Part 11 (1/2)

The boys reached the anch.o.r.ed motorboat, and soon were racing down toward Bayport. Frank was tense as he gripped the steering wheel; his mind was in a turmoil of worry over the fate of his brother. He could still see that shadowy, sinister figure rising out of the darkness and enveloping Joe in the folds of that eerie cloak.

”I guess I'll go home,” Chet said as they put the Sleuth Sleuth back in the boathouse, ”unless back in the boathouse, ”unless there's something I can do to help.''

”Not now,” Frank replied. ”I'll drive you home. But first of all, I want to stop in at the telegraph office.”

There Frank wrote an urgent message to his father, addressing him at the hotel in Was.h.i.+ngton. He was glad his mother had sent him the change of address.

”Have seen flickering torch and may have clues in your case,” he wrote. he wrote. ”Wire ”Wire instructions.”

”Aren't you going to tell him about Joe?” asked Chet.

117 Frank shook his head. ”No use worrying Dad and Mother until I'm sure there's something to worry about. There's just a bare possibility that it wasn't Joe.”

Chet left him at the telegraph office and set out for home, declining a ride. As Frank drove the car back toward the Experimental Farm, he felt sure the captured boy was his brother.

Frank swung into the main road and stepped on the gas. He saw the headlights of a truck overhauling him, the lights s.h.i.+ning brightly in his rear-vision mirror. The boy pulled well over to the side of the road to give the big machine plenty of room to pa.s.s.

Its lights shone brighter. The truck was pulling close behind, and was well over on Frank's side of the road. The boy slowed down, pulled over farther. The wheels of the car b.u.mped on the soft shoulder of the highway.

Now the truck was abreast of him, crowding him over. Frank wrenched desperately on the wheel, stepping hard on the brake. His car lurched, slipped sideways and came to rest in a ditch, stuck fast.

The Hardy boy heard a sardonic laugh as the truck flashed past and vanished down the road.

”That fellow did it on purpose!” thought Frank angrily. ”Guess he recognized the Hardy license number! And I didn't even get his!”

CHAPTER XIV.

JOE'S ADVENTURE.

in the meantime, what of Joe?

After Frank had left him at Trumper's that evening, the boy had walked over to the road construction project to look for d.i.c.k Ames. He was confident that he would find the young engineer near the job, and in this he was correct. After the experience with the scarecrow, d.i.c.k was keeping a close watch on things.

”But so far,” he told Joe, ”I'm up against a blank wall.”

”How about Hefty Cronin?” Joe asked.

d.i.c.k grinned ruefully. ”Either Hefty is an honest man, or he is too smart for me. I checked on all his order slips and they tally perfectly-even that order for wire.”

”Who put up the scarecrow? That might give us a clue. If the thief who hid the power drill set up the hiding place-----”

”No good. The scarecrow is honest, too. The farmer who owns the field told me he erected it himself. I've questioned the workmen, and no one on this job admits having gone into the grounds. n.o.body knows anything about the power drill that disappeared. Nothing more has been taken so far as I know.''

118.

119 Joe was thoughtful. The scarecrow clue had evidently petered out for the moment.

”How about the watchman?” he asked.

'' He had been drinking and fell asleep down the road. He was fired this morning. The new one comes with fine references. I've been observing him, and he's certainly on the job.

Where's Frank?”

'' He went into Bayport,'' said Joe. '' A little later I'm going out to the cliff to investigate.

But in the meantime, I think I'll take a look at the Grable greenhouses. How about coming along?”

”What's doing over there?” asked d.i.c.k.

”It's the case we've been working on,” Joe said. '' I want to look around the place a little.''

”If you think I can help, I'll be only too glad to go along. I feel I can leave here safely with the new watchman in charge.”

They drove off in d.i.c.k's car. When they were in sight of the greenhouses, he parked his automobile on the side road and they cut across the fields. There was still enough light to enable them to distinguish the various buildings.

”What do we do now?” whispered d.i.c.k.

Joe gripped his arm, signaling for silence. At that moment he saw a man approaching the entrance to the office. Instead of opening the door and going inside, he sat down on the low step. The boys saw that he carried some object which he now placed across his knees.

120 It was a rifle!

The fellow on the steps made himself comfortable. It was evident that he was there to stay.

”I ought to get back to the cliff,” thought Joe. ”Frank will be out on the bay soon. But I certainly can't leave here until I find out what's going on.”

The boys remained in the shadows for some time. Then Joe saw that the armed man had made himself too comfortable. His head drooped. His chin sank on his chest.

”He's asleep,” whispered d.i.c.k five minutes later.

Joe nodded. ”I'm going to get that gun,” he murmured quietly.

The boy tiptoed forward. He had gone only a few paces before the man on the steps roused. Joe heard a gasp of apprehension from d.i.c.k Ames. He stood stock-still. But the sleeper had not awakened entirely. A moment later he was sound asleep again.

Step by step, Joe advanced stealthily toward the greenhouse doorway. It was dark by this time. In the gloom the Hardy boy tried to distinguish the sleeper's features. But the man's face was in shadow.

Joe reached for the rifle. His hand closed around the stock. Gently he lifted the weapon.

The man stirred uneasily, but he did not awake. With a quick movement the boy stepped away.

He felt more at ease now about exploring the 121 greenhouse property. If the guard should awaken and detect intruders, there would be no danger of his shooting them in the darkness.

Joe crossed the yard and made his way quietly toward the closed area where Asa Grable's private laboratory was located. There he saw a crack of light beneath the door. The boy's first impulse was to go up and knock.

Then caution restrained him. He knew the scientist was the only man supposed to have access to the laboratory, but in view of the robberies and the strange events that had been taking place, he could not take too much for granted.