No Trespassing!

THE ghostly shadow caused the boys' hearts to pound until they saw the reason for it. A hand was reaching up from one of the pits, and the bonfire's glow threw its silhouette on the cavern wall.

" Biff! " Joe cried out.

Only a groan answered. The Hardys and Chet leaped toward the faltering hand as it groped for the lip of the pit. Frank grasped it and together the boys pulled Biff out. He lay dazed for a moment.

" You're hurt! " said Joe, bending down to examine a large egg on Biff's left temple.

" I'm all right now. A little dizzy yet, but it isn't serious."

" What happened? "

" I fell into the pit and struck my head against the rocks. When I came to, I was lying beneath an overhang. I must have been out for a few minutes."

" A few minutes! " Chet exclaimed. " We've been hunting for you over an hour."

Biff looked incredulous, and shook his head in dismay when told about the stolen supplies.

" Boy! What a mess we're in, " he said as his companions helped him out of the cavern.

They returned to the outer cave and fell fast asleep. When morning came, a diligent inspection of their quarters failed to reveal any clues as to the thief.

" We're out of luck, that's all, " Frank concluded. " Our light-fingered friend fooled us neatly."

" At least the storm is over, " said Biff, who was feeling better.

From the cave they could see the sun shining on the blue waters of the sea. As Chet unlimbered his metal detector he moved it over a rocky part of the floor. " Hmm. That's funny, " he said.

" Did you find a pirate's chest? " Joe grinned.

" No. But I hear a buzzing noise. Maybe this thing's broken." He moved outside and began to swing the disk back and forth over the beach.

All at once Chet dropped his detector, fell to his knees, and dug furiously in the sand. His astonished companions watched from the cave entrance.

Finally the stout boy pulled something out and held it aloft in his right hand. " Ha! I told you! " he shouted.

" What is it? " Biff asked as he, Frank, and Joe hurried over.

" A pistol. Probably a pirate's. Or maybe from the sunken ship."

" By golly, Chet, I have to hand it to you, " said Frank as he examined the piece and wiped wet sand from it. " Hey, wait! This isn't old."

" You're right! " Joe burst in. " It's hardly rusted at all." He handled the weapon. " Looks like a Smith and Wesson."

" But see the marking, " Biff said. " Made in Spain."

Chet looked wisely at his companions. " What do you make of it, boys? "

" Perhaps this very pistol caused all the shooting we've heard about, " Biff offered.

Chet beamed. " Well, fellows, I guess I found a mystery. Want to solve it? "

" And leave the trail of Todd and Quill? " Joe asked. " Nothing doing! "

" Just a minute, " Frank put in. " How do we know Cadmus Quill didn't drop the pistol? "

" Wow! " Joe clapped a hand to his forehead. " That's a pretty wild guess for you, brother."

" You're dreaming, Frank! " Chet chimed in.

Biff, too, thought Frank's guess was farfetched, and added, " Enough of deductions. How about some chow? I'm famished." He looked hopefully up the ravine, but Chet, for once, was more excited about detecting than eating.

" Please, fellows, " he begged, " let's go a little way up the beach yet. Who knows what I'll find! "

" Okay, " Frank agreed. " Only a quarter of a mile. Then we turn back."

The sandy shore wound about the face of a great bluff of black rock, and when the boys had skirted this precipice they were confronted by a dark opening at the base of the cliff just a few yards away.

" Another cave! " Frank exclaimed.

Chet gave a cheer and ran ahead with his detector.

When they were just in front of the entrance the boys halted with exclamations of surprise.

Tacked on a board stuck in the sand beside the cave mouth was a tattered sheet of paper. Scrawled in heavy black letters were the words No Trespassing.

The companions looked at the sign in astonishment, then Chet grinned. " By order of the Rockaway chief of police, no doubt. Maybe somebody put it here for a joke, " he said. " Let's take a peep inside."

