Cullen's jaw was grimly set and he looked with hatred at the Hardys. "You idiots!" he stormed. "I'll get you for this!"

Frank suggested to the police officers that they pick up the other prisoner at once.

Silently he and Joe hoped this man had not been able to loosen his bonds and send a message!

Frank hooded the falcon and led the way to the second cabin. They found the man on the floor, still bound and gagged. Chief Barton stared at him, then exclaimed in amazement: "Arthur Daly! You mixed up with the smugglers, too!" He turned to the boys and remarked, "Mr.

187 Daly owns one of our most successful lobster businesses."

The Hardys did not comment on this revelation, but Frank said, "I suggest you handcuff these men to avoid any further trouble."

At a gesture from Barton, Deputy Richards took care of this detail. Then the chief posed importantly before his prisoners and barked: "Now let's hear the truth about this whole thing!"

The men refused to talk, but the Hardys explained what they knew of the illicit entries of the Indians, the kidnaping of Prince Tava, and the ransom demanded in rubies.

"The pigeons carried the rubies and notes from here to their home cote," said Joe.

"And that's the next place we'll have to locate."

The prisoners exchanged alarmed glances.

"Well, I swan!" Chief Barton cried. Addressing his deputy, he said ruefully, "With all this going on at Windward, I reckon we ought to turn in our badges."

"Maybe you won't have to," Frank told them. "If you'll take these men to jail and notify the Federal authorities, you'll be doing a good job."

Chief Barton suggested that they all proceed to town at once. Carrying the falcon and the three remaining pigeons, the group headed for the jeep. Barton promised to station men at Windward to take care of any smugglers who might show up.

188 Back at Venus Village, the once-respected islanders were put in cells, then Barton dispatched special deputies to the Windward area. Next, he talked by phone to the Immigration authorities. Ten minutes later, a broad smile on his face, he leaned back in his chair and said: "Things are moving along fine. The Federal men will be out soon to take over. They'll get any more aliens or ransom being brought here."

"Good," said Joe. "And now may I phone the Coast Guard? I want to find out what happened to the friends who came out here with us."

"Go ahead," the chief replied.

At the first words of Lieutenant Commander Wilson, who answered, Joe let out a whistle, and turning his head, he said in an aside to Frank, "They caught Flont and his two crewmen as well as those twelve smuggled aliens! They're at the Coast Guard station now."

As Joe listened intently to the lieutenant commander he sobered. Putting down the phone, he reported that there was no news of their friends. Flont would not say whether he had fired on them before his capture. A Coast Guard helicopter was out now searching for the Sleuth. Sleuth.

The Hardys were greatly worried about their friends. Frank asked, "Chief, could someone take us back to the mainland right away?"

"Sure thing," Barton agreed. "I'll run you to Bay-port myself in my own motorboat. And say, will you 189 fellows take these pigeons? I don't know what to do with 'em and you might find the birds useful."

"Okay. We will," said Frank.

Chief Barton kept his boat in good shape, and a little over an hour later, the chief, Frank and Joe, the hooded hawk and the three pigeons were speeding across Barmet Bay toward Bayport. Suddenly, Joe, who had been scanning the water through binoculars, called: "There's the Sleuth Sleuth now, Frank! And all our friends are aboard!" now, Frank! And all our friends are aboard!"

About a quarter of a mile ahead was the Hardys' boat. Barton sounded his siren and minutes later he drew alongside the Sleuth. Sleuth.

"You all right?" everyone asked simultaneously.

Upon being a.s.sured that all were unharmed, Frank introduced the police captain. Then Chet, his eyes bulging, said, "You got the falcon back! And are those the smugglers'

pigeons?"

"They sure are," Chief Barton replied. "And we got the ringleaders behind bars, too!"

Frank and Joe let this remark go unchallenged, although they knew the hardest part of the case-catching the real ringleaders-still faced them. They told their friends that Captain Flont had been captured, then asked what had happened to the group in the Sleuth. Sleuth.

"We g-got fired on," Chet answered promptly. "The captain missed, thank goodness, and he didn't try again. I don't know why."

190 "Because Frank short-waved him not to," Joe said, and explained about the radio message. "Then what happened?"

