As he spoke, Linos swerved around a gigantic rock. The next moment he ran directly into a small rock barely protruding above the surface! It smashed a hole in the gang’s boat, which started to ship water at an alarming rate. Amid the cries and curses of the rebels, it began to sink!
Frank, meanwhile, had managed to slow down. Cautiously he rounded a bigger rock when his engine conked out.
“Oh, no!” he cried in dismay. He tried starting it again, but had no luck.
“I’ll take a look and see if I can fix it,” Joe suggested. While he busied himself in the engine compartment, Frank watched the rebels swim ashore and clamber up on the beach. They paused momentarily, gasping for breath, then disappeared into the woods.
“I think I found the trouble,” Joe called. “The vibration shook loose a wire. Now try starting the engine again.”
Frank did, and the small inboard motor raced to life. “Get a fix on where that boat sank,” he called to his brother. “I’ll follow the gang to shore.”
Joe made a notation for the coast guard so they could retrieve the sunken vessel and its cargo. “What do you plan to do? he asked his brother. ”The rebels are long gone.“
“I know. But we’re near the foot of Beacon Mountain. They might have gone up to the lighthouse, to change clothes.”
“It’s worth a try,” Joe agreed as Frank maneuvered the powerboat ashore. The boys jumped out and pulled it onto the sand, then they entered the woods and climbed up to the plateau where the lighthouse stood. Stealthily they circled around to where they could move in, using the greenery for cover.
When they arrived at the same place where they had eavesdropped before, they peered through the window. The gang was inside, dripping wet!
Linos paced up and down in agitation. “We lost our guns because of those nosy kids!” he fumed. “And we might even lose our lives, not to mention the rebellion! C‘mon! Let’s get out of this place. Too many people know where to find us.”
“What are we going to do?” one of the men asked.
“We’ll have to lie low for a while, then try to get new weapons. The revolution will be postponed, but it’ll take place as soon as we recover. I had a new deal in the works already, so things are not as bad as they seem.”
“What kind of deal?”
“I can’t discuss it now,” Linos insisted. “We’d better go upstairs and change our clothes and get out of here!
Everyone agreed and raced to the top room.
“Frank, we’ll have to do something!” Joe exclaimed in an undertone.
“I’ll go up after them and lock them in!” Frank hissed. “Just keep your fingers crossed that the key’s still in the lock. You wait here in case something goes wrong, okay?
“Okay. ”
As quietly as possible, Frank ran into the lighthouse and tiptoed up the stairs. The key was still there! With an inaudible sigh of relief, the boy slammed the door shut and turned the key in the lock!
A confused babble of voices broke out in the room. A chair went over backward as the duped gang members rushed to the entrance. Someone tried to open the door and shouted, “It’s locked!” while heavy fists pounded on the wood.
Frank ran outside and rejoined Joe. “Let’s run down the mountain and flag the coast guard cutter that’s coming our way,” he suggested.
As the boys hurried past the lighthouse, they saw Linos glaring down at them through the barred window. The gang members were standing around him.
“The Hardys!” the rebel leader rasped. “They followed us here!”
Frank and Joe paid no attention to him. Instead, they rushed to the shore as fast as their feet would carry them. A coast guard cutter lay in the deep water beyond the rocks, and a launch was drawn up on the sand beside their rented boat.
“Boy, are we glad to see you!” Frank panted when he spotted the skipper.
“We received your message,” the man replied. “When we saw your boat, we came ashore to look for you.”
Frank and Joe quickly explained what had happened, and the skipper ordered an armed company of his men to land. He led them up Beacon Mountain, guided by Frank and Joe. As they reached the lighthouse, they could see the gang trying to force the bars on the window.
“That won’t do you any good!” the skipper shouted. “Come out with your hands up!”
A file of sailors entered the building and mounted the stairs. One of them unlocked the door and the rebels had no choice but to come out one by one.
Linos was furious. “Hardys, I’ll get even with you someday!” he snarled.
“Don’t hold your breath!” Joe advised him.
