"We've found it!" he cried.

Jupiter got down on his hands and knees and unclipped his flashlight from his belt.

Holding the beam low to the ground, he poked around until he found his half dollar.

"Now," he said, "we have to dig. I might not be in exactly the right spot, so we'll make it a big hole."

Pete grabbed a shovel from Bob and started to dig. Slowly the hole grew deeper and larger. Except for the noise of the shovel, it was very silent in the canyon. Not even a cricket chirped.

They waited for the shovel to crunch on metal or wood on a box of some kind but it didn't. Presently Pete wiped his forehead with a dirty hand.

"I'm whipped," he said. "Jupe, I don't think this is the right spot."

Jupe said nothing. He was thinking intently. He looked at the dark shadow of the house, barely visible, then at the dark shadow of the peak, just visible against the starlit sky. Then he moved a foot towards the house.

"Try on this side of the hole," he said.

"Well, all right," Pete agreed. He jabbed the shovel in, and took out some dirt. Then some more. Then the shovel sc.r.a.ped on a stone. Or was it a stone?

"We've found something!" Pete whispered.

"Let me see," Jupe said tensely. He shone his flashlight on the spot. The corner of a small box, seemingly made out of stone, protruded from the ground. Jupiter knelt down and began digging round it with his fingers. Finally he got a grip on it. He wrenched and tugged, getting dirt all over himself. Slowly it came loose.

"We've got something," he whispered. "A box made of soapstone. Bob, shine my light on this while I see if it will open."

Jupiter began to fumble with the gold lock which closed the box. He shoved it first one way, then another. There was a little snap, and it flew open. Jupiter hesitated a moment, then slowly lifted the lid.

A blazing red stone shone like fire from its bed of cotton.

"We've found it!" Pete cried. "You did it, Jupe! You did it!"

"Well done, well done!" Gus exclaimed.

Jupiter started to answer. Then he stopped. All four of the boys stood as if turned to stone.

The night had seemingly exploded with brilliant light. The boys were in the centre of four powerful flashlight beams. Almost blinded, they could barely see dark figures moving stealthily towards them from all sides.

"All right, kids!" growled a familiar voice. "Now you've finally got it, hand it over."

The boys blinked. Dimly behind the flashlights they could see four moustached figures closing in on them. One of them held a gun that looked large and menacing.

"The Black Moustache gang!" Bob managed to whisper. "They were here waiting for us! Hiding behind the trucks."

"We learned about your trip here this afternoon," the one named Joe said, "and how you got run off. We were pretty sure you'd be back."

"Never mind the talk. I want that stone, boy," the one called Hugo growled. "Hand it over now and no funny stuff."

Jupiter seemed more frightened than Bob had ever seen him before. His hand trembled. The stone box and the gem fell from his fingers into the hole.

"I I'll pick it up," he said, his voice breaking.

He bent over, fumbled around in the dirt, and picked up the stone.

"Here it is," he said. "If you want it take it!"

And he tossed the stone high over Hugo's head. It made a tiny crimson arc in the air and disappeared in the darkness beyond.

Chapter 17.

"Give me The Fiery Eye!"

HUGO gave an ugly oath and spun round.

"Find it!" he shouted. "Turn your lights that way."

The lights all turned in the direction Jupiter had thrown the stone. Jupe gave orders of his own.

"Run for the truck!" he said. "Fast! They won't shoot."

He scrambled out of the hole. Like four rabbits, the boys bounded across the dark lawn to where Hans waited. Faithfully watching the road entering the canyon, Hans had not even seen the incident.

The Black Moustache gang was still busy looking for The Fiery Eye in the tall gra.s.s as the four boys reached the truck and scrambled into the back.

"Hans! Fast!" Jupiter shouted. "Get us out of here."

Hans asked no questions. The motor roared, the truck ground into gear, and a moment later they were thundering down the narrow road and away from Dial Canyon.

They didn't try to speak. They were busy holding on as the truck bounced round the curves. Traffic was light and they made the trip back to The Jones Salvage Yard in record time. When Hans pulled through the open gate into the darkened yard, they climbed out glumly. They had left behind the shovels, the metal detector, and of course The Fiery Eye.

The boys cl.u.s.tered in a little group in front of the office.

"Well," Pete sighed, "that's that."

"They outsmarted us in the end," Bob said.

"Apparently so," Jupiter said.

"Apparently?" Gus's tone was questioning. "What do you mean, apparently, Jupiter?"

"I hoped they would be watching for the Rolls," Jupiter said. "They fooled us there.

They were waiting at the house instead. Instinct told me to take added precautions. As a result Bob, shine the flashlight this way."

Bob turned the flashlight beam on Jupiter. Jupe had his hand out, palm up, and in his palm glittered a brilliant red stone.

"Meet the real Fiery Eye," Jupiter said. "The one I threw away was the imitation stone Three-Dots left with us. I took it along, as I said, on a hunch. When I bent over to pick up the box and stone, I made a simple subst.i.tution."

"Jupe, you're a genius!" Bob said.

"I should say so!" Gus agreed. "You fooled them properly."

"I'll buy a double helping of that!" Pete exclaimed.

And then a voice, cold and quiet and deadly, spoke over their shoulders.

"And I " it said "will take The Fiery Eye now, young sir. Please hand it to me."

Before they could quite grasp what they had heard, the big yard light attached to the front of the office blazed on. The tall, thin man who had been standing unseen round the corner of the office stepped forward, holding out his hand.

