limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness, had heard the far-off voices of his boys and had roused sufficiently to call them weakly. Now he was completely out of the anesthetic, and had opened his eyes.
”Dad!” Frank whispered, taking the open hand extended toward him.
Joe pressed close to his brother. ”How are you, Dad?”
”I'm all right,” Mr. Hardy said, forcing a smile. ”I'll be up and out of here in no time.”
”Mother said you weren't shot by a gun,” Frank said. ”What did hit you?”
Fenton Hardy turned his head with effort, to get a better look at his sons.
”An arrow,” he said.
”It hit him high in the left leg,” the physician said. ”A nasty wound, deep to the bone.”
39 Aunt Gertrude continued the story, giving her brother a chance to rest.
”Your father said he was investigating a vacant house on the outskirts of town, which he thought some of the Bayport thieves were using as a hideout.”
”Were they inside?” Joe asked.
”No,” continued their aunt. ”The place was empty, but just after your father left the house, an arrow came from behind and hit him.”
Mr. Hardy carried on. ”Then I staggered to the road for help.”
”Did you see the guy who shot you?” Joe asked.
”No, son,” he replied. ”He must have been waiting in the bushes behind the house.”
After pausing a moment, the detective continued, ”Phis means I can't go to Cousin Ruth's. Would you boys like to take my place?”
Frank and Joe looked at each other, then nodded in unison.
”I know Chet will be disappointed when you postpone your camping trip,” Mr. Hardy added, ”but-say, why don't you take Chet along?”
The physician interrupted, ”That's all for now, please. Mr. Hardy must rest.”
”You boys go along with Aunt Gertrude,” Mrs. Hardy said. ”I'll not leave your father until he's better!”
40 Frank and Joe kissed their mother and said good-bye to their father. Then they left with Miss Hardy.
At the hospital entrance the three ran into Sam Radley, Mr. Hardy's operative, who was hurrying into the building.
”How's Mr. Hardy?” he asked breathlessly. ”I just learned he's here.”
Frank told the tall, worried investigator all he knew of the attack. Sam frowned when he heard about the arrow.
”It's most unusual,” he remarked.
”Why the d.i.c.kens would anybody shoot him with an arrow?” Joe asked.
”Probably,” Sam replied, ”to escape detection. It'll be harder to trace an arrow than a bullet. Where's the arrow?”
”At the police station,” Aunt Gertrude said. ”My brother ordered it sent there immediately.”
”We'd better take a look at it,” Sam suggested.
The investigator took Aunt Gertrude in his car, while the boys drove their coupe to the police station. Alone in the car, Frank said to Joe: ”Does something click about this whole case?”
”Yes,” Joe replied slowly. ”The arrow!”
”That's it,” Frank said. ”First Dad picked up the words 'crooked arrow' on his recorder.
Then we 41 found the crooked arrow on the watch and tie clasp.”
”And now Dad is shot with an arrow by an unknown archer.” Joe put in.
”It all seems to add up,” Frank reasoned. ”But to what? One thing's clear. Some crook or crooks are afraid of Dad.”
The two cars arrived at the station house about the same time. Aunt Gertrude, Sam, and the boys were ushered into the office of Chief Collig. He sat at his desk examining an arrow.
”h.e.l.lo, boys,” he said. ”Awfully sorry to hear what happened to your father.”
”Any clues to the a.s.sailant?” Frank asked.
”None at all. My men searched the place and found a trampled spot in the weeds, where the culprit apparently drew a sight on your father, but nothing else.”
”See that you find the man!” Aunt Gertrude blurted out with indignation. ”The idea of anybody shooting my brother! And with an arrow, no less. What's happened to police protection in Bay-port?”
”We've tried our-”
”Your best isn't good enough!” Aunt Gertrude interrupted the chief. ”I'll find that scoundrel my= self and punish him!”
42 As Sam Radley looked on with approval, Frank asked, ”May I see the arrow, chief?”
Collig handed him a short, thick shaft with a sharp steel tip. On the end, near the nock, were three white feathers.