Reggie Watson was the last person to emerge from the room. “That’s it, sir,” a sailor reported to the skipper.
The Hardys were startled. “Are you sure?” Frank queried.
“Quite sure,” the sailor replied. “Why?”
“Because Norma Jones isn’t here! She must have escaped!”
12
Tunnel of Horrors
“There’s no point in hunting for her in these woods,” the skipper decided. “She could be anywhere by now.”
The boys had to agree. They accompanied the officers and their prisoners back to shore, then took their boat to Loma while the coast guard cutter chugged off with the rebels.
When Frank and Joe reached the marina, they turned in the rented craft and rode in a taxi to the American Embassy, where they found the ambassador, Colonel Palos, and their father discussing the latest events.
“You already know?” Frank asked in surprise.
“The coast guard phoned us,” Mr. Hardy said with a smile. “You boys have done excellent work. The capture of Linos and his gang means that Rubassa is now safe from dictatorship.”
The ambassador nodded in agreement. “American Intelligence has known for a long time that if the Rubassa rebellion failed, the supporters of democracy on Milbin Island would be encouraged to remove their dictator from power. We hope this will happen soon.”
“Meanwhile, my case is finished,” Mr. Hardy added. “Frank and Joe, you’d better rejoin your freighter. The Admiral Halsey reaches Cyprus tomorrow noon. Ambassador Compton will make arrangements for you to fly to Nicosia before it docks.”
“But Dad, we haven’t found Norma Jones yet,” Frank objected.
“We will be looking for her,” Colonel Palos assured him. “I have taken too much of your time already and wouldn’t think of keeping you here now that the rebels are caught.”
The following morning, he escorted the Hardy boys to the Rubassa airport, where they boarded a turbojet to Cyprus. They reached the Nicosia dock just as the freighter was being tied up.
“I wonder if our mummy missed us,” Joe said with a grin as they climbed the gangplank.
Frank chuckled. “Let’s ask Chet and Biff!”
Their friends met them at the end of the steps.
“Welcome back!” Chet cried. “The pharaoh hasn’t stirred while you were gone. We took good care of him.”
“Thanks, Chet,” Frank said. “We appreciate that.”
“How’d you make out on Rubassa?” Biffinquired. “Did the ambassador want you to find a crook for him?”
“No, he wanted us to prevent a revolution,” Joe replied.
Chet’s eyes popped out. “A what? Don’t tell me you guys finished off a whole rebel army!”
“No,” Frank assured him. “There were only six of them. But with a good supply of weapons, they could have taken over that small island.”
“And guess where they got the money to buy the guns,” Joe put in. “From the sale of the pharaoh statuettes they stole from the Egyptian Museum in New York!”
Quickly the brothers filled their friends in on the latest events. Chet and Biff were impressed and proud of the young detectives and congratulated them over and over.
“Now I’d like to see our friend the pharaoh,” Joe said finally.
“Come with us,” Chet offered. “We’ll lead you to him.”
The four descended into the hold and found the mummy crate untouched. Then they reported to Captain Baker, who was on the bridge supervising the unloading of the cargo destined for Cyprus.
When they had finished their story, he smiled. “You did a wonderful job. You deserve a day off!”
“Oh, we wouldn’t leave the Admiral Halsey while it’s docked,” Frank said. “Someone could carry the mummy right off the ship!”
The captain shook his head. “Not if you wait until all the unloading is done. Around three o‘clock many of the crew will have shore leave, and I can station a man who’s on duty right next to the crate. Chet and Biff will remain aboard, too, and can double-check on your ancient friend.”
Frank and Joe did not need further convincing. In the afternoon they strolled around Nicosia in the hot sunshine, enjoying their leisure. Most of the people they saw spoke Greek and wore Greek dress, but the Turkish minority could be identified by their own language and costume.
“It seems so peaceful now,” Frank commented.
“Just as well,” said Joe, who, like his brother, recalled there had been much violence between Greeks and Turks on Cyprus. “I’d rather not run into terrorists who throw bombs around like baseballs.”
