"Any sign of Chet and Biff?" Frank asked.
Joe shook his head. "No."
"Do you think it"s the hermit?" Jerry asked.
"I don"t know," Joe replied. "Anyway, he"s alone."
"We could surprise this fellow while he"s asleep," Tony said.
Frank nodded. "But Chet and Biff may be somewhere else on the island. Let"s search while the fellow in the cave is asleep."
"Good idea," Joe agreed. "Look for a hut or shelter where the boys might be prisoners."
A brief examination of the gray bluff revealed a narrow cleft leading to the top of the precipice. Joe, ascending first, found himself on another path which seemed to rim the island from the top of the bluffs.
"Here"s the trail the hermit used to keep us in sight yesterday," he told the others.
After scrambling up, Frank, Tony, and Jerry paused for a look about. Below them sparkled the bright ocean, extending to the mainland a few miles away. Behind lay a little plateau, overgrown with small pines and scrub oaks. In the center of the flat area rose a steep, rocky hill which gave the island its humping silhouette "A hut would be easy to camouflage among those trees," Frank remarked. "We"ll have to spread out and comb every foot of the woods."
Though the youths worked carefully around the plateau, they found no sign of any shelter. On the island"s seaward side, where the growth was spa.r.s.e, the boys checked the sides of the steep hill for caves. They saw none.
"It doesn"t look very hopeful," Joe said at last. "If Biff and Chet were brought here, they"ve probably been carried off by now."
"The robbers might still be using this place," Jerry insisted. "It"s a perfect hideout."
"They could have come here with the loot from the bank," Tony added, "and used the phony hermit to scare off intruders."
"Perhaps the gang is using the island merely as a stopping-off place," Frank suggested. "With this hill right in the middle, a lookout could spot boats approaching from miles away."
"Of course!" Joe took him up eagerly. "That"s how the hermit happened to be waiting for us yesterday.
Today is different. Don"t forget that boat we saw pulling away. Chet and Biff may have been put aboard!"
"Right," said Joe. "Let"s climb to the top of the hill and determine how far we can see."
Sparked by the new idea, the four boys attacked the steep hill at the center of the island. They worked their way among the rocks and pulled themselves upward by means of the short, tough brush.
"What a rough climb!" Jerry gasped.
As they climbed higher, the vegetation became too flimsy to use as support, and the hill"s cone became even steeper. Still the boys pressed upward, panting, with Frank in the lead. Finally he clambered onto a flat, wind-swept area at the top-about twenty feet across-and threw himself down to rest.
Joe"s head popped into view over the edge, and then Jerry"s. Suddenly, from below them, came a sharp cry.
"Tony!" yelled Joe and Jerry together.
Sitting up, Frank saw a cloud of dust and stones tumbling and bouncing down the hill. A whole section of ground slid like a carpet along the steep slope, with Tony in the middle of it!
Frank, Joe, and Jerry slid in pursuit, bracing their feet hard against the slope like skiers!
Partly covered by loose earth, Tony Prito lay on his back where the hillside leveled off. He grinned up weakly at his three chums.
"You okay, Tony?" Joe cried anxiously.
"Think so. Can"t seem to get up, though."
"Where are you hurt?" Frank asked.
"Ankle," Tony answered, rising to one knee.
Immediately a wince of pain crossed his face and he sank back again. Quickly Frank and Joe lifted their comrade to a standing position.
"Try now, Tony," Jerry urged. "Put just a little weight on it."
Though Tony"s left leg appeared st.u.r.dy enough, the right one buckled at any pressure.
"It might be a fracture," Frank said. "We"ll get you to a doctor, Tony."
While Jerry steadied the injured boy, Frank and Joe made a chair for him by interlocking their hands.
Then they lifted Tony, who braced himself with one arm across each brother"s shoulder.
Slowly the little procession made its way down to the level of the plateau. Moving more rapidly now, they followed the path around to the mainland side of the island.
Once among the scrub oaks and pines, the trail became too narrow for three persons to move abreast.
Frank and Joe had to kick their way through the brush on each side as they advanced.
When they neared the beach at last, a small pine clump hindered Frank"s progress. He kicked out determinedly.
"Hey, what"s that?" cried Tony from his perch.
A dark garment, struck by Frank"s foot, flopped into the path!
"A sailor"s pea jacket," Jerry reported, stooping down. "And here are some more, under this pine brush."
"Pea jackets?" Frank exclaimed. "That"s what the bank robbers wore!"
CHAPTER XVIII.
Hidden Watchers "THE bandits have been here!" Frank exclaimed. "Fellows, we"re on the right track after all!"
"Wait till Chief Collig sees these pea jackets!" Joe exulted. "Pick "em up, Jerry. Boy, what a bundle of clues!"
Jerry gathered the five bulky, damp jackets in his arms and staggered forward. Almost immediately a low-hanging oak branch snagged one of the coats and pulled it from his grasp.
"We"ll never get to the boats at this rate," he despaired.
Frank, however, was more interested at this moment in the number of jackets. "There were only four robbers," he pointed out. "Who wore the fifth coat?"
"The driver of the getaway car, probably," Joe said. "Here, Jerry! We"ll put Tony down for a minute. Why don"t each of us put on a coat and you can carry the other one. That"ll make it easier."
Swiftly the boys donned the jackets. Now Jerry moved ahead without difficulty, and the Hardys followed with Tony as fast as they could.
