CHAPTER XXIII

You'll Never Come Back Alive!"

there was no time for Joe to push Frank out of the way.

"Low bridge!" he yelled.

Instinctively Frank ducked. The boomerang skimmed over him, missing his head by a fraction of an inch and crashing into the side of the lunch counter.

Joe rushed over to the man as he picked up the boomerang. "What do you mean trying to hit my brother?" he demanded.

"Don't be a fool. I couldn't help what happened," the fellow answered.

"Why are you carrying a real boomerang?" the Hardy boy asked.

The man gave him a hard look and said calmly, "None of your business," then moved off.

Joe told Frank what had happened and they both started after the stranger as he hurried through the

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busy carnival grounds. Near the entrance they saw him meet another man, and an argument apparently developed between them. As the Hardys crept closer, keeping well out of sight, they heard the man who had thrown the boomerang shout angrily:

"A bargain's a bargain! I want my moneyl"

"You didn't do the job."

"Even if I didn't get that Hardy guy for you, I tried. You'll pay me or my boomerang will get you!"

As the boys reached the pair, they recognized the other man instantly. He was the spy who had trailed them to the hospital.

Frank whispered to Joe, "Get the police!"

While Joe was gone, Frank listened to the men, who continued to argue and nearly came to blows. The wrangle ended with the arrival of a policeman, who promptly collared the suspects and put them under arrest on charges of attempted assault preferred by the Hardys.

"Looks as if we're rounding up a bad gang one by one," said the Southport chief of police to the boys. "You've done a fine piece of work."

Just then a sergeant came into the chief's office with a message that the Bridgewater police had been trying to locate the Hardy boys. Would they come to Bridgewater right away?

"Any explanation?" asked Frank.

"You'll Never Come Back Alive I" 189

"They merely said a prisoner had decided to talk if you would come."

"It must be the woman who blackmailed Aunt Gertrude," said Frank. "Let's go."

The boys got into the car. They stopped off at the carnival to pick up Chet and the girls, who were wandering from booth to booth in search of them. With his hard-earned money in his pocket, Chet was finding it hard to resist temptation, but he had bought only four ice cream cones, giving two to the girls, and a bag of potato chips.

"We're driving to Bridgewater," Frank announced. "Everyone want to go?"

"Maybe I'd better," conceded Chet. "Then I won't spend any more money."

At Bridgewater the girls went on an errand for Mrs. Morton, and Chet accompanied the Hardys to the police station. As Frank had surmised, the prisoner who wanted to talk was the false Mrs. Harrison. She was brought out in charge of a guard. To the disappointment of everyone, however, she did not talk about the case. She was still stubborn in her refusal to tell her name or give any information about herself.

"The reason I wanted to talk to these boys is just to ask them a question," she said. Then she turned to the Hardys. "Are you going on that ocean voy-age?"

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"Why?" asked Joe. "And how did you know about it?"

"Never mind how I know," she replied. "Are you going?"

"Maybe."

"And me, too," announced Chet proudly.

"Don't go," the woman said earnestly. "I mean it. I'm warning you. Don't go!"

"Why not?" squeaked Chet, looking frightened.

"Because you boys will never come back alive," said the woman. "That's all I'm going to say. You'll never come back alive if you go!"

She got up and nodded curtly to the guard, indicating that the interview was at an end.

All the way home the Hardys wondered what was back of her warning. As for Chet, he was quivering like a pudding.

"I wonder if I should take time off from my work to go on that trip," he muttered. "Now that the fly-tying business is on its feet, maybe I'd be foolish to go away."

"Worried, Chet?" grinned Frank.

"Worried? Of course not. You don't think I took that woman seriously, do you? But say, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have Biff go along, if we could get a ticket for him."

"It's a swell idea," said Frank. "You ask Mr. McClintock."

"You'll Never Come Back Alive!" 191

The Hardys, though seemingly not worried by "Mrs. Harrison's" words, were deeply concerned. Was this a warning or a threat?

"Let's phone the jail and find out if she's had any visitors," Frank suggested.

The police captain reported the prisoner had had no other visitors, mail or other messages.

"Then I guess her warning was merely given for spite," Frank concluded.

The brothers continued their preparations for the trip and were ready to sail the next day. In the meantime Mr. Hardy had gone over a code with the boys until they had memorized it perfectly.

"If you come across any information about the smugglers, send your messages in this code to my man in Boston," he directed.

At the Southport pier there was laughter and excitement mixed with a certain amount of tenseness. Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, Aunt Gertrude, Biff Hooper's parents and the Morton family had gathered to watch the departure of the Father Neptune. Mr. McClintock, already aboard, kept running about and getting in the crew's way until finally the first mate suggested firmly that he go to his cabin.

Presently a whistle began to blow. The boys hurried up the gangplank. A moment later tugs began pushing the big freighter away from the dock. Out in deep water the tugs cast off, and the Father

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Neptune's engines began to throb steadily. Soon she swung off through the gap at the mouth of South-port Bay and headed out to sea.

After unpacking some of their luggage, the Hardys went on deck and found Chet and Biff already there. Chet was wondering when and where dinner would be served.

"This sea air gives me an appetite," he said.

Just then they saw Mr. McClintock hurrying down the deck. He had a slip of paper in his hand and looked intensely worried.

"I've just had a shock. A terrible shock!" he gasped. "Look what I found in my cabin. Pinned to my pillow."

He held out the slip of paper with shaking hands. Frank took it and read a typed message:

This is your last warning. Go ashore before it's too late.

Frank tried to calm the man by suggesting that the note was a practical joke, but the boy was worried just the same. Later on, in the privacy of their cabin, he discussed the warning message with Joe.

"Either one of the gang slipped on board for a few moments before we sailed, or else one of them has shipped with us," he said.

"But Captain Gramwell says every member of the crew has been with him for a long time. Do you sunnose we have a stowaway?"

"You'll Never Come Back Alive!" 193

Frank shrugged. "Let's speak to Captain Gram-well."

They made a search of the ship with him but found no one in hiding.

The Father Neptune headed southward on her course down the coast, and everything went smoothly. The passengers retired early. Their bunks were so comfortable, and the salty air so fresh and tangy that they slept well and forgot any fears they had about trouble on the trip.

The next morning the Hardys roamed about the ship again, keeping their eyes open for a stowaway, and learning something of the simple routine aboard. Once the Father Neptune was at sea, the duties of the crew were relatively simple. Every man had his own job, from the ship's firemen to the cook and the donkeyman. The boys visited the crew's quarters in the fo'c'sle, then went down into the engine room, which was as clean and efficient as a navy vessel. Later they visited McClintock, who was suffering a touch of seasickness which they felt was largely imaginary, for the sea was unusually calm.

As they left McClintock's cabin they met Sparks, who had a message for the Hardy boys.

"Can't make head or tail of it," he laughed. "It must be in code."

The boys took the message, which was from their father, into their cabin. It was simple and they were able to decipher it without difficulty.

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"Important to locate phantom freighter to solve mystery-smuggling activities starting again-smugglers eluding authorities by clever disguises-Klack thought to be aboard-use every precaution."

The Hardys decided to tell Captain Gramwell about the message right away. As they reached the bridge, Frank suddenly remarked:

"Say, Joe, this ship is listing badly to starboard!"

Just then an excited seaman darted past them, yelling:

"Captain, Captain! The cargo's shifting! We're going over!"