Sampling some of the local snacks, the boys walked through town until they came to an open area where a carnival was going on. The ticket seller called out to them in Greek, held up two tickets, and gestured with his thumb toward the entrance.
“He wants us to go in,” Frank interpreted. “What do you say, Joe? Let’s see how it stacks up against the Bayport Carnival.”
“Okay. I’d like a few zany rides after the heavy stuff we ran into on Rubassa. It’ll be a treat to relax.”
Joe paid for two tickets, then led the way into the carnival grounds. They heard barkers appealing to the crowds to come in and see the sideshows. A roller coaster roared up and down steep rails and a Ferris wheel lifted its patrons high above the throngs on the ground.
“It’s just like our carnival at home!” Frank exclaimed. He bought a guidebook in English and turned the pages while Joe pointed to a gaudy sign portraying a monster with scowling face and clutching hands. Beneath the figure were some words in Greek and Turkish punctuated with enormous exclamation marks.
“I’d hate to meet him in a dark alley,” Joe commented, gesturing toward the monster. “Does the book say anything about this sideshow? What do those words mean?
Frank flipped the pages until he saw an illustration of the sign. “Here it is. The words mean Tunnel of Horrors. It’s a boat ride through a dark tunnel and you get to see vampires, zombies, and were- wolves. Want to go?”
“Why not? »
Frank bought the tickets, and the boys entered a flat-bottomed boat with two seats large enough to hold six people. They sat side by side in the back. The man in charge gave the boat a push onto a flowing current kept on the move by an electrical generator.
The boat floated about five yards, then was carried by the current into the black mouth of the tunnel. Almost at once, a vampire screamed at them from an illuminated niche on one side of the tunnel. Its fangs were bared and its eyes blazed.
Joe felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck. “That’s too real for comfort,” he muttered. “It’s enough to give anybody the jitters.”
“Whoever makes these things is pretty good,” Frank agreed. “They’re only rubber, cloth, and plastic with lights around them. And they’re held in place by wires. But you’d think they were alive and ready to jump at you.”
Further on, a zombie materialized in the darkness, glowering at them. By now Frank and Joe were enjoying the thrills of the Tunnel of Horrors.
“Hi,” Joe called to the zombie. “What’s your name—Frankenstein?”
“He’s shy,” Frank said. “Doesn’t want to tell us.”
The boat drifted into darkness again. The flicker of a light told them they were about to confront another monster. This time it was a snarling werewolf.
“There’s Rover,” Frank laughed. “I bet he’s s somebody’s family pet.”
“He’s lost, Frank. Let’s take him home. Aunt Gertrude can use him for a watchdog. She wouldn’t have to worry about burglars with him in the house.”
The boat floated on through the darkness, and the Hardys saw more of the horrors advertised in the tunnel, next being a spider the size of a Saint Bernard perched in the middle of a web. The mechanism controlling it caused the insect to rush to the edge of its web, where it seemed to be drooling venom from its snapping jaws.
“It’s the last one, I think,” Frank said.
“No, there’s one more,” Joe declared. “See that light on the ledge up ahead? I wonder what kind of monster this one is.”
“Oh, I don’t believe it!” Frank cried out. “Look who’s here!”
A weird face became visible, a face with cloth bandages wound around. A couple of black eyes glared through holes in the wrapping.
Frank and Joe doubled over with laughter. “Hi, Tut!” Joe addressed the apparition as the boat drifted up beside it. “Come aboard! There’s always room for a pharaoh!”
Suddenly the mummy’s face lurched forward and the light illuminating it snapped out. In the darkness, the strange figure leaped into their boat. A moment later they felt the sting of tear gas spraying into their faces!
Frank and Joe collapsed into the bottom of the boat, gasping, wheezing, and shielding their eyes from the chemical. The intruder thrust a piece of paper into the pocket of Frank’s shirt, then jumped onto the ledge on the opposite side and disappeared into the darkness.
