The light revealed a big electric motor and several heavy machines that they could not identify. Joe moved over to one of them and turned the light on it.
83 "I"d sure like to know what this place is for," he said in a puzzled tone. "I think our friend Vilnoff-----"
As he took a step forward, a strange expression came over his face. He suddenly became rigid, then fell to the floor 1
CHAPTER XI.
THE ESCAPE.
frank, was horrified.
Had his brother been electrocuted? Had he stepped on some diabolical killing device in this underground chamber?
For a moment Frank Hardy was panic-stricken. His first impulse was to shout for help.
Then his better judgment prevailed, and he knelt beside Joe, his finger on his brother"s pulse, Joe was alive, but evidently had been stunned by a. a. powerful electric shock. By the powerful electric shock. By the gleam of his flashlight Frank saw a metal plate set in the floor. He dragged his brother away from it, loosened his collar and tie, and began rubbing his wrists in an effort to revive the stricken lad.
The shock had been severe. It was fully five minutes before Joe showed any signs of regaining consciousness. At length he sighed, opened his eyes, and muttered weakly: "What happened?"
"You almost got yourself electrocuted," returned Frank in a relieved voice. "You put your foot on a charged metal plate and had a bad shock."
Joe managed to sit up, but he was very weak and still dazed by the powerful electric current that had knocked him senseless.
"Let"s get out of here," he said.
The boys had lost all interest in any further exploration of the bas.e.m.e.nt. Their sole desire now was to leave VilnofFs house as quickly as possible. Frank helped Joe to his feet, but the lad was so dizzy that he could not stand up alone, much less walk un-a.s.sisted.
Their plight was indeed dangerous. If their presence in the cellar should be discovered, Frank knew they would have no hope of escape because of Joe"s uncertain condition. Then, too, if they were found in the house they would be unable to explain their presence to the angry servants.
"They would have us thrown in gaol for house-breaking," Frank said to himself.
He managed to get Joe over to the bas.e.m.e.nt steps. The task of reaching the kitchen above was far more difficult, and every moment Frank feared they would be heard. Luck was with them, however, and they got upstairs without arousing any members of the house-hold. From the kitchen to the front door was the riskiest part of the journey.
Supporting Joe with one arm, Frank tiptoed down the hall in the dark.
Then, sharp and clear, startling in the silence of the mysterious house, an electric bell shrilled. Frank"s first thought was that it was another burglar alarm. On reflection, however, he identified the sound as the ring-ing of the door-bell.
Escape by the front way was now impossible. Already he could hear someone stirring above him preparing 86 to answer the summons. From an upper hall there issued the sound of footsteps.
Fortunately the corridor was in darkness. Frank hustled Joe into the room where they had taken refuge before, and once again the boys concealed themselves behind the velvet curtains. They were just in time. A second later the hall lights, which could be controlled by an upstairs switch, flashed on. Someone was coming down from the floor above.
It proved to be the butler. He proceeded gravely the length of the corridor and opened the door. Someone came into the house, saying: "Where"s Vilnoff?"
Frank thought the voice sounded familiar. At that moment, however, he could not remember when and where he had heard it before.
"Vilnoff isn"t here," answered the butler shortly.
"Where is he?"
"On the ocean."
"On the ocean! What do you mean?"
"He sailed for Europe a couple of days ago."
The visitor was evidently surprised by this information.
"The quitter!" he snarled.
"Why do you wish to see him?" the servant inquired.
"It"s about the signs. Who is going to take charge of "em? They don"t work, and I don"t intend to get caught. Something"s got to be done about "em."
"I"ll see that something is done," the butler a.s.sured him.
"You"d better. I"m not going to stand for any nonsense about those signs, I"m warning you."
87.
"I"ll send a message about it first thing tomorrow morning."
"See that you do!" growled the irate fellow. With that he stamped out onto the porch again, muttered "Good night," and went down the steps.
The butler closed the door, and Frank heard the click of a switch. This was followed at once by another similar sound, whereupon the hall lights went out. The servant returned to the stairs. Frank listened to his receding footsteps. Finally an upper door banged.
The problem of getting out by the front entrance without setting off the burglar alarm had been worrying Frank, but he thought he had solved the matter now. He had noticed that the alarm had not sounded when the butler admitted the stranger; nor had it rung when he and Joe called at the front entrance earlier in the evening.
Clearly, then, the signal could be switched on and off as desired. He recalled that the servant had paused a moment in the hallway before opening the door to the visitor. Then he had heard the click of some switch before the light switch was thrown off.
Frank helped Joe into the hall. With his flashlight he scanned the row of push-b.u.t.tons beside the door. Over each of them, with one exception, was a tiny card indicating the lights it controlled, such as "Lower Hall," "Upper Hall," "Library," and "Living Room." The unmarked b.u.t.ton was set a little aside from the others.
"If this isn"t the burglar alarm control, we"ll be in plenty of trouble," Frank whispered to Joe, as he 88 moved the switch. Then, turning the door handle, he prepared for immediate flight.
But there was no clamorous bell to alarm the household. The door opened silently and easily. In another moment the boys were out on the porch and Frank was turning the k.n.o.b behind them.