Tony, Chet, and Biff tried to tell the story at the same time. At last Radley summarized the situation.

"We picked up the trail of the Daisy K Daisy K shortly after I swam back to the shortly after I swam back to the Sleuth. Sleuth. Captain Captain Flont had already picked up the smuggled Indians from the motor dory. What we didn't know was that Flont had a long-range rifle and we were his target! I think Flont fired the first shot to scare us, because I don't see how he could have missed!

"Before he could follow it up with another, Frank's message must have reached him.

Anyway, he stopped firing and started off, full speed ahead. When we followed, he kept the rifle trained on us. We finally gave up the chase, deciding to make a wide sweep around him, then race to sh.o.r.e and send the Coast Guard out for the Daisy K." Daisy K."

Radley went on to say that as they headed for a cove, the Sleuth Sleuth suddenly ran out of suddenly ran out of gas. "And to make matters worse," he continued with a wry smile, "the emergency fuel can was empty."

The operative said that another boat had finally come by. As it was transferring fuel, the Coast Guard helicopter flew over, hovered just above them, and dropped a note instructing them to proceed to Bay-port.

When Frank and Joe finished comparing notes with their friends on the night's adventures, the 191 Hardys climbed into their own boat, taking the birds with them. The police chief promised to keep the Hardys informed of island developments and added, "Thanks again for saving my job regarding those smugglers!"

As soon as they reached Bayport, Radley and the Hardys headed for the Coast Guard station. There they discovered that Lieutenant Commander Wilson was questioning the prisoners himself. He had been in touch with Washington, and was impressed with the importance of the capture. He looked up as Frank, Joe, and Radley came in and beckoned them toward empty chairs alongside his desk.

Captain Flont winced at seeing Radley and glared at the Hardys as he was asked to repeat his statement.

"I've told you a dozen times I'm innocent," he declared. "I didn't know those Indians were aliens. Someone radioed to me that a party of picnickers had been stranded on Venus Island. They offered to pay me my usual fishing fee to bring them back to Bayport."

The lieutenant commander asked Frank, Joe, and Radley if they would like to question the captain.

Radley began. "Why did you fire on the Sleuth?" Sleuth?"

Flont was ready with an answer. "You were following us, and it made my pa.s.sengers nervous. I just fired in the air to scare you."

Frank walked over to the group of aliens and asked if any of them spoke English. One young man came forward. Smiling at him, Frank said: 192 "We are friends of Rahmud Ghapur and of Prince Bhagnav, cousin of the Maharajah of Hatavab. We'll be glad to help you if you will tell us the truth."

Flont's face turned purple with anger as he shouted, "You men shut up!"

The Indian talked with the other aliens for some time, then he turned back to Frank. "We sorry we break your law. We mean no harm. We pay these men lot of money for bring us to this country. Now bad trouble. We want to go home!"

Frank turned to the lieutenant commander and said, "I guess you've got your evidence."

"One more question," said Joe, looking at the young Indian. "While you were with these men who were trying to smuggle you in, did you ever hear anything about the kidnaping of Prince Tava?"

The spokesman shook his head violently. "Know nothing. Prince Tava kidnap, you say?

What bad men do this?"

Joe did not answer the question. The Coast Guard officer thanked the Hardys and Radley for their help, then the three departed. The operative decided to return to Windward.

He would wait for the Federal authorities and give them all available information on the case.

The boys went to the Bayport Hotel and immediately got in touch with their father in Washington. He was delighted with the turn the case had taken, and promised to fly home at once. He would ask Mr.

193 Delhi, who had arrived from New York the day before, to accompany him. Working together, the detective said, they ought to be able to locate the missing prince and wind up the case.

When the call was completed, Frank said, "Joe, I have a hunch we can have the mainland hide-out located by the time Dad and Mr. Delhi get here."

"How?"

Frank indicated the three cages with the pigeons in them. "We'll turn these birds loose from three different parts of the surrounding countryside and keep an eye on them with our gla.s.ses. If we map their lines of flight, they'll serve as bases for a tri-angulation fix."

"That's a swell idea," Joe agreed, "but first let's have lunch. I'm starved."

