A Raft of Trouble

THE magnitude of the mystery they had uncovered hit Frank and Joe like a stunning blow. This was it! Commander Wilson was a fraud, a cover-up for some sort of gang receiving supplies and men by secret submarine at the Honeycomb Caves.

Another light winked from in front of Wilson's cave. Slowly the sub surfaced, its whaleback silhouette standing out in the darkness.

" They've contacted each other, " said Joe. " If we only had a boat."

" I have an idea, " Frank said. " We'll swim out to the sub." He stripped down to his shorts and Joe did the same. " We might make it if Wilson doesn't turn on the big searchlight."

The brothers concealed their clothes behind a rock, then waded into the surf. They dived into a wave, and, with strong overhand strokes, rapidly swam toward the submarine. Silently the Hardys came up to the undersea craft, and treading water, clung to the hull.

Tensely the boys waited. A few moments later the hatch opened. Frank and Joe held their breaths as six men piled out, dragging a large rubber life raft. They flung it into the water with a plop, and stepped inside, where two of their number manned paddles.

Hearts thumping wildly, Frank and Joe pressed back against the sub, their faces barely showing above water ten feet away from the raft.

The men spoke a strange foreign language, but suddenly one said sternly in English, " Do not use the mother tongue. It is dangerous. We are now in America! "

Frank decided on a bold strategy, and nudged his brother. " Come on! "

Swiftly the boys pushed off and swam underwater to emerge silently right behind the raft. They reached up and gripped it with one hand, scissor-kicking so as not to be a drag on the rubber craft as the paddlers guided it across the waves toward shore.

The brothers glanced back, to see the conning tower of the sub disappear beneath the waves.

" Ah, there's Wilson's light, " came a voice from the raft.

" Yes, our calculations were correct, " said another man. " We will show these Americans! "

Finally Frank and Joe felt their toes touch bottom. When the men hopped out, the boys swam underwater away from shore, then surfaced and once more treaded water. This time their eyes fell upon a most unusual scene. In the glow of the light inside Wilson's cave, they saw the commander greet each of the new arrivals, pumping their hands as they stepped inside.

But there was something different about Wilson. His face looked younger. And... his hair was black.

" Wilson's no old man. That was a gray wig he was wearing! " hissed Joe. " He used face makeup, too."

" There's no time to lose! " Frank said, and both boys swam to the beach. The only evidence of activity was the dim glow coming from the cave mouth. Now and then it faded as if those inside were milling about.

The Hardys quickly got their clothes and slipped them on. " If we only had some help, " Frank said as they inched closer to the entrance of the cave. From within came the hum of voices.

They halted and looked about in the darkness. " I think they would have posted a sentry, " Frank said. " Do you see anybody, Joe? "

Joe flashed his light up and down the beach, but could see no one. " What now, Frank? "

" Into the cave. We've got to see what this is all about."

The brothers listened, but the voices had receded. Only muffled sounds emerged from the cavern. Clutching their flashlights, Frank and Joe slipped inside. At first the interior looked much the same as the first time they had seen it. The shotgun lay on the ledge, the code book was still in evidence, and the food supply was stashed as it had been previously.

But as the boys penetrated deeper, their mouths fell open in wonderment. To the rear of the cave was a thick electrical conduit which snaked back into the cavern. Tiptoeing forward, Frank and Joe finally came to a thick wooden partition with an iron door.

" Good night! " Joe declared. " Frank, this is set up like a hidden city."

" I think those men might be spies, or saboteurs, " Frank whispered. " Maybe they're connected with the trouble at the radar site."

" But what about Quill and Todd? " Joe asked. " How do they fit into all this? "

" I don't know yet. But we've found the mine that Chet discovered, " Frank said. " That metal conduit. And it makes a beeline to the Palais Paris."

" I could just smell something phony about that whole place, " Joe declared, moving closer to the iron door. " Frank, let's go in! "

" Okay, I'm game. But we'd better stick together."

Joe's hand reached for the door handle. Suddenly a voice behind them froze the boys into immobility.

" Hardys, you're through! "

The boys wheeled about. Joe gasped. " Cadmus Quill! "

The short, bouncy college instructor leered at them. Behind him stood four henchmen.

" You're trapped! " Cadmus Quill said.

Frank whispered to his brother and Joe nodded. As Quill and his strong-arm men advanced, the boys uttered a bloodcurdling war cry and charged like halfbacks! Joe tackled two of the men, bowling them over. They scrambled to their feet and grabbed Joe. He twisted frantically to escape their grip. Frank doubled Quill with a blow to the solar plexus, then dashed past the other two men toward the cave mouth. They darted after him.

Frank's plan was working! With speed born of desperation, the boy leaped toward the ledge and grabbed the shotgun. Then he aimed it overhead, close to the electrical conduit.

Frank pulled the trigger. There was a deafening blast and a shower of sparks. The lights went out and an acrid pall of smoke filled the cavern.