A Straight-Line Clue

FRANK dropped the code book and leaped to intercept Commander Wilson before he could reach the shotgun. But the old man was as agile as an athlete! He dodged and twisted out of Frank's way like a piece of spring steel and grabbed the weapon.

" Frank! Run! " Joe shouted as he ducked toward the front of the cave.

Realizing it was now impossible to cope with Wilson, Frank dashed after his brother. But as the two boys reached the cave mouth, there was a loud explosion. Frank stumbled and fell to the ground.

" You killed him! You killed my brother! " Joe cried out. He bent down over the prostrate form. But instead of finding blood on the back of Frank's red shirt, Joe saw a large, round white patch. At the same time Frank shook his head, got to his knees, then stood up.

" Are you all right? " Joe asked. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the smoking shotgun in Wilson's hand. The old man had a gleeful expression on his face.

" I'm okay, " Frank said. " Let's get out of here! " The boys retreated halfway to the water's edge before stopping.

" The blast knocked me down, " Frank said, reaching about gingerly to touch his back. " What was the gun loaded with? " He removed his shirt and the brothers examined it closely. " Joel This looks like flour! It is flour! "

" So that's what Wilson used for ammunition! " Joe said. " Now I know for sure he's a candidate for the booby hatch."

With mixed feelings of embarrassment and chagrin, Frank donned his shirt and the Hardys looked back as Wilson emerged from the cave. Again he shook his fist.

" That's what you spies get for snooping around Commander Wilson's cave! " he shouted. " You have some nerve trying to read the code book of the Queen's Navy! "

" We were only looking at that funny cap, " Frank called back. " Where did you get it? "

" In Rockaway, of course-where I get all my supplies, " Wilson said. " That's where I go when the Queen's Navy forgets to send the supply ship."

Shaken by the weird incident, the brothers headed for their cave.

" That cap will bear some investigating, " said Joe.

" You're right, " Frank agreed. " If they're sold at the general store in Rockaway, maybe the Bayport prowler bought his there too."

" Look who's coming, " said Joe. They glanced up to see Chet and Biff scrambling down the ravine toward them. Biff had a monster of a fish slung across his shoulder.

" Hi, fellows! " Chet called out. " Look what we caught! "

Joe grinned. " It's almost as good as a whale! "

Puffing and beaming, Chet and Biff hastened up to the Hardys. The sea bass which Biff carried weighed more than thirty pounds.

" Will we chow down today! " Chet said gleefully, then added quickly, " And I discovered a mine, too."

" A gold mine, I suppose, " Joe said.

" I don't know what kind, " Chet said seriously, " but my detector picked up some funny noises "

" Chet's right, " Biff said. " Somethings buried up there. Fellows, you ought to go hear for yourselves. I'll show you the place."

" Okay. You win, " Frank said skeptically.

" I'll cook some of the fish while you're gone, " Chet said. He added wistfully, " I wish we had some flour to sprinkle on it."

Frank gulped and Joe pounded him on the back

" Did I say something wrong? " Chet asked.

" Oh, no! " Frank said hastily. " Give us the detector, Chet."

Joe took the device and in a few minutes the three boys were clambering up the ravine toward the top of the cliff.

When they reached it, Joe donned the earphones and held the detector several inches off the ground. " Over there, " Biff directed. Joe went toward the spot. A moment later he winced as a clicking chattered like a machine gun in his ears.

" No kidding, there is something underneath here, " he said. " Listen for yourself, Frank."

Frank complied, then moved the detector from right to left. " That's strange, " he muttered. " This nine, or whatever it is Chet discovered, runs in a straight line."

" Maybe a water pipe, " Biff said. " Wouldn't that be a joke! "

" A water pipe from where to where? " Joe countered. " Why put a drain underground at a place like this? "

" Whatever the thing is, " Frank said, " it lies east to west, apparently from near the coastline to the highway."

" I've got an idea, " Joe said. He moved to a stand of pine trees growing several hundred yards back from the precipice and selected the tallest " Give me a boost, Frank."

After getting a lift from his brother, Joe shinned to the first branch, scrambled to the top of the tree, and looked intently westward.

" What do you see over there? " Frank called up.

" You'd be surprised! " said Joe.

" Come on, " Biff said. " You're tracing an imaginary line. What does it point to? "

" The Palais Paris, " Joe replied. In a few moments he was back on the ground. " Frank, I have a strange feeling about that place. Let's investigate it."

