The Secret Of Skull Mountain Part 18

"He got a phone call shortly after you left for the mountain," Chet went on. "Said he'd be back as soon as he could."

Joe groaned inwardly. "And we wanted to tell him about the cavern!"

Chet looked interested, but Frank headed him off.

"If I know Dad, he'll be back in time for the fireworks." He turned to Chet. "The roadster's parked a few doors to the left of the shop," he said in a rapid undertone. "Drive to Chief Collig's house and bring him here!"

Chet quailed as he thought of the burly, gravel-voiced chief of police.

"In the middle of the night?" he protested. "I'll have to wake him up!"

"I don't care if you have to drag him out of bed!" Frank told him firmly. "Just bring the chief here as fast as you can!"

Chet sighed and tiptoed out of the shop.

Frank and Joe resumed their watch-Joe at the keyhole, Frank on the chair.

A few moments later, they saw the acetylene torch cut a complete circle through the metal of the safe, and the lock fell out onto the floor.

177 The small but neavy door swung open, and Sweeper reached eagerly into the safe and took out a metal box. He snapped the lid open and dumped the contents of the box hurriedly on a desk.

The thin man fumbled through some papers impatiently, then s.n.a.t.c.hed up an envelope.

He drew out a wad of currency.

"There it is!" he cried exultantly, flipping the bills with his thumb. "Five thousand bucks!

Klen-ger's promised me this cash ever since I started to do his dirty work-but he never delivered. Well, we're square now-even if Klenger doesn't know it!"

But Limpy wasn't listening. The small, furtive man was nervously poring through the scattered papers, wetting his lips and muttering under his breath.

Finally he found what he was so anxiously looking for-a bank check. He stared at it, his fingers trembling.

"That it?" Sweeper asked.

"Yes," Limpy told him. He looked at Sweeper, his mouth quivering. "For years, Klenger's been holding this against me," he said, "-this check. I used to be a respectable accountant. I worked for Klenger. Then, to get more money for my family, I forged his name to this check." He broke off and stared at the slip of paper. "Klenger threatened to expose me-to have me sent to jail unless I helped him carry out his schemes. But now I have Klenger's evidence against me!" he said, his voice sud178 denly gleeful. "I'll destroy the check and be freel"

Sweeper laughed.

"We're both free, Limpy! You to go home to your family-me to spend five thousand smackers!"

So engrossed were the boys with the scene inside Klenger's office that they almost failed to notice that someone was entering the street door of the shop.

Frank turned sharply as he heard the front door close, and saw the shadowy figure of a woman outlined against the gla.s.s panel.

He snapped his fingers to attract Joe's attention, then stepped softly down from the chair.

A moment later, from behind the counter, the boys saw the woman approach the office and open (the door. The light fell on her face.

"It's Mrs. Klenger!" Joe whispered excitedly.

The woman stared at the open safe, then at Sweeper and Limpy.

"What are you two doing here?" she said coldly,

CHAPTER XXI.

Midnight Arrest.

chet stopped the roadster in front of Chief Collig'g house and got out.

The house was dark, just as he feared. He would have to rout the burly police chief out of bed. Chet sighed heavily and started unhappily up the walk to die porch.

"Everything happens to me," he observed gloom-ily.

He climbed the porch steps and rang the doorbell. There was no answer. Bracing himself for the blast he was sure would come, the boy rang again.

A light flashed on in the downstairs hall, and Chief Collig came down the stairs, pulling a bathrobe around his portly body.

The chief's eyes were heavy with sleep, and his face wore a scowl that made Chet quake inwardly.

The policeman flung open the door.

179.

180 "What d'ya mean by waking me up in the middle of the night?" he roared.

"I had to, Chief," Chet explained hastily. "It's important!"

Collig stared at him, and his scowl deepened.

"Oh, so it's you, is it?" He shook a stubby finger under Chet's nose. "If this is one of your tricks, Chet Morton, I'll-I'll-!"

Chet backed away. "Honest, Chief," he stammered, "it's on the level!"

"It'd better be!" Collig threatened. "Or I'll lock you up for disturbing the peace!"

It appeared to Chet that Collig himself was guilty of that, with his loud, angry voice, but he meekly held his tongue.

"What is it you want?" the police chief growled.

Chet hurriedly explained the situation at the plumbing shop. When he mentioned Frank and Joe, Collig's bushy eyebrows bristled.

