The Secret Of Skeleton Island Part 13

"I don't know why I listened to him, but I did. Rounded up some men and came out here and by gosh, he was absolutely right!"

He turned. "Jupiter? Where are you? Here are your friends, safe and sound."

Jupiter climbed out of the motorboat on to the sh.o.r.e. He came trudging towards them.

"It was stupid of me to send you out here without stopping to think that the Ballingers would be coming for the money tonight," he said. "It didn't occur to me until half an hour later. Then I went to get the chief."

"But you did think of it," Pete said loyally. "That's what counts."

"You'd have thought of it sooner if you didn't have a cold," Bob added. "Colds always slow a fellow down."

"I " Jupe began. "I Achoo! Achoo! " "

"There's enough credit for everybody," Chief Nostigon said firmly. "Between the four of you, you've solved the secret of Skeleton Island, recovered the stolen money, and got the criminals captured. That's not a bad night's work. Now you can leave the rest up to us. It's time you all got back to the mainland and into bed."

Jupiter let out another great sneeze. It sounded as if he agreed.

Report to Alfred Hitchc.o.c.k

ALFRED HITCHc.o.c.k looked down at the little pile of gold doubloons on his desk.

"I see you found it, after all," he said with a chuckle. "I said there was no pirate treasure left, yet you found some."

"Only forty-five doubloons," Jupiter said regretfully. "It really isn't a very big treasure."

"But treasure nonetheless, and a very interesting souvenir," Mr. Hitchc.o.c.k said.

"Now tell me, young Jupiter, how did you deduce that the stolen money from the Dollar Delivery holdup was hidden on Skeleton Island?"

"Well, sir," Jupiter said, "it seemed obvious someone wanted everybody to stay away from Skeleton Island. That was why the stories of the phantom were spread around. I deduced there was something there someone was afraid might be found. The only thing of value that had been mentioned was the Dollar Delivery hold-up loot.

"The story of how the Ballingers apparently dumped it at sea was remarkably similar to the method Captain One-Ear used to fool the British. I concluded that the Ballingers had actually hidden the money and then fooled people into thinking it had been lost forever."

"Excellent thinking!" Mr. Hitchc.o.c.k said. "I suppose that after the Ballingers were sent to jail they instructed their friends and relatives to keep on spreading false stories of seeing the phantom."

"Yes, sir. Meanwhile Tom Farraday was hanging around, waiting for the Ballingers to be released. One third of the loot was his for helping set up the hold-up, and they had told him that when they got out they would pay him off. But he didn't know where it was."

"Or he might have taken it all." Mr. Hitchc.o.c.k chuckled. "When the Ballingers got out of jail, they must have been very shocked to find the movie company actually camping on Skeleton Island."

"Yes, sir, they were," Jupiter said. "They didn't dare go for the money while someone was around. So they tried to drive the movie company away by thievery and sabotage at night. When Mr. Norris hired Tom Farraday, Tom just carried on the work he did the mischief while pretending to guard the equipment."

"Including planting young Chris's knife and trying to frame him, eh?" the director said.

"Yes, sir. Also starting up the merry-go-round that first night we arrived to help spread the idea that the phantom was around."

"A point I would like to clear up. Exactly why were you marooned on The Hand by that fellow Sam Robinson as soon as you arrived? Not really to scare you into going home again, apparently."

"No, sir. I was wrong on that point. Bill Ballinger figured that everybody in the movie company would go hunting for us and the island would be deserted except for Tom Farraday. Then they could hurry out and get the hidden money.

"But the storm prevented them from starting for the island right away. Then Chris rescued us, and the search party returned before the Ballingers could go out and get their money. So that foiled their scheme that night."

"I see," the director murmured. "Then, of course, when it became known that hundreds of people would converge on the island to dig for treasure, the Ballingers had to take the risk of coming for it immediately. That's how Pete and Bob got caught."

"Yes, sir," Jupiter said humbly. "I should have realized that first thing. But Bob and Pete were gone before it came to me, so I hurried to the chief of police."

"That seems to clear up almost everything," Mr. Hitchc.o.c.k said. "However, I have two more questions. How did the movie turn out, and what became of young Chris and his father?"

"The movie turned out fine. Mr. Crenshaw got the roller coaster fixed up as soon as everyone learned the ghost was just a hoax. The final scene of Chase Me Faster Chase Me Faster was very exciting. was very exciting.

"Also, Mr. Denton got a good short subject from the treasure hunt. He used Chris in it instead of us, and showed Chris diving for treasure to help his father. The part with the townspeople digging on the island was very comical.

"But the best part of all is that the Dollar Delivery people paid a reward for the return of the money. Chief Nostigon and Mr. Crenshaw said that it should go to Chris, because he was the one who saved Bob's and Pete's lives and kept the Ballingers from getting away with the money. That and the money he earned from the movie was enough to have his father treated by some very good doctors, and take him back to Greece to live.

"He let us keep his share of the doubloons. Skin-divers did rush to explore the cave Bob and Pete and Chris found, but they only got a few more doubloons. Most of what Captain One-Ear poured down that blowhole had been washed away, I guess."

"Hmm," said Alfred Hitchc.o.c.k. "Well, lads, you have justified my faith in you and I will be glad to introduce your account of this adventure. If any other investigation of an unusual nature comes up, you may be sure I'll get in touch with you."

"Thank you, sir." The boys stood up. Pete gathered the doubloons on the desk and put them in a sack.

"We're saving these for our college education fund," he said. "But we all thought that since you sent us to Skeleton Island, you might like one for a souvenir."

He handed Mr. Hitchc.o.c.k the best preserved of the doubloons. The director took it with a smile.

"Thank you, my boy," he said. "I'll treasure it."

As the three filed out, he tossed the doubloon in his fingers.

"Real pirate treasure," he said to himself with a smile. "Who would have thought they'd find it? I can't help wondering what kind of mystery are those boys going to find themselves involved with next?"

THE END.