" Not this minute, " his brother replied. " I'd like to do some digging."

" But with what? " asked Joe.

" I'll get some tools, " Biff volunteered. " Johnny the fisherman will lend us his." He hastened off and returned presently with a shovel and pickax over his shoulder.

The boys took turns wielding the pick and shovel. Rocks and dirt flew up out of the hole they fashioned. But they reached three feet down without striking metal.

Biff leaned on the shovel and ran his thumb along his brow like a windshield wiper. " We might dig all day and not find anything, " he said. " Frank, do you suppose it is a metallic substance which makes the detector click like that? "

" I'm not sure, " Frank replied. " It might be an electrical conduit. Let's check in Rockaway."

" Okay." Joe chuckled. " As soon as we've eaten that feast Chet's preparing for us."

The boys left the tools near the edge of the cliff where they could find them, then retreated down the ravine to the cave. Chet had made a spit, on which large chunks of the freshly caught sea bass were broiling over hot coals

" Smells great, Chet, " Joe said. " Let's eat and be on our way."

" We're going back? " Chet asked in dismay.

'To Rockaway for the time being, " said Frank, and told what they had observed on the cliff top.

" Then I did find a good clue, eh? " Chet asked proudly. " First the pistol and now this. What would you fellows do without me? "

" We'll make an operative out of you, like Dad's assistant, Sam Radley, " Frank said.

" Just so long as it isn't dangerous, " Chet said, and passed out portions of the succulent fish. Frank, Joe, and Biff had to admit it was one of the finest meals they had ever tasted.

" It's great brain food, " said Chet. " I think we're going to need it on this case of yours, " he added with a wink at the Hardys.

" Don't worry, " Biff said. " They'll get to the bottom of this-someday."

The banter flew back and forth until the meal was finished. Then Chet put out the fire and the boys packed for the return trip. Camping in the salty sea air seemed to give them extra energy. They sang their way along the top of the cliff, where they picked up the digging tools and made the long descent to the fisherman's house.

Mrs. Donachie came out to greet them. " Oh, I'm so glad all you boys returned safely from those awful caves, " she said.

" We're still in one piece." Joe grinned. " Is Johnny here? We're returning his tools."

" He's out fishing, " the woman said. " I'll tell him you stopped by."

The boys said good-by and headed for their cars. " Come back when you please, " Mrs. Donachie called after them.

The Bayporters waved good-by and drove quickly back to Rockaway, where they pulled up in front of the general store. Frank led the way inside.

Mr. Tuttle, the proprietor, was sitting behind the counter, his chair tipped back. " Well, what did I tell you? " he greeted them, shaking his head vigorously. " You got into trouble at the caves, so you came back! "

" Who said anything about trouble? " Chet demanded.

" Well, you've got somethin' on your minds." The whiskered man squinted. " I can tell by the way you barged in here."

" To tell you the truth, " Frank said, " we have. I wonder if you could direct us to the town engineer's office. We'd like to study some public maps and surveys."

The old fellow raised himself expansively and snapped his suspenders. " Seein' that I'm the mayor of Rockaway, " he said, " I can show you to the archives." With a flourish of his right hand, he indicated a door in the back of the store.

" In there? " asked Joe.

" That's the office of the mayor and the town engineer, " the storekeeper said.

The boys followed him into the room. To their surprise they found it neatly arranged, with a desk, a filing cabinet, and large survey maps on the walls. These showed the adjoining countryside, complete with service lines of all kinds.

Frank and Joe studied the maps carefully as Biff and Chet looked over their shoulders.

" No, I can't see any electrical conduits or water lines, " said Frank as his finger followed the area from the cliffs to the Palais Paris. " Joe, you may have a good hunch about that place. I've got an idea."

When Mayor Tuttle asked about their interest in the maps, Frank deftly turned the question aside, saying what a good campsite they had in Rockaway.

After buying more supplies, the boys drove to the campsite.

" Hey, Frank, what's this big idea of yours? " Joe asked impatiently.

Frank grinned. " Gather round and listen. It may work." He said that Joe and Chet would be dispatched to Bayport, while he and Biff continued sleuthing in Rockaway. " Your mission, " he told his brother, " will be to get Callie and Iola to apply for waitress jobs at the Palais Paris."