Immediately after a hearty meal, the boys began their work. Joe found a piece of paper, similar to those on which the other messages had been written, and printed: "Sit tight. Everything okay this end."

He folded the message and inserted it in one of the capsules they had collected.

Meanwhile, Frank had hurried to see their jeweler friend. Mr. Bickford supplied him with four small imitation rubies that would lull the suspicions of the prince's kidnapers until the showdown.

When Frank returned, the brothers went to the roof of the hotel. From there they released the first 194 pigeon with the message capsule. The Hardyi watched the bird circle, then they lined up its course with a compa.s.s and marked the exact direction.

The boys divided the rubies between the two remaining pigeons. Joe took one bird five miles north of Bayport while Frank went five miles south with the other. When the brothers returned to the hotel they compared notes and marked the chart again. They grinned in satisfaction as they looked at the spot where the three lines crossed.

"I guess we've pinpointed the hide-out," said Frank. "It's at the top of Lion Mountain."

The almost inaccessible spot was about twenty-five miles from Bayport, and it was reputed that mountain lions once had inhabited it. A few years ago the boys had climbed to the top and knew that it was a rugged hike.

"Frank," Joe said, "I think you and I should investigate Lion Mountain at once."

"You mean not wait for Dad?"

"We don't dare wait, Frank. If Bangalore and Nanab learn that Flont has been captured, and realize their whole plot is falling apart, I'm afraid they'll take revenge on the prince!"

"You mean kill him?"

"Yes."

Frank weighed this suggestion a few moments, then nodded. "We'll go at once."

CHAPTER XXIV.

Confessions the boys told their mother of the proposed plan and gave her the pinpointed map for Mr.

Hardy. She said she would agree to their going only on one condition. They were to do nothing more than try to get word to Prince Tava and help him to escape.

"Leave the capture of those smugglers and kidnapers to your father and the police," she said, and Frank and Joe promised they would.

As the boys were about to depart, a telephone call came in from Radley, who said that the two men who ran the dory had been captured while docking it at Daly's lobster pound.

"Well, that settles everything from this end of the case," the operative said. "I'll be back shortly."

The boys told him their plan, and he wished them luck. When they arrived at the near side of Lion Mountain, Frank parked the convertible where it would not be spotted and they started off on foot.

"I wonder how near the top the hide-out is,"

195.

196 Frank remarked. "Think we'd better circle the mountain to see if we can pick up a clue?"

"Yes. But I'll bet it's near the summit," said Joe.

"On the other hand," Frank said with a smile, "they might want to be nearer the bottom to get away in a hurry."

The brothers had nearly completed the circle before they found a clue. It was an indistinct trail and at once they began to follow it upward.

Frank and Joe proceeded cautiously, constantly on the lookout for any traps. Half a mile up the trail, Frank spotted a suspicious-looking pile of leaves and twigs in the path. Picking up a long stick, he gently poked at the leaves and in a few seconds uncovered a bear trap.

"Wow!" Joe said softly, as Frank threw a stone at it, springing the trap. "Did the smugglers or some trapper set that?"

Frank thought that probably the smugglers had. Farther on, they came across an uprooted tree cleverly braced into position, with its roots and a taut rope stretched across the trail, covered with dirt and leaves. But it was ready to fall on anyone who might happen to trip over the rope.

About half a mile from the top in an open section, the boys came to a barbed-wire fence. It was about eight feet high and the upper strands were tilted outward, making it almost impossible to scale.

"Look!" whispered Joe from the shelter of the trees. "That fence is electrified!"

197 "And probably has a charge heavy enough to knock a fellow out," Frank remarked. "I'll bet it sets off an alarm, too."

"What a way to be stymied," said Joe. "Just when we're ready to break the case."

Frank looked through the fence, his eyes probing the trees beyond. No one was in sight.

"What say we pole-vault over, Joe? Eight feet isn't too high."

"We'll do it," Joe said enthusiastically. "About a hundred yards back I saw some saplings that had blown down. We can use them."

He located two stout saplings which suited their purpose. One he tossed over the fence to use when coming back. Meanwhile, Frank had dug a heel hole just short of the fence and braced it with flat stones.

"I'll go first," said Joe.