CHAPTER IV.

A Daring Getaway FRANK and Joe gunned their motors and took off down the narrow street after the bank robbers. Tires screamed as pursuers and pursued careened through the fog-filled streets toward the Bayport waterfront district. Through the haze, the boys could see the red taillights of the bank robbers' car.

"They're heading for the docks!" Joe shouted as he recognized the long, dark shapes of warehouses on both sides of the murky street.

The fleeing car shot out onto a wide pier, lighted at intervals by yellow fog lamps. Ahead, a four-foot wire fence barred motorists from the pier's end.

Brakes squealed sharply. In the amber glow, the Hardys saw the four doors of the thieves' car pop open at once. Five dark-coated figures piled out and jumped the fence.

The Hardys' motorcycles screeched to a halt behind the empty getaway car. "Stop!" shouted Frank, leaping off. "Help! Police!"

A clatter of footsteps sounded far out on the jetty. Frank and Joe vaulted the fence and sprinted in pursuit.

The sound of heavy breathing told them they were nearing their quarry. But as the boys reached the end of the long pier a powerful boat engine suddenly roared to life.

There was a churning of water, a whiff of gasoline smoke, and the sound of men jumping into the boat.

Then the craft gained headway in the darkness of the bay.

"We can still stop them!" Frank exclaimed. "The Coast Guard station's on the next pier. Come on, Joe!"

The boys dashed back, cleared the barrier, and ran past their motorcycles. Suddenly they heard shouts and footfalls approaching along the pier.

Omph! With stunning impact, Joe collided head-on with a running man.

"Look out!" Frank shouted as strong arms grasped him.

"Halt!" a voice ordered. "We've got you!" A whistle pierced the air. For a moment all was confusion.

"Now-what's going on here?" demanded the authoritative voice.

"Let us go! Bank robbery! We need the Coast Guard!" Frank said, gasping.

"We are the Coast Guard," replied the voice, and a flashlight shone through the fog. "Why, it's the Hardy boys. Release them, men," said Lieutenant Parker.

"We heard somebody shouting for police," he added. "What's this about bank robbers?"

After Frank had explained, the officer said, "I'll dispatch a cutter after the bandits right away." Lieutenant Parker and his men raced off.

Moments later, a police car sped onto the pier, its siren wailing and red top light blinking. It stopped and three uniformed men leaped out.

"There's the car!" cried one of the men. Even in the heavy fog, Frank and Joe recognized him as the bank guard who had fired the shots after the fleeing robbers. "The crooks got into that car, and then these motorcycles raced off with them."

Suddenly he spotted Frank and Joe. "Those are the bodyguards who rode the motorcycles. Grab 'em!"

A grim-faced policeman, gun in hand, ordered Frank and Joe to come forward. Apparently he and the officer with him were new members of Bayport's police department, for the boys had never seen them before.

"All right, what do you two have to say about this?" the patrolman demanded. Again Frank told what had happened.

The policeman turned to the guard. "Is that the way it was?"

"Yes-no-" the man stammered, highly excited. "The robbers had on hats and pea jackets. And they wore horrible-looking masks."

"Look at this!" called the second policeman, who had been examining the car and the motorcycles. He came over, holding up the gorilla face in one hand and the magician mask in the other. "These were in the carrier of that cycle. I guess we've got two members of the gang."

"Now wait a minute!" Joe began, but the wail of a siren cut him short.

Two more police cars arrived and heavily armed men poured from both cruisers.

The first officer to reach the group was Chief Collig. "We got your radio call!" he told the policemen briefly. "Any sign of the bank robbers?"

"Two of them-right here!" the man replied. He jerked a thumb at the Hardys.

Joe stepped forward quickly into the beam of yellow fog light. "h.e.l.lo, Chief!"

"Frank! Joe!" Collig cried out in astonishment. "How did you get here?" He faced the startled rookies and said, "These boys are all right."

"But," one of the men protested, "according to the bank guard the thieves wore masks. And we found these on one of the cycles." He handed Chief Collig the false faces.

"You'll find four gallons of ice cream, too, Chief," Frank put in. "We're on our way to Callie Shaw's masquerade party."

The chief laughed heartily, but quickly became serious again. "Any suspicion of these boys is nonsense.

Now, what about the bank robbers?"

Quickly Frank told him all that had happened.

"I guess it was too foggy to see their getaway boat," the chief said gloomily.

"That's right," Joe answered, "but from the sound of it, I'd say it was an open speedboat, with a powerful inboard motor."

There was the ringing of bells and the deep rumble of engines from the next pier.

"The Coast Guard is taking the cutter," Frank said. "But even their powerful searchlights won't pierce through this pea soup."

"Their best bet is to crisscross the bay and perhaps close in on the robbers," Joe added.

