The Sinister Signpost Part 5

CHAPTER VII.

VILNOFF AGAIN.

"You came to see us last night, didn't you?" asked Joe.

"Yes. I said I would be back today but I couldn't make it until now," Ivan replied.

"Is it about Topnotch?" Topnotch?" inquired Frank eagerly. inquired Frank eagerly.

The jockey nodded.

"Mr. Prescott-he's owner of Tofnotch Tofnotch and the Prescott Stables, got a letter yesterday. I and the Prescott Stables, got a letter yesterday. I thought you fellows might like to hear about it, seeing you're in the detective line."

"What was in it?"

"The horse was stolen, all right. This message said Topnotch Topnotch would be returned safe would be returned safe and sound if Mr. Prescott would pay a ransom."

"How much?"

"Twenty-five thousand dollars!" exclaimed the jockey.

Frank whistled in amazement.

"That's a whale of a lot of money. Is the horse worth that much?"

"He stands to win all of that and perhaps more in a single season. Oh, yes, the horse is worth that amount all right."

"Is Mr. Prescott going to pay it?"

"I think so. He isn't a wealthy man, and it may mean that he will have to sell some of his other horses to raise the sum, but I believe he will do it. I hope so, anyhow. Just let me get Topmatch back and we'll win the twenty-five thousand back soon enough." back and we'll win the twenty-five thousand back soon enough."

"How is the money to be paid over?" inquired Joe.

"I don't know any of the details. Mr. Prescott simply told me that he had received a ransom letter. The kidnappers threatened to injure the horse so that he'll never run again unless the money is given to them. Mr. Prescott will pay all right," said Ivan confidently. "He wouldn't have anything happen to Tofnotch Tofnotch for all the money on earth." for all the money on earth."

At this juncture one of the pa.s.sengers who had been sitting in the front of the bus moved down the aisle and took a rear seat immediately ahead of the boys. He was an under-sized, s.h.i.+fty-eyea looking fellow and when the Hardys continued their conversation with Ivan they noticed that the stranger was obviously listening.

"Maybe your father can locate Tofnotch" Tofnotch" remarked Ivan. "I think Mr. Prescott has a remarked Ivan. "I think Mr. Prescott has a notion of calling him in on the case."

"Dad has been pretty busy on some other matters of late," Joe remarked non-committally.

"Oh, well, I think Mr. Prescott is resigned to paying the money. It's a relief to know that the horse is unharmed, at any rate."

"Perhaps you had better tell the owner to hold up payment for a day or so," Frank whispered, not wis.h.i.+ng the stranger to hear his remark. "We've been doing a little sleuthing on the case ourselves."

57.

Ivan, excited, said aloud, "You've been hunting for Topnotch? Topnotch? Find out anything?" Find out anything?"

The bus was slowing down for a stop just inside the Bayport city limits. The man in the seat ahead got up. Abruptly he turned toward the boys.

"I vould say to you," he told them in a voice with a heavy accent, "that you should keep quiet about dat horse and have not'ing to do wit' such matters." With this cryptic warning he turned, hurried down the aisle, and jumped from the bus into the darkness.

Joe, Frank and Ivan were astounded at this strange interruption. Frank sprang to the window and tried to get another glimpse of the man, but he had vanished into the night and the bus was pulling away from the stop.

"What did he mean?" exclaimed the jockey, puzzled.

"He must know something about the affair," Frank said tersely.

Joe shook his head.

"He wouldn't be foolish enough to give himself away like that. I think he was just a busy-body b.u.t.ting in. Maybe he thought he was giving us good advice by telling us to keep out of any sort of kidnapping affair."

Frank was not convinced, however, and stuck to his opinion that the foreigner's words were deliberately meant as a warning. It seemed that he was justified in this belief, for after the boys had left Jockey Ivan and gone home that evening the telephone rang. When Joe answered it he heard a sinister, menacing voice.

"You one of the Hardy boys?"

"Why, yes-----"

58 "O.K. You've been putting your nose into this T of notch T of notch affair. I'm just calling up to warn affair. I'm just calling up to warn you and your brother to lay off, get me? Stay out of that business and don't talk about it or you'll run into a lot of trouble. Understand, now! You two fellows mind your own business if you know what's healthy for you."

"Who is speaking?" Joe demanded.

"Try and find out," jeered the voice. "Keep mixing up in this Topnotch Topnotch business and business and you'll know soon enough."

There was a click as the unknown caller hung up the receiver. Joe's face was solemn when he returned to the living-room.

"Who was that?" asked Aunt Gertrude inquisitively.

"Oh-just some man."

The good lady snorted.

"I'm a lot the wiser," she said, and her knitting needles flashed wickedly.

When the boys went up to their room a little later Joe told Frank about the mysterious telephone warning.

"I'll bet that stranger we saw on the bus had something to do with it," the latter declared.

"Well, if he thinks we're to be frightened off that easily he's mistaken. Now we'll get down to some real real work on the case." work on the case."

Next morning Chet Morton arrived at the Hardy home before the boys had finished their breakfast. Chet, stout and jolly, was known throughout Bayport for his love of fun and food.

"How now, my hearties!" he exclaimed, as he entered the dining-room. "I beseech a boon of thee."

59.

He calmly picked up an orange from a plate and began to peel it.