Frank was first to reach the cave and peer inside. Then he turned back to the others. " This sign isn't a joke, " he said quietly. " Somebody does live here! "

Curiously the boys crowded into the mouth of the cave. In the gloom they could see a crude table and a mattress with blankets. On a ledge of rock was an improvised cupboard consisting of an old soap carton containing canned goods and other provisions.

" Well, " Chet declared, " we have a neighbor who might offer us some grub."

" We certainly have, " Biff said, looking down the beach. " And if I'm not mistaken, here he comes now."

Along the shore strode a tall, gray-haired man wearing a blue shirt and overalls, the legs of which were tucked into high rubber boots. The man, oblivious to the boys, held a bugle in his left hand. He stopped, looked at the sea, and blew a loud, clear call. Then he wiped his lips with the back of his hand and continued toward the cave.

When he spotted the four boys he stopped short, blew another flurry on the bugle, and hastened up to the Bayporters.

" I'm Commander E. K. T. Wilson, Queen's Navy, retired, " he announced. " You should have saluted, but I guess you didn't know."

To make up for this breach of etiquette, the boys saluted smartly. This appeared to gratify the man immensely.

" You're landlubbers, eh? "

" I suppose so, " Frank admitted with a smile.

" Well, we can't all be sailors. It isn't often people come to see me."

" Do you live here? " Joe asked, indicating the cave.

" This is my home when I'm ashore. I'm resting up between cruises just now. What are your names? "

The boys introduced themselves.

" Glad to meet you, " returned Commander Wilson. " I get used to being alone, but it's a pleasure to have visitors."

" It's lonely enough here, " Frank agreed.

" Isn't bad. Not half as lonely as the time I got marooned in the South Seas."

The boys looked at him with new interest.

" You were really marooned? " Chet asked.

" Aye. It was when I was in command of a destroyer cruising the South Seas a good many years ago. We landed for water on a little island that you won't find on any map. It was a hot day-very hot. Must have been over a hundred degrees in the shade. So while my men were loading the water on my ship I sat down in the shade of a cactus tree. Before I knew it, I was asleep."

" And they went away and left you? " Joe put in.

" They did."

" But you were the captain! "

" I guess they thought I was in my cabin, and of course none of 'em dared disturb me. When I woke up, the ship was gone."

" Ee-yow! " Biff exclaimed.

" Well, sir, I didn't know what to do. I was like this here fellow Robinson Crusoe that you read about. But I had to make the best of it, so I fixed myself up a little house and lived there for nearly six months, all by myself."

" Didn't the ship come back for you? "

" They couldn't find the island again. Anyway, the quartermaster who took charge of the ship didn't want to find me, I guess. He wanted my job."

" Did you have anything to eat on the island? " Biff asked.

Chet interrupted. " Speaking of food, Commander, could you help us out with some breakfast? "

" Sure, me hearties. Growing boys should eat plenty. Now what was I talking about? Oh, well, doesn't matter."

A wink passed around the circle of friends as the man went inside and returned with a slab of bacon. Chet volunteered to start a fire, and got it going quickly as the old man cut strips of bacon and put them into a skillet.

" How about a swim while we're waiting? " Frank suggested.

" Let's go! " Joe shouted.

The boys skinned off their clothes and ran into the surf. Joe swam beside his brother. " Frank, Wilson doesn't sound much like an Englishman."

" I don't think he has all his marbles, " Frank replied.

" Do you think Wilson helped himself to our supplies? "

" I didn't see them in his cave, " Frank said, adding, " He seems harmless. I'd like to ask him some questions, though."

" And could I go for some crisp bacon! Race you back to shore I"

Using the Australian crawl, the brothers streaked over the wave tops and hit shore together. There Biff and Chet joined them, and after they dressed, the refreshed quartet trotted up to Commander Wilson, who sat near the fire. The skillet lay at the sailor's side-empty, and Wilson was chewing on the last piece of bacon. He looked up.

" Who are you? " he asked bluntly.

" The Hardy boys, " Frank began in surprise. 'And-"

" Well, beat it! Scram! I don't want you around here! "