When they reached the top of the bluff that overlooked the cove where the boats lay hidden, the party paused for breath. Here was a fresh obstacle! Tony had to be lowered down the steep slope to the level of the beach!
"We"ll slide him down," Frank decided. "Joe, you stay just below Tony, and keep his injured ankle from striking anything. Jerry and I can make a sling of our belts and lower him from one level to another."
Slowly the injured boy was brought from foothold to foothold, down to the sand. When they reached the boats, Tony"s face was drawn and pale.
"Gosh, Tony-did we b.u.mp you too much coming down?" Frank asked solicitously.
"No, it"s not your fault, fellows," their friend protested bravely. "My ankle"s just starting to throb a little."
"Swelling, too," Frank noted with a frown. "Here, Joe, let"s get him into the Sleuth. I"ll head it for the Coast Guard dock as fast as I can. You and Jerry follow in the Napoli."
In another moment the Sleuth"s powerful engine roared to life. Hastily stripping off the pea jacket, Frank bent over the wheel. Tony sat beside him, suffering in silence. The sleek craft sped across open water toward Bayport.
Meanwhile, Joe and Jerry threw the other pea jackets into the Napoli. Starting her engine, Joe piloted the slower speedboat out of the cove and along the island sh.o.r.e.
"Joe!" Jerry pointed to a boat coming around the island toward them.
"Oh, boy, this is trouble!" Joe exclaimed. "Hang on!"
He brought the wheel around hard. The Napoli swerved and ran in straight toward sh.o.r.e.
Jerry gasped. "You"re running aground!"
Joe did not answer. He had noticed a narrow fissure which cut through the bluffs, making a tiny V-shaped opening in the sh.o.r.eline. He ran the Napoli straight into the small slot of water, crashing through low-growing brush at its edges.
"Quick, Jerry," he directed, shutting off the motor, "grab some of these pine branches and pull them down on top of us!"
Clutching the sticky, sweet-smelling limbs, the boys crouched low and waited. Soon the slow, regular throb of a boat"s motor could be heard. The strange brown boat, carrying two men, came into view.
The craft seemed to move with maddening slowness. Luckily the two men in it kept looking forward.
From his place of concealment, Joe studied them carefully. The one in the stern was a short, muscular fellow, whose shock of white-blond hair gleamed in the sunshine.
"Jerry," Joe hissed, "I"ve seen those guys before! They were in Mr. French"s shop when we picked up our costumes!" He added in a whisper, "The blond one must be Fritz Stark. He looks just like Ben, except for the different-colored hair."
Jerry gripped Joe"s arm. "He"s standing up! He"ll see us!"
But Fritz Stark pointed straight ahead of him and called out to the man at the wheel, "Nick, take her to the hidden inlet!"
The boys crouched tensely, watching the two men cruise slowly past them. When at last the dark-brown craft was out of sight, the boys took in deep breaths of relief. But the result was disastrous to Jerry.
"Kerchoo! Kerchoo!" The sounds echoed off the bluffs behind them and carried far over the water.
"Oh, golly, I"m sorry," Jerry whispered. "I"m allergic to pine."
"Sh! Keep down," Joe warned. "Maybe they heard you, and maybe they didn"t."
With hearts pounding, the boys waited. The gentle put-putting sound of the motorboat grew louder and faster, rising in crescendo to an angry roar.
"We"re in for it," Joe groaned.
In another moment the prow of the brown boat knifed back into view. This time the men aboard scanned the sh.o.r.eline suspiciously!
The boys clutched the pine branches in front of them. But it was no use. The Napoli"s hull was clearly visible to their pursuers.
"There they are!" Fritz Stark shouted. "In that boat!"
As the bandits" craft swerved sharply and ran straight up on the concealed boys, Joe whispered, "Run for it, Jerry!"
The thick-growing brush, which had helped to conceal them, now became an obstacle to their flight.
Seizing the pithy branches, Joe pulled and squirmed until he could feel solid ground. But when he jumped up and walked, the thick growth clawed at his legs.
Thump! The robbers" boat crashed into the Napoli. Then the brush began to shake as the men fought their way toward the boys. "Grab them!" Stark yelled.
Jerry caught up to Joe and for an instant the boys hesitated. All around rose the gray, rocky bluffs. Just in front of them, however, was a narrow ravine which Joe had noticed earlier.
"Come on! I think we can make it!" Joe urged.
The boys scrambled madly uphill, their pursuers only yards behind! Hand over hand, they clambered upward. Once Jerry stumbled and Joe paused to help him regain his balance. The short, muscular Stark was now gaining rapidly.
Joe uprooted a small p.r.i.c.kly bush and fired it back. The bush hit Stark in the face. He cried out in anger, but kept staggering upward. In a moment he made a leap for Joe"s ankles!
"I"ve got you!" he cried as the boy slid backward on his stomach.
"Keep going, Jerry!" Joe shouted before turning to grapple with his antagonist.
At the same time the second man skirted them both, and disappeared over the top of the ravine, pursuing Jerry.
Though Joe fought savagely, Stark"s weight finally won out and soon the boy"s arms were pinned behind him and bound together with a belt.
Then Jerry appeared at the top of the ravine, his arms held securely by Stark"s henchman. "Get down there!" his captor ordered roughly.
While he and the boy descended, Stark eyed Joe with an unpleasant smile.
"Hey, Nick," the blond man called, "look who"s here!"
The henchman grinned as he recognized Joe. "One of the real Hardy boys!"