"Come down to earth," said Joe. "Talk twentieth century American. You mean you want us to do you a favour."

"Name it," said Frank.

"A traveller from a distant city cometh winging his way through the air-to wit, my cousin Bill, a goodly egg. I fain would journey forth to meet him, but lo, I lacketh a boat."

"What is is all this rigmarole about?" demanded Joe. all this rigmarole about?" demanded Joe.

"In other words," grinned Chet, "will you run me to the airport in your motor-boat so I can meet my cousin? He's coming in by plane this morning. Surely I have made myself clear."

He popped a piece of the orange into his mouth and began munching at it with vast satisfaction.

"Take you over to the airport?" said Frank. "Sure thing. When do you want to go?"

"Forsooth, and I would fain depart at once if not sooner, ere perchance my cousin William should descend from the clouds with no one to bid him welcome to our city."

"I wish you would descend from the clouds and talk plain English," said Joe. "Come on, Frank. We'll take Shakespeare Junior over to the airport, and if he bursts into any more of that lingo we'll dump him over the side of the boat into the bay."

"Fair enough," Frank agreed.

The boys went down High Street toward the bay and unlocked the door of their boat-house. Their craft, the Sleuth, Sleuth, was a fast, trim little affair that had been pur60 was a fast, trim little affair that had been pur60 chased with the reward money they had received for solving a mystery of considerable importance a year or so before.

The Bayport flying field was on the banks of the Willow River which ran into Barmet Bay, an indentation of the Atlantic Coast. The airport, therefore, could be reached both by land and by water.

"How long is your cousin going to stay with you, Chet?" asked Frank, as he opened the door of the boat-house.

"About a month, I think. He comes from a little town up in New England, but has been in New York. I haven't seen him for several years. He's a nice fellow. I think you'll like him."

The boys stepped into the craft and Joe started the engine. In a few minutes they were speeding rapidly down the bay. About a quarter of a mile out they noticed a speed-boat drumming in their wake.

Although the Sleuth Sleuth was one of the fastest launches on the bay, this new arrival was one of the fastest launches on the bay, this new arrival overhauled them and went flas.h.i.+ng by in a smother of foam. Frank and Joe noticed a familiar looking figure seated in the stern.

"Why, that looks like Mr. Vilnoff!" Joe exclaimed.

"I wonder where he's headed for?" Frank gasped.

It was soon apparent that the speed-boat was steering for their own destination, as it cut across the bay toward the mouth of the Willow River and went roaring in the direction "of the airport. The Sleuth Sleuth was soon left far behind. was soon left far behind.

"Makes our little craft look like a rowboat in comparison," Frank laughed.

As they were travelling up the river they saw a plane 6l above the airport. It circled to gain alt.i.tude, then straightened out and droned off.

"Looks like the New York plane taking off," observed Chet.

"Perhaps that's where Vilnoff is going," Joe said. "Remember, Frank, he said the other night that he would be leaving the country in a few days."

The three chums reached the dock at the foot of the path leading up the slope to the flying-field, tied the boat and went on to the airport. The plane from New York was due in a few minutes.

Soon they spied it, a mere speck in the sky. Then it grew larger. They could hear the drumming of the motors as the machine swiftly roared toward the field. It banked, then came down in a long, graceful glide, settled on the field, and taxied toward the airport office and waiting room. When it came to a full stop an attendant placed a portable step beneath the door of the big machine and the pa.s.sengers began to emerge. The first to alight was a chubby, good-natured looking lad of about seventeen, so like Chet Morton in appearance that the boys knew at once that he was the visiting cousin from New England.

"Hi, Bill!" shouted Chet.

"h.e.l.lo, Chet," grinned the newcomer, hurrying over to shake hands. "Nice of you to meet me."

Bill Morton was introduced to the Hardy boys, who liked him at once.

"Mighty glad to meet you," said Frank.

"We'll help show you a good time," added Joe.

Then Frank and Joe received a distinct surprise. From out of the plane stepped their father, accom62 panied by a tall, distinguished looking stranger. Fenton Hardy was quite as astonished to see his sons at the airport as they were to see him. They knew that he had not been home the previous night, but they were accustomed to his sudden and mysterious comings and goings.

"h.e.l.lo, boys!" he said, smiling. "Did you come to meet me? How did you know I would be on this plane? I'd like you to meet my client, Mr. Howe. Mr. Howe-my boys-Frank and Joe."

The lads shook hands with the stranger and then explained their presence at the airport.

Mr. Hardy laughed.

"I wondered," he said. "I thought I had kept my movements pretty secret." He drew his sons aside and said quietly, "I've just been in New York seeing our friend Vilnoff. He is sailing for Europe today."

"Vilnoff!" exclaimed Frank in amazement. "You couldn't have seen him in New York, Dad. He just left here by plane a few minutes ago."

Fenton Hardy looked bewildered.

"Impossible! I was talking to him in New York this morning."

"And we're positive he came down the bay in a speed-boat just in time to catch the New York plane!" Joe declared.

CHAPTER VIII.

A SUSPICIOUS DRIVER.

fenton hardy was deeply concerned.

"This is an awkward mix-up. I can't understand it," he said. "I must know who is who in this affair. You must do something for me at once."

"What is it, Dad?" asked Frank eagerly.