The Secret Warning Read Online Free PDF Page A

and returned a few moments later with his handkerchief soaked with cold brine. After the boys had applied it to their father’s forehead and chafed his wrists, Mr. Hardy began to revive.
    â€œJoe—Frank—Hi, Chet.” The detective gave them a rueful smile, then slowly raised himself to a sitting position.
    â€œWhat happened, Dad?” asked Frank.
    Mr. Hardy frowned and rubbed his hand over his eyes. “Let me see—Oh, yes, those red-light signals from the tower here.”
    â€œWe saw ’em too!” declared Chet.

    â€œSomebody knocked out Dad!” Frank said worriedly
    â€œSo did I—from my campsite on the other side of the island,” Mr. Hardy went on slowly. “I came over to investigate, entered this doorway, and—wham!”
    â€œHow do you feel now?” Joe inquired.
    â€œNot too bad, except for this throbbing lump. Lucky for me I have a thick skull.”
    The boys helped Fenton Hardy to his feet, then began a search of the tower. They checked every floor, up to the lantern room, but the assailant had vanished. Warily, the detective and the three youths tramped back across the island to his camp on the cove.
    The fire had long since burned down to glowing embers. After it had been replenished with drift-wood and dry brush, Frank showed his father the cablegram from Egypt and the map which had been sent through the mail by “R. Rogers.”
    â€œWhat’s this Pharaoh’s head you’re supposed to beware of, Dad?” asked Joe.
    â€œIt’s a solid gold bust of the Egyptian Pharaoh, or Emperor, Rhamaton IV—valued at one million dollars.”
    Chet let out an awed whistle. “A million bucks! Wow! Where is this head, Mr. Hardy?”
    â€œA good question, Chet,” the detective replied wryly. “I’d better start at the beginning. About two weeks ago, a freighter named the Katawa sank off the coast. Maybe you fellows recall hearing about it in the news. Several of the crew, including the purser, drowned.”
    â€œIt was rammed in a fog by some cruise liner, wasn’t it?” said Frank.
    â€œThat’s right—by the Carona. Well, the spot where the freighter went down is just a couple of miles north of Whalebone Island.”
    Mr. Hardy explained that the Katawa had been carrying not only cargo, but also a dozen passengers—one of them a foreign art dealer named Zufar, who had boarded the ship at Beirut in the Middle East.
    â€œZufar was bringing the golden Pharaoh’s head with him,” the detective continued, “to sell to a customer in New York. And the head was allegedly in the ship’s strong room when the Katawa sank. Zufar has lodged a claim with Transmarine Underwriters, the line’s insurance company, for a million dollars.”
    â€œThe news stories on the sinking never mentioned the Pharaoh’s head, did they?” Joe asked.
    â€œNo. As a security precaution, Zufar had purposely avoided any publicity about the treasure, and since the sinking, the line has also tried to keep the matter out of the news for the same reason.”
    â€œYou said the head was allegedly in the ship’s strong room,” said Frank. “Is there some doubt about it?”
    â€œThat’s where the mystery comes in, and that’s why Transmarine has engaged me to investigate the case,” Mr. Hardy replied. “They’ve been tipped off that a gold head of Rhamaton IV is secretly being offered for sale.”
    â€œWas the tip on the level?” Joe asked.
    â€œSo far we don’t know. I’ve been checking it out, but may not know the answer until divers get at the Katawa’s strong room. Meantime, the tip brings up a number of interesting possibilities.”
    â€œRight,” Frank said. “The head being offered for sale might be a fake. Either that, or the one that went down with the Katawa was a phony.”
    Mr. Hardy smiled at the rapid-fire