It was Three-Dots. His sword cane swung in his other band as if ready for use.

The boys stared at him, too surprised for speech.

"Don't try to run!" he said, raising the cane. He still held out his hand.

"Well," he said, "I am waiting. I have been waiting all evening. Your stratagem in sending away that highly visible Rolls-Royce with dummies inside was most amusing, but it did not work. I felt sure you would outwit those bunglers with their false moustaches and their babble about a bust of Augustus. I realized in time that the busts must be a false clue and I told them so. I deduced you were on the real trail. Now you have it. Give it to me."

Bob knew they were stuck now. Done for. The only thing to do was give up The Fiery Eye.

But Jupiter still hesitated, the red stone balanced on his palm. He swallowed, then spoke.

"Mr. Rhandur," he said, "are you from the Temple of Justice in Pleshiwar?"

"I am, young man," Three-Dots said. "I am the contact with the world outside. For fifty years I and others before me have sought this stone so that our figure of Justice might once more judge good and evil. It was falsely sold by a renegade officer of the temple, who feared its power would reveal him. He suffered the consequences that befall all who steal the stone. Now give it to me before you, too, suffer the consequences."

He lifted the sword cane suggestively. Still Jupiter remained motionless.

"It has purified itself," he said. "It can be found, given, or bought, but it cannot be seized or stolen. That's what the legend says. I found it, so I'm safe. Now I'm giving it to Gus.

"Here, Gus." He handed the ruby to the English boy, who took it, a little dumbfounded. "I've given it to you, so you're safe. But if you seize it from him, Mr.

Rhandur, then it will be you who has to take the consequences."

For a long moment the tall man hesitated. His gaze was as piercing as an eagle's.

Then slowly he withdrew his outstretched hand. He thrust it into the pocket of his coat.

"All along I felt sure I could frighten you into giving it to me," he said. "I was mistaken. You are right I dare not seize it. However "

He withdrew his hand, and in his fingers was a long green slip of paper. He extended it to Gus.

"I can buy it," he said. "You will notice that this cheque is certified. I was prepared to pay for The Eye if I could not gain it safely otherwise. You might sell it for more elsewhere, but again, you might never be able to sell it. Its history will haunt it and collectors will shy away from it I advise you to take what I offer."

Slowly Gus took the cheque. He looked at it and his jaw dropped.

"Wow!" he said in good American fashion. "All right, sir, you can have it. It's a deal."

He held out the ruby. The tall man took it and it vanished into his pocket. He bowed.

"Fear nothing from those bunglers in the silly moustaches," he said. "They are mere opportunists who heard of Mr. August's hidden treasure and wished to find it to sell it to me. I regret my foolish efforts to frighten you into giving it up for nothing."

He paused for a moment.

"If you wonder what brought me here," he said, "it was the story in the newspaper about Mr. August's death. I have watched for years for some such item, and at last, belatedly, I found it. Now farewell."

He seemed to glide away like a huge cat. A car motor started up, then he was gone.

The four boys stared at each other.

"I feel like pinching myself to see if I'm real," Bob said at last.

"I'm too numb for pinching to do any good," Gus said. "This cheque it's fabulous.

What an inheritance Uncle Horatio left me! And you found it for me, Jupiter."

In a moment all three boys were laughing and shouting and pounding Jupiter on the back. But Jupiter just stood there, looking glum, not joining in the celebration.

"What is it, Jupe?" Bob asked at last. "You ought to feel like a million. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Jupiter sighed. "Look at me. Dirt all over me. On my hands, my face, my clothes. And you know how Aunt Mathilda feels about dirt. The minute I go inside the house, she's going to make me take a bath."

Alfred Hitchc.o.c.k Speaking

THERE IS LITTLE more that needs to be told about The Mystery of The Fiery Eye

From the cheque which August August received for the ruby, he gave each of The Three Investigators a generous reward. The money went into their college funds. He also made certain financial arrangements with Mr. Gelbert, manager of the Rent-'n-Ride Auto Agency to a.s.sure The Three Investigators of motor car transport in the future. Worthington, and the gold-plated Rolls-Royce, would be at the service of the firm when they needed it, and The Three Investigators could remain in business.

Some small questions were cleared up after the case was closed. Mr. Dwiggins was not in league with the Black Moustache gang, but he was responsible for its obtaining a copy of Mr. August's mysterious message. Hugo, the leader, was his nephew. He had overheard Mr. Rhandur offering to pay Mr. Dwiggins a large sum of money if he could tell him The Fiery Eye's whereabouts.

Hugo had forced his uncle to turn over Mr. August's message to him. Mr. Dwiggins made up the false story about being a.s.saulted because he was ashamed of having aided Hugo, however unwittingly. Hugo had been in the next room when the boys "rescued"

Mr. Dwiggins, heard about the plaster busts, and guessed they were important.

He then contacted Mr. Rhandur, who agreed to pay for the ruby if Hugo could deliver it to him. Gathering together some disreputable friends, he enlisted the aid of Mr. Jackson, and began the search for The Fiery Eye.

This clarified for Jupiter the puzzling question of how Mr. Rhandur obtained the fake ruby so soon after Hugo had taken it from the broken bust of Augustus. Hugo had gone directly to Mr. Rhandur, who spotted it for a fake. The hint that Mr. Rhandur had killed Hugo to get it was just to scare the boys.