The boat drifted out of the Tunnel of Horrors into daylight at the point where the ride ended. There was no sign of the mummy anywhere.
It took the Hardys some minutes to recover from the blinding effects of the tear gas. Finally Joe gasped, “He was the guy who looked through our porthole! He must have followed us from the ship.”
He leaned over and picked up two objects from the bottom of the boat. One was a flashlight and the other a pencil-sized tube with a button near one end.
“He used the flashlight to illuminate himself on the ledge,” the boy declared. “And this tube is a miniature tear gas gun. That’s what he sprayed us with. He must have dropped them when he jumped out of the boat.”
Frank reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “I felt him put something in there,” he said, holding up the note. “Joe, listen to this! It says, ‘Remember the mummy’s curse. Get away while you can!’ ”
The Hardys looked at one another, wondering what it could mean.
“That guy’s warning us,” Joe said. “He followed us from the freighter and sneaked into the Tunnel of Horrors while we were getting the tickets.”
“And he’s still in there now!” Frank exclaimed. “Come on, we’ll trap him.”
Making sure no one was watching, he stepped out of the boat onto the ledge used by the maintenance men who kept the tunnel in working order. Joe followed, and they edged their way back into the darkness. Moisture from the water moving along below them made their footing slippery.
“I wonder how deep it is,” Frank muttered over his shoulder.
“Not deep enough to drown in,” Joe said. “But you could sprain your ankle if you slipped.”
They inched along the ledge. A boat filled with laughing teenagers floated past, then silence fell again. Moving along the wall, Frank came to a door. Pausing for a moment to be sure of his footing, he turned the knob and pushed the door open.
Light shone in their faces and they found themselves going out of the tunnel into the daylight of the carnival grounds. There was no sign of the man in the mummy mask!
13
The Empty Coffin
“Foiled again!” Joe exclaimed angrily. “No doubt our friend walked right out of this door and disappeared in the crowd five minutes ago!”
Frank nodded. “Maybe he’s been here before and knew the setup.”
> They got back to the Admiral Halsey a half-hour before it was scheduled to leave. The crew had already returned and were getting the ship ready for departure.
“Let’s see if we can find Biff or Chet,” Frank suggested, and the boys started to look for their friends. They found both of them in the galley.
“Guess what happened!” Chet called out when he saw the Hardys.
“Oh, oh,” Joe said apprehensively. “Is something wrong with the mummy?”
“Not the mummy. But the mask is gone!”
“Disappeared!” Biff confirmed. “That weirdo must have sneaked back to the lifeboat when we were busy watching the crate in the hold.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Joe declared. “He took it and followed us into Nicosia. We saw him at the carnival!”
“But he gave us the slip,” Frank added.
Chet and Biff were astounded when the Hardys told about their ride through the Tunnel of Horrors.
“I wonder if he came back to the ship,” Chet said. “If he didn‘t, and one of the crew is missing, we’ll have an idea who he is.”
“Good thinking,” Frank said. “Suppose you two check out the sailors while Joe and I have a look at the mummy.”
Once more the Hardys found the crate untouched. Later they met Chet and Biff again, who reported the crew all present and accounted for.
“I’m sure the culprit is a seaman,” Frank declared. “But which one?”
The Admiral Halsey continued on course in its voyage across the Mediterranean to Egypt. The four youths from Bayport kept the lifeboat under surveillance, hoping the man they were after would return to hide the mask again. But he never did.
Finally Egypt came into sight. The freighter entered the seaport of Alexandria in the Nile delta and tied up at dock. The gangplank was lowered, Egyptian officials went aboard to talk with Captain Baker, and the sailors of the ship opened the hatch over the hold. Egyptian stevedores, or longshoremen, moved cranes and cargo nets into position and lifted boxes, bales, crates, automobiles, and other items out of storage onto the dock.
Frank and Joe were waiting outside for the mummy crate to appear while Chet and Biff were in the hold to signal the Hardys when the case had been picked up by the crane.
The Mummy Case Page 7