"You mean the Hardy kids are in this, too?" he demanded.

Chet nodded. "Hurry, Chief!" he pleaded. "I've got a car waiting!"

He took the officer's arm, and Collig started down the steps-then remembered he was attired in pajamas and robe.

He shook off the boy's hand. "Wait'll I change into my uniform," he snapped. He went into the house and started up the stairs. "But I'm warning you, if this is a joke-"

Midnight Arrest 181 His words were lost as he disappeared around a turn in the stairs.

A short time later, Chet drove up to the plumbing shop.

Collig took out his service revolver and slipped off the safety catch.

"Golly," Chet said nervously, "do you suppose there'll be any shooting?"

"Can't tell," the chief grunted. "But if there is, I'm ready for 'em!"

He got out of the car, and Chet followed him. Frank and Joe met them at the door of the shop.

"Sweeper and Limpy are back there where the light is," Frank whispered to Collig.

"Mrs. Klenger's there, too," Joe added. "She jusi walked in on them."

Chief Collig drew his gun and walked to the rear of the shop, his burly figure filling the doorway of the office.

"All right, lady," he said. "Step aside there."

The three boys saw Mrs. Klenger whirl around with a startled look.

"What's the idea?" the middle-aged woman asked.

"You're all under arrest!" the chief announced gruffly.

"I ain't!" Mrs. Klenger declared.

Collig looked at Frank. The boy nodded.

"You're coming, too, lady," the chief said firmly, "You can't arrest me!" Mrs. Klenger's voice rose shrilly. "I ain't guilty o' nothin'I My husband 182 owns this shop! I came here for some papers my husband asked me to get for him and found these two crooks"-she pointed a bony finger at Sweeper and Limpy-"breakin* into the safe! They're the guilty ones!"

Collig's mouth tightened. "You're still coming along with me!" he said.

The woman put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "What for?" she shouted.

"I'm holding you as a witness," the chief snapped back promptly. Mrs. Klenger flashed Chief Collig a bitter look and subsided.

The chief produced a pair of handcuffs and snapped the links on Limpy's left wrist and Sweeper's right, handcuffing the two men together.

The boys watched as the chief marched his three prisoners to the door.

"That takes care of a few of the gang," Joe said, grinning. "Now for the others!"

CHAPTER XXII.

The Secret Tunml.

daylight was breaking over Skull Mountain Frank and Joe climbed to the top of the narrow irail.

Bob and d.i.c.k were waiting for them on the ridge,, The boys unslung the gas masks from their shoulders and handed one to each of the engineers, keeping a mask apiece for themselves.

"See your dad?" Bob questioned them, looping (the strap of his mask around his neck.

"Dad wasn't home," Frank told him. "But we left a message for him to hurry out here the minute he returns. By the way, you'll be glad to know that Sweeper, Limpy and Klenger's wife are safe in She jug."

"When did all that happen?" asked Bob.

Frank related their adventure at Klenger's shop with Chet the evening before. Bob and d.i.c.k 183.

184 laughed heartily when Joe described how Chet had! roused Chief Collig from his sleep.

By now it was bright daylight.

"Are we all set?" Bob asked.

They chorused their a.s.sent, and the tall engineer strode toward the patch of blueberry and thorn bushes where the cleft in the mountaintop was concealed.

A moment later, the thin, rectangular slab of rock had been lifted, and the narrow opening of the crev< ice="" was="">

Bob turned to the boys. "Guess you two better go first," he said. "You know the way."

The youths agreed, and taking a flashlight from his jacket Joe slid into the fissure and squeezed through the narrow slit which widened into a sloping shaft.

Frank followed-then Bob and d.i.c.k. Crawling an their hands and knees, the four started down inside the mountain.

They came to the fork and Joe paused.

"This shaft leads to the stream," he informed the engineers, pointing to the tunnel at the left of the fork. "Frank and I figure the other shaft drops down to a cavern where Klenger's gang hides out."

"We'll take a look at it when we come up," Bob promised.

They descended the pa.s.sageway which led to the underground stream, walking erect now that the crevice was large enough to stand in.

Ilie Secret Tunnel Suddenly, the pa.s.sage leveled off-and the boy* quickened their strides as they saw the small landing, j&eyond the landing, they knew the shaft droppec abruptly to the tunnel which carried the under Around stream 1 "Come on!" Joe urged the engineers. "Tbi is it!"