CHAPTER XIX

"Prepare to Ditch!"

"frank! Joe! Chet!" Great Circle's security chief exclaimed.

Behind him in a hallway stood Inspector Clyde. "I say!" he exclaimed. "What are you chaps doing in there?"

Before the three startled boys could reply, their pursuers rushed up. They almost collided as they came to an abrupt halt. Bug-eyed, Hexton's pals gazed at the lawmen, reinforced by other police. The UGLI's whirled about and ran back through the passageway.

"Come on!" Frank shouted. "After them!"

The boys rapidly gained on the men. Frank, in the lead, caught the nearest one with a flying tackle. He fell against the pair ahead, causing them to topple like a row of dominoes. There was a brief struggle while Inspector Clyde and several Scot-

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tish police officers rushed up to help the boys subdue their captives.

The UGLI men were handcuffed and led away by the police, while Frank, Joe, and Chet followed Dell and the inspector through the open panel into the main hall of the castle. They noticed it was already daylight, and Chet yawned sleepily as the group went to sit down in a huge library.

"We're amazed to see you, Mr. Dell-and you, Inspector," Frank said. "How did you get in without being caught?"

"First, let me tell you why I came here," Dell said. "SKOOL's work is paying off at last. Frank and Joe, your father has almost single-handedly cracked UGLI's operations in all European countries except the British Isles, and in the United States."

"That's great!" Frank exclaimed.

"It sure is," Joe added. "And the mystery of the undercover work here is-well, half solved."

Clyde said that shortly after dawn McHugh had telephoned him, fearful something must have happened to the boys. "I gathered a few constables together and came straight here."

"Lucky break for us!" Joe remarked.

"At the castle gate," Clyde continued, "we met a most unsavory-looking character. One of the constables recognized him as a thief wanted by

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the police in Glasgow. He resisted arrest and ran into the castle. We chased him."

Clyde told the boys that inside he and the constables had encountered four other men who also resisted arrest. They were Arnold, Ross, and the twins.

"I questioned them," he said, "but they refused to talk."

"What about Hexton, Vordo, and Bleeker?" Frank asked.

"Apparently all three got away," the inspector said. "Tell us, what happened to you?"

Joe briefed the men, then said, "I'll bet Hexton and the others are on their way to Edinburgh. Last night we overheard them discussing plans to steal the jewels at Nairn Loch Manor before it's opened to the pub-"

Joe stopped speaking at the sound of a faint hissing and turned abruptly. Then he burst out laughing and pointed to Chet, who had fallen asleep in an easy chair. His hands were folded on his stomach and he snored lightly.

"You all deserve a good sleep," Dell suggested, but the Hardys were too excited to accept the idea. There were still many questions to be asked.

"How did you find the entrance to the secret passageway?" Frank wanted to know.

Dell replied, "We were starting to search for you when a pounding sound came from the other side of the wall. All of us suspected it might be

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you signaling for help and hunted for a secret panel. I discovered that by moving the left gauntlet on one of the suits of armor in the main hall, a portion of the wall began to open!"

"And thank goodness," said Joe. "We thought that wall was the end of the line for us."

"Somewhere in this castle," Frank spoke up, "there must be evidence of Hexton's espionage setup. Have you found it?"

"No," Dell replied. "Haven't had time to look."

"Let's see if we can find it," Joe suggested.

No one had the heart to awaken Chet, so they left him. Inspector Clyde offered to investigate the library. Dell and the boys started down the adjoining hall to examine various other rooms.

The Hardys looked into several, but saw nothing to indicate espionage paraphernalia. At the end of the hall, they found themselves facing an enormous faded tapestry.

"Maybe this hides something," Frank said.

He and Joe slipped behind the hanging and found a large double door which opened inward. As they entered, the Hardys were awed by the vastness of the room. The ceiling arched high above their heads, and lancet windows spilled bright sunlight onto the floor. At one end was a huge map of the world with colored pins stuck in various cities.

"UGLI's centers of operation!" Frank ex-

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claimed. "If Dad missed any, this will tell him where else to look!"

In the center of the room stood two oak tables. There was an elaborate radio setup on one. Joe whistled. "Powerful baby!"

On the other table were several metal cases, sealed without any visible means of opening.

"Trick boxes," said Frank. "One of Hexton's specialties."

Dell walked in as the boys looked them over and tried pressure in several places. Nothing worked. Then Frank had an idea. He turned one box toward him and the side slowly opened.

Joe grinned. "Hardy, the magician!"

