CHAPTER XIV

THE MYSTEBIOUS PBOWLEB "JOE!"

The younger Hardy lad had just burst into his room at the hotel, where Frank and Chet were silently awaiting his return. The former jumped up to greet his brother.

"What happened?"

Joe sank into a chair, doubled up with laughter.

"Frank, it worked! It was almost too perfect to be true!"

"Might let a fellow in on some of your mysteries once in a while," Chet grumbled. "What have you been up to anyway? Frank wouldn't tell me."

"I didn't know myself," Frank retorted. "At least, not exactly. Come on, Joe. What happened?"

"Well, I dashed around to the Gypsy's cottage-the clerk at the hotel desk told me where she was. I informed her a man named Kuntz was coming and that he'd better not tackle the job of diving for treasure on the Katawa. Then I hid in another room and listened.

"I guess she does have some psychic power,

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for she told him a lot of things I hadn't mentioned. When she came to the part about his diving, she certainly made it plain! He was so scared he couldn't get out of there fast enough!''

"Where is he now?"

"Don't know. By the time I came out of hiding and left the shack he had disappeared, and I'll bet he stays disappeared!"

"Good work!" approved Frank. "I just called Perry and he's coming down in a few

minutes. Had to do some errands first. j____»»

He was interrupted by muffled footsteps and the sound of voices approaching.

"Listen! Must be Bock and Simon coming back! They left, Joe, right after you did. Don't know where they went."

The footsteps came nearer and paused before the door of the next room. There was an audible click as the key was turned in the lock, and an instant later the door slammed.

"That's a fine howdy-you-do!" snorted Bock. "Now everything's spoiled!"

The walls of the old hotel were conveniently thin, so the chums could hear nearly every word that was spoken.

"Can't figure it all out," they heard Simon remark. "Just exactly what did the clerk tell you!"

"I told you six times!" Bock said irritably. "He says he got a message from the hospital

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that a fellow named Kuntz, according to the card in his pocket, was picked up unconscious on Mulberry Street about twenty minutes ago. The call just came in while I was in the lobby waitin' for you to come back from the dock."

"What'd they say was wrong with him?"

"They said he'd stumbled and hit his head, and was havin' a nervous breakdown or some-thin'."

"Nervous breakdown!" sneered the other. "What're you talkin' about?"

"Well, that's what the doc said over the phone to the hotel clerk," snapped Bock peevishly. "Come on, let's go over to the hospital and find out."

The door opened and slammed shut. The eound of footsteps died away at the end of the corridor. Instantly Frank arose and picked up the phone.

"Give me the hospital," he said to the operator. "Hellot I'd like to get information on the condition of Mr. Kuntz, please."

There was a moment's silence, then a prolonged crackle in the receiver. Frank's face slowly broke into a grin. When the rattling sound ceased, he hung up and turned to the others.

"Joe," he smiled slyly. "I think you did a better job than you thought you did. The doctor says Kuntz must have stumbled on the sidewalk and hit his head. Says he has a slight concussion of the brain, but that it's not seri-

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ous. What Kuntz is suffering from is a bad ease of nervousness. He must have had a severe shock from something besides the blow on his head."

Joe whistled. "Golly. I really didn't mean to make an invalid out of the fellow."

"He deserves it, whether you intended it or not." Frank replied. "Listen. I'm going over to the hospital and get the details. Wait here. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Before the others could protest at being left behind, Frank had disappeared. A few moments later there came a knock at the door and Perry walked in.

"Hello, fellows! Why, where's Frank?"

Joe related the events of the past hour, and the genial diver's enthusiasm grew by leaps and bounds.

"Serves the rascal right!" he exclaimed when the younger Hardy lad had finished. "Do you know that there's morQ than half a chance we'll get the Katawa job back again under the circumstances? I think I'll call John Crux. He's downstairs in the lobby waiting for me to pack."

"Just a minute. I think Frank's coming back," Joe interrupted as footsteps rapidly approached their door. An instant later the lad burst in.

"Hello, Mr. Perry! Say, I've some good news! Just talked to Kuntz's doctor at the hospital, and by the way, I had a hard time

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keeping out of sight of Bock and Simon, who were hanging around!"

"What did he say?" Joe inquired eagerly.

"Kuntz is in no shape to do any more diving for a long while. Bad nerves. The doctor told me also that after arguing with Kuntz for half an hour or more he got the fellow finally to send a messenger to the dock to tell his men to pack up."

Perry rose and grabbed the phone. "Page Mr. Crux!" he rapped. The chums waited with bated breaths, as Perry drummed on the table impatiently. Suddenly he spoke. "Mr. Crux? Hello. John? Say, I've some news! Be right down!" He hung up and turned to the others. "Be back directly. Want to tell John everything."

In a few moments he burst into their room.