Joe was so weak that he could scarcely walk, so their progress was necessarily slow.
But they gained the darkness of the driveway in safety and from there escape was easy. In a few minutes the Hardy boys were out on the sidewalk, homeward bound.
Under a corner street lamp they stopped to rest, for Joe was so shaken and exhausted that he was on the verge of collapse. He was still suffering from the effects of the electric shock.
"I"ll be O.K. after a while," he told Frank, "but I still feel sick and dizzy."
The fresh air appeared to revive him somewhat, and after a short rest the lad felt well enough to proceed. At that moment a car that had been speeding down the road ground to a sudden stop, and a familiar voice shouted: "Hi! Come on for a ride!"
It was Chet Morton, accompanied by his cousin Bill.
"You couldn"t have turned up at a better time," declared Frank as he and his brother walked over to the auto. "I"m just trying to get Joe home. He"s not feeling very well."
"What"s the matter? Gosh, you do do look sick!" exclaimed Chet, noticing his friend"s white look sick!" exclaimed Chet, noticing his friend"s white face. "Been sampling one of your Dad"s cigars, by any chance?"
89.
"He suffered an electric shock," explained Frank as he helped Joe into the car.
"How come?"
"Oh, we were doing a little sleuthing," Frank answered evasively. "We got into a place where we had no right to be, and Joe suffered.for it."
"Lucky I wasn"t killed," Joe said feebly.
"I"d like to hear about it. Did it have anything to do with this Tof notch Tof notch affair?" asked affair?" asked Chet.
"No. Something else. We"ll tell you all about it another time."
"I think you fellows ought to entertain Bill with a little sleuthing while he"s visiting here,"
declared Chet, as he drove the car toward the Hardy home.
"Gee, I wish you would!" exclaimed his cousin. "Is detective work very dangerous?"
"Well, you see what happened to Joe," observed Chet. "Came within an inch of being fried."
"You and Bill might come out with us on that Top-notch Top-notch case, if you care to," said Frank. case, if you care to," said Frank.
"We picked up some clues in that affair and we hope to locate the race-horse."
"It"s a go 1" Chet declared promptly. "How about it, Bill?"
"Sure, I"m game for anything," answered his cousin.
They had reached the Hardy place by this time, and Frank suggested that they all go in for a bite to eat.
"Not a word about that electric shock to anyone," cautioned Joe, who was feeling a little better. "If Dad, or Mother, or Aunt Gertrude should get wise to it they"d turn thumbs down on any more detective work for us."
90 The others agreed not to mention Joe"s mishap, as they all went up to the house. When they entered the hall they found Mrs. Hardy at the telephone.
"No, I"m sorry, they"re not in," she was saying. Then, as the door opened and she turned and saw the boys, she cried, "Oh, just a moment, please. Frank and Joe are coming in now."
She handed the former lad the receiver. "Someone calling you," she whispered.
"h.e.l.lo. This is Frank Hardy."
"Mr. Prescott speaking," said a trembling voice. "You remember me. I"m the owner of Topnotch."
"Yes, Mr. Prescott. Any news?"
"Bad news," replied the other.
CHAPTER XII.
THE STRANGE TREE.
"bad news?" repeated Frank. "What has happened, Mr. Prescott?"
"I can"t tell you over the telephone. Do you mind if I drop in for a few minutes? I"d like to see your father."
"Dad isn"t in town just now. But you"re welcome to come over anyway."
"Fine. I"ll be there within half an hour."
Frank turned away from the telephone. He wondered what had happened to prompt this unexpected call from the owner of T of notch. T of notch.
"All right, you fellows," he said to Chet and Bill. "Now is your chance to get a taste of a real live mystery. We"ll let you sit in on our little chat with Mr. Prescott."
Mrs. Hardy prepared sandwiches and cocoa for the boys. While they were enjoying this light repast Frank and Joe explained the Topnotch Topnotch case to the extent of their own case to the extent of their own knowledge of the affair. Chet and Bill, therefore, knew all the essential facts in the affair by the time Mr. Prescott finally arrived.
The man from Kentucky looked worried and anxious. "When will your father be back?"
he asked abruptly. "I want him to take this case."
9".
92 "Dad has been pretty busy," replied Frank. "He may not return tonight at all. Perhaps you"d like to tell us what has happened."
The gentleman sank into a comfortable armchair.
"All that has occurred," he said heavily, "is that I"ve been swindled out of twenty-five thousand dollars."
"You paid the ransom!" cried Joe.
"Yes, I paid it, but I didn"t get Topnotch Topnotch back." back."
The boys were shocked. It was bad enough to pay a huge ransom for the stolen race-horse, but to lose the animal after acceding to the kidnappers" demands was a real tragedy.
"They sent me letters," explained Mr. Prescott. "They proved to me that they actually had Topnotch Topnotch in their possession by mentioning a certain hidden mark on his body. I left the in their possession by mentioning a certain hidden mark on his body. I left the money at a place we agreed upon and the horse was to have been sent to the Spur-town track stables by truck. But the crooks double-crossed me. Your father will have to take this case for me."