"No," said Frank. "Electric eye." He moved the other two cases and each opened in the same way, revealing rows of drawers.

In the first one the boys found packages of microfilm and microtape, each labeled with a code tag.

"Tells where they came from and where they're going," Frank guessed. "Hexton brings them here. UGLI operators make the pickup and take them to countries hostile to the United States and other democratic powers."

Dell frowned. "These are probably films of secret plans and drawings of highly classified material."

"Here's the roster of UGLI operators!" Joe ex-

"Prepare to Ditch!" 159

claimed, riffling through a notebook. "Probably these names are in code."

"Doesn't matter," said Frank. He held up a red leather volume. "Here's the codebook!"

"Well," said Inspector Clyde, entering the room, "that will come in handy when it's time to round up those UGLI blighters. I saw the tapestry hanging awry and guessed you might have found a hidden door."

He stood in amazement at the boys' discovery. "What a treasure for Scotland Yard, the FBI-"

"And SKOOL," Joe spoke up. "UGLI, the biggest undercover subversive operation in the world, cracked wide open!"

Frank's enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that some of UGLI's top men were still at large. "Unless we catch them, they'll start a new operation somewhere else."

"That's true," Clyde said, and the others agreed.

"Then let's find them!" Joe cried.

At that moment a constable ushered in Mc-Hugh.

"I returned to lanburgh to get my plane," the pilot said, "and flew 'er back here. Thought I might be a wee bit o' help." He had landed on an open field close to the castle, he told them.

"That's great!" Frank replied eagerly. "Will you fly us to Edinburgh?"

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"Certainly."

McHugh was introduced to Dell. The pilot grinned. "Man, ye got a couple o' fine detective lads here," he said. "Well, I'm ready to start."

Inspector Clyde decided to stay at the castle. "I'd better remain here in case something important pops up on this end."

Frank and Joe roused Chet, who rubbed his eyes and stubbornly demanded breakfast.

"Come on!" Joe urged. "We'll grab a bite when we land. Chet, wait till you hear what we found!"

This roused the stout boy and he followed the Hardys and Dell to the plane. All the boys catnapped during the flight, and later at Edinburgh Airport stoked up on bacon and eggs. Then, while McHugh stayed with the plane, the boys and Dell went to the local police office to reveal Hexton's daring scheme of robbery the next day.

The constable on duty, a plump man with reddish hair who introduced himself as Officer Watson, was highly indignant. "Impossible! Thieves could not get within five hundred feet of the Manor without being challenged!"

"Don't underestimate Hexton," Dell warned. "He's an extremely clever crook."

"Now that he knows we're after him," said Frank, "he might very well pull the robbery today."

"Is Nairn Loch Manor far from here?" Joe inquired.

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"Oh, just a few minutes by car," Watson replied.

"Will you come with us?" Dell asked him.

"Well-all right. But I tell you, this man Hex-ton hasn't got a chance!"

They climbed into Watson's car and soon arrived at the large, fortress-like structure built of stone. The windows were heavily barred, and the thick oak doors were secured by large iron bolts.

Watson showed his credentials, then introduced his companions. He asked to see the custodian, Angus Hamilton. The custodian scoffed when he heard about Hexton's intentions. "Impossible! Utterly impossible!" he asserted. "The Manor is too well guarded."

"What about burglar alarms?" Frank asked.

"A complete system is now being installed," Hamilton answered. "In fact, the Manor will not be opened to the public until it's completed." He grinned. "No, I'm afraid your fears are unwarranted. This Hexton fellow would have to render himself invisible to get onto the premises."

"I'm not sure he couldn't do just that," Chet mumbled.

"May we see the jewel collection?" Frank requested.

"I'll be happy to show it to you," Hamilton said with pride.

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He led them down a long hallway. At the far end was a heavy oak door, flanked on each side by a guard. With a large black key the custodian unlocked the door. He ushered the Hardys and their companions into the chamber.

"You gentlemen," Hamilton said, "are about to see one of the most splendid collections of-" His voice trailed off, and his face turned ashen. "The jewelsl" he gasped. "The jewels! They're gone!"

The Hardys ran to the glass cases in which the treasure had been kept. Except for a gold crown and several scepters, the cases were empty!

"B-but how?" the custodian cried, almost in a state of panic. "I checked the collection just a little while ago!"

The local constable took command of the situation and questioned the guards. None of them had seen any suspicious strangers in the area. A quick inventory revealed that all the smaller, but extremely valuable jewels were missing.

"Hexton left the crown and scepters behind because they're too bulky," Frank surmised.