"Boys, I think all our troubles are going to be righted!" he exclaimed. "John Crux just wired the details to his brother in Washington, and we ought to have an answer first thing in the morning."

The chums could scarcely contain themselves until dawn the next day. Perry joined them at six o'clock breakfast.

"John Crux is going to wait for the wire," the diver said merrily. "He wants us to go to the dock right away and assemble the equipment again. The trucks are already there, and so is the barge."

The friends piled into their car and drove

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rapidly to the pier, which was already a beehive of activity. To their surprise Kuntz was there, impatiently ordering his men about. He gave no sign that he noticed either Perry or the Hardys.

"Come on! Move!" thundered Kuntz, raising his arm menacingly.

One of the workmen deliberately dropped a coil of air-hose. It slithered from the dock into the water below.

"What's the idea!" bellowed the enraged diver. "Get that hose!"

The workman made no move to obey. Others crowded around, all scowling blackly at Kuntz.

"Listen, Mr. Kuntz, we're not movin' another inch until we find out why we're losin' our jobs," muttered one of the laborers. "You tell us to get busy on this, and then you tell us we're quittin'. Now, what's your idea!"

"Yes," agreed another. "What's your idea?"

A ripple of subdued snarls passed through the crowd. Kuntz glanced around nervously.

"Listen, men," he said quaveringly. "We can't go ahead with the job. It's-it's too dangerous. Somebody's likely to get hurt, or killed. I_uh-I-----"

A cry of derision went up.

"He's scared! And him a diver! Bah!" sneered one.

"And just because he's scared, we lose our jobs!'' shouted another angrily.

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A roar of threats and sneers swept through the gang. Kuntz's face was livid with mingled fright and rage. One of the workmen, slightly older than the others, advanced toward the diver.

"What about the money we're supposed to get, Mr. Kuntz?" he queried with an ugly frown.

The big man hesitated before replying, his face contorted with anger. "All right, you can have your money!" he spluttered. "I'll pay you your wages, but pack up that stuff and get out of here!"

He stalked off the dock toward the yacht club, leaving the men to grumble among themselves.

In the meantime the Hardys and Chet were busy unloading equipment from the trucks and assembling the heavy diving apparatus. At noon they noticed John Crux drive up and hurry into the clubhouse. A moment later Perry ran out and signalled to the chums.

"We got it!" he shouted. "Just received a wire from Washington. The government has given us the contract!''

"I owe you boys a great many thanks," smiled John Crux just behind the diver. "It seems too that our friends here-" he indicated the chums-"have everything just about ready!''

'' We certainly have!'' responded Joe.

"Well, we'll see that you lads get some div

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ing this time," said the older man. "In the meantime, don't work too hard. Be sure to get plenty of rest. You'll need it, to be good undersea workers."

The three lads returned to town in high spirits.

'' To bed early, and up at the crack of dawn!'' Frank ordered as they drew up to the hotel.

"Eight!" agreed his brother. "We'll be divers yet!"

"That lets me out!" said Chet firmly. "I'll still be an onlooker, thank you!"

As the boys passed through the lobby after supper on their way out for a brief walk before turning in, the clerk summoned Frank. The older Hardy lad rejoined the others a moment later, frowning at a paper he held in his hand.

"What's the matter?" Joe asked, alarmed at his brother's countenance.

"Look!" Frank held out the sheet for the others to read.

" 'Leave town at once,' " Joe murmured. " 'Kuntz blames you boys for everything and has sworn to put you out of the way. Signed, Perry.' Great Scott!"

"There's no joking this time!" Chet exclaimed, looking around apprehensively. "I think we 'd better get moving!''

Frank took another look at the paper, then crumpled it up. "Rats!" he snorted. "Kuntz isn't going to scare us that easily."

"You can stay if you want to, but I'm leav-

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ing!" Chet announced flatly. "Personally, I think this is no place for us."

"What a detective!" Joe scoffed, playfully poking his stout chum. "Why, secret warnings are what detectives thrive on!"

"You'd better stay with us, Chet. The meals are pretty good in this hotel!'' Frank laughed.

"Well, all right," agreed the fat boy reluctantly. "But I think no good will come of it."

The chums soon forgot the note in thinking of the following morning's activities. After a short walk around town they returned to the hotel and prepared for bed.

"Did you leave a call for five?" Joe inquired as he snuggled between the sheets.

"Certainly did!" Frank replied, turning off the light. "Do you suppose we'll be able to get Chet up at that hour?" A muffled groan of dismay in the fat lad's direction was his only answer.

It seemed to Frank that he had been asleep only five minutes when he awoke with a start. The room was pitch-black. He could hear nothing but the regular breathing of his chums. Then suddenly a board creaked.

He held his breath and lay rigid, straining his eyes to look around the room. Suddenly he saw a vague shape moving stealthily toward his bed.