"And for that a little boat is as good as a big one," Frank said excitedly. "Joe, do you think the Sleuth is in good enough shape to take out?"

"It's worth a try," his brother a.s.sented.

Chief Collig nodded approvingly. "The more boats we send out, the better our chances," he said. "I'll dispatch the police cruiser, too."

Frank and Joe swung onto their motorcycles and roared off the pier and along the Sh.o.r.e Road toward their boathouse as fast as they dared in the heavy fog.

Guessing they were near the private docks, the boys pulled off the road and parked. Each took a flashlight from the carrier of his motorcycle.

After a short walk they found their boathouse. Joe reached the small door and took out his key. He gave a cry.

"The lock's broken off!"

"What!" Frank exclaimed.

He swung the door open and beamed his flashlight inside the building.

The Sleuth was gone!

CHAPTER V.

Dancing Gorillas FOR A moment Frank and Joe stared at the empty boathouse unbelievingly. "I'll bet the bank robbers stole the Sleuth!" Joe exploded.

"If they did," Frank said with a grim smile, "they may be surprised. That rudder is only temporarily repaired. It won't last long."

"Let's go after them!" Joe urged. "We'll call Tony to bring the Napoli."

"Okay," Frank said. "He'll be at Callie's now."

The Hardys hurried to their motorcycles and headed back toward town. When they reached the piers, they stopped at a public telephone booth outside a warehouse. Joe dialed the call and returned after a short conversation.

"Tony will meet us at the Coast Guard station," he reported to Frank. "Come on!"

When the Hardys walked in they found that Chief Collig had turned the place into a temporary headquarters. He was questioning three bank tellers who had been brought there at the chief's request.

One teller was giving his account: "The four men must have hidden in another part of the bank. Just after we closed tonight, the robbers rushed into the main room together. Three came to our cages and forced us at gun point to put all the money into their sacks, while the fourth went to the side door. Then they warned us to keep still, and backed out the door. Our vault custodian fired after their car, but had no luck."

"Can you describe just one of the gang?" Collig asked wearily. "Any one that sticks in your mind? Was he short or tall? Fat or skinny?"

"I already told you," the man said doggedly. "They were all the same size."

"But blast it, man, that's impossible!" the chief exploded. "I don't have four identically built men on my whole force!"

"They were all the same size," the teller repeated, growing sullen. "They wore masks."

Shaking his head, Chief Collig turned from the teller. His eyes fell on Frank and Joe. "Back so soon?" he asked, surprised.

Frank told him about the stolen Sleuth. "The bank robbers used a speedboat for their getaway," Joe added. "It might have been ours."

"Has the cutter had any luck on the bay?" Frank asked.

"Nothing yet," the radio operator spoke up. "They've been calling in every ten minutes."

While Joe reported the theft of their boat to a Coast Guardman, Frank asked whether any clues had been found in the thieves' car.

"Not even a fingerprint," was Chief Collig's answer. "We checked on the vehicle, of course. It had been stolen in Northport."

Just then Tony Prito entered the crowded station, exclaiming, "It looks like a police convention outside, with all those prowl cars!"

"Hi, Tony," Joe greeted him.

"Thanks for getting here so fasti" Frank said.

The three boys left the station at once, ran across the pier, and scrambled down a ladder into the Napoli.

Tony started his motor, switched on his running lights, and throttled cautiously into the bay.

The surface of the water was smooth and the air was warm. The fog, however, was thicker than ever.

Tony tried his spotlight but even this did not penetrate the murk for any great distance.

"Suppose we zigzag along sh.o.r.e about half a mile out," Joe suggested. "The Coast Guard will cover the middle of the bay."

The Napoli moved steadily through the night. The boys could see nothing.

"We need our ears for this job," Frank said finally. "Shut her off a minute, Tony."

The steady purr of the motor ceased and the craft drifted noiselessly. Far to seaward, outside the harbor's mouth, a deep-voiced foghorn rasped its warning at regular intervals.

"Nothing," Joe muttered disgustedly. "Start her again, Tony!"

"Wait!" Frank ordered. "There-another boat!"

"I don't hear it!" Tony whispered.

"It's very high-pitched-just a tingle. Turn her out into the bay, Tony. Run full throttle until I say stop."

The Napoli shot forward, roaring through the fog.

"Stop!" Frank cried out.

Again came the sudden, hushed silence. Only the wake of the Napoli washed audibly behind them. But now all three boys heard the sound of a boat engine.

"You were right," Joe whispered. "I think it is the Sleuth. Listen!"

The high-pitched whine drew slowly closer, then gradually receded. Soon it approached again.

"She's going in circles!" Joe chortled gleefully. "Head toward her, Tony."