"What's your guess, Mr. Dell," asked Joe, "as to the way the thieves got in here?"

Dell turned to the custodian. "Are there any architectural plans of the Manor available?"

"Indeed yes. I have them in my files. But if you're looking for a secret passageway, you won't

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have any luck. I've studied those plans thoroughly."

Watson, meanwhile, had telephoned his office and ordered his men to close off all roads leading out of Edinburgh. Also, airports and piers throughout the country would be alerted at once.

"Do you think Hexton is headed back to his castle?" Joe asked.

"If so," Frank said, "he'll find quite a welcoming committee waiting for him. But now that he knows the police were there, I'd say he'll stay away from the place."

"We'd better phone Inspector Clyde about the robbery," said Chet. But when Joe tried to do this, he found there was no telephone at the castle.

"We'd better fly back there right away," Frank said.

Dell announced he must return to the United States. "If Hexton comes there, I'll be on hand to pursue that part of my assignment." He said good-by and went off in a taxi.

Watson drove the boys to the airport, then went back to his office. As the young detectives hurried toward the trimotored plane, they saw that the pilot was already seated in the cockpit. Frank signaled to him and McHugh responded with a not-too-enthusiastic wave of his hand.

"Something seems to be troubling him," Joe

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observed as they climbed into the cabin and slammed the door. The pilot started the engines and the plane began to taxi toward the runway for take-off.

Frank walked up to the cockpit. "What seems to be the mat-" He stopped abruptly and gasped. Crouched in the seat next to McHugh was Stony Bleeker! He held a gun pointed at the pilot.

"Get back into the cabin!" Bleeker commanded.

Frank turned to see two men emerge from beneath a tarpaulin at the rear. Hexton and Vordo!

"It's nice of you boys to accommodate us like this," the magician said with a smirk. "We happened to be in need of fast transportation."

"W-when did you get aboard?" Joe stammered. "We thought you'd be a long way from Edinburgh by this time!"

"Our car broke down on a back road near the airport," Hexton snapped. "Then Bleeker spotted this plane and we decided to hitch a ride."

"Where to?" Joe demanded.

"We're all going for a nice little flight to Ireland," the magician announced sarcastically.

"I told you I can no' make it there!" McHugh shouted. "We've no' enough fuel!"

"Don't try to fool me!" Bleeker growled. "Your gauges show full tanks!"

"The gauges haven't worked for weeks!" the pilot insisted. "I calculate my fuel consumption

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by the amount of time I fly. And I tell ye, we no' have enough fuel to make Ireland!"

Hexton let out a spine-chilling laugh, and eyed the Hardys and Chet. "Your pilot will have to think up a cleverer trick than that, because I don't intend to go back to my castle and meet your Inspector Clyde!"

"How do you know about that?" Frank asked.

The magician's weird, piercing eyes focused on the boys with a fixed stare. "Bleeker stayed behind when Vordo and I left for Edinburgh," he replied. "He was there when the constables arrived, and escaped without being seen. Of course he came straight to Edinburgh to warn us."

"Incidentally," Frank put in, "how did you manage to pull off the Manor robbery?"

"Shut up!" Vordo growled. "You're asking too many questions!"

"No, no, Vordo. I don't mind telling them," Hexton said boastfully. He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a folded piece of parchment. "This," he said, "is the architect's original plan of Nairn Loch Manor. There are copies, of course. But this is the only one showing the secret passageway."

"The passageway," Frank said, "that leads into the chamber where the jewel collection was kept."

"Yes, and very convenient for me," the magi-

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cian replied smugly, "especially since its entrance is located in a hill nearly a quarter of a mile away. As for this," he added, tapping the parchment, "it used to be on display in a small private museum, but a master key and a little sleight of hand put it in my pocket."

As the plane continued on course, the Hardys noticed that their captors' jackets bulged and a sealskin pouch jutted from one of Hexton's pockets. Undoubtedly it contained the stolen jewels!

A few minutes later McHugh shouted another warning. "We're leavin' the coast! We can no' go any farther!"

Frank gazed below. They were passing over the west coast of Scotland and heading out over the Irish Sea. Just then the port engine sputtered. Seconds later the center and starboard engines began to quit.

McHugh whirled the plane in a tight turn back toward the Scottish coast. Leveling the craft out on a reciprocal course, he tightened his grip on the control wheel.

Frank and Joe stared at the propellers as they windmilled noiselessly in the powerless glide. Below them was the choppy surface of the Irish Sea.

"I can no' reach land!" McHugh shouted. "We're goin' down. Prepare to ditchl"