Nearly a minute went by without a sign from the two enemy camps. Then Snattman moved up the stairs a
few more steps.
'Hardy, I have a proposition to make to you,' he said presently. 'I know you don't want to die and you
want those boys of yours to live too. Well, so do I want to live. So let's call it quits.'
The detective maintained his silence and Snattman continued up the steps. 'Give you my word I won't
shoot. And I know you never fire first unless you have to.'
A moment later he appeared at the top of the stairs, empty-handed except for the light. In a moment he
spotted the Hardys with his high-powered flashlight.
'Here's the proposition-your lives in exchange for mine and my gang's.'
'How do you mean?' Mr. Hardy asked coldly.
'I mean,' the smuggler said, 'that you are my hostages.'
'Hostages!' Frank and Joe exclaimed together.
'Yes. If my men and I can get our stuff moved away before the police or the Coast Guard might happen
in here, then you can leave a little later.'
'But if they do come?' Frank asked.
'Then I'll bargain with them,' Snattman answered. 'And I don't think they'll turn me down. They don't
know where you are, but I'll make them understand I mean business. If they take me, you three die!'
Frank and Joe gasped. The famous Fenton Hardy and his sons were to be used as a shield to protect a
ruthless gang of criminals I
The boys looked at their father in consternation. To their amazement he looked calm, but his mouth was
drawn in a tight line.
'It won't do you any good to shoot me, Hardy,' the smuggler said. 'Mallory said all the chambers
in that gat are empty but one. If the gang hears a shot, they'll be up here in a minute to finish you all off
properly.'
The Hardys realized that if Snattman's remark about the gun were true, they were indeed at the mercy of
this cunning, scheming, conniving smuggler. He now started backing toward the stairway.
'I think I'm a pretty fair guy,' he said with the trace of a satisfied smile.
'And one to be hated and feared!' Joe thought in a rage. 'We've got to outwit this man somehow!' he
determined.
But at the moment the possibility of this looked hopeless.
CHAPTER XVIII
Coast Guard Action
WHILE the Hardy boys had been investigating the smugglers' hide-out and had been captured, together
with their father, Tony and Chet were trying their best to accomplish the errand which Frank and Joe had
given them.
During the early part of their trip back to Bayport to contact the Coast Guard, the Napoli had cut
through the darkness like a streak. Then suddenly Tony exclaimed, 'Oh, oh! My starboard light just went
out.'
Chet turned to look at the portside. 'This light's all right. Must be the bulb in the other one.'
'That's what I was afraid of,' said Tony. 'I'll bet I haven't another bulb.'
'You mean, somebody might not see the Napoli and ram us?' Chet asked fearfully.
'We'll have to be careful,' Tony replied.
'Chet, take the wheel, will you? I'll see if I can find an extra bulb.'
Chet changed places with Tony, throttled the motor, and gazed intently ahead. The moon had not yet
risen and it was difficult to see very far ahead.
'Find anything?' Chet called out, as Tony finished his round of the lockers and was now rummaging in the
last one.
'Not yet.' Tony pulled out a canvas bag, a pair of sneakers, and some fishing tackle. As he reached in
for the last article in the locker, he gave a whoop of joy. 'Here's one bulb-just one-keep your fingers
crossed, pal. If this isn't any good, we're in a mess.'
'And breaking the law besides,' Chet added.
He held his breath as Tony went forward and crawled inside the prow of the Napoli. With a flashlight,
Tony found the protecting shield for the bulb and unfastened it. After removing the dead bulb, he
screwed in the new one. As the light flashed on, Tony breathed a sigh of relief and started to crawl out of
the prow.
'Good work!' Chet said. 'It's lucky we-'
Chet never finished the sentence. At this instant he saw another speedboat loom up in front of him. Like
lightning he swung the wheel around, missing the oncoming craft by inches!
'You fool!' the driver of the other boat shouted. 'Why don't you look where you're going?'
Chet did not reply. He was quivering. Besides, he had stalled the motor, which had been throttled so low
it had not been able to take the terrific swerving. 'Oh, now I've done it!' the stout boy wailed.
There was no response from Tony for several seconds. He had been thrown violently against the side of
the boat and was dazed. But he quickly collected his wits and crawled down beside Chet.
'What happened?' he asked.
Chet told him, then said, 'You'd better take over. I'm a rotten pilot.'
Tony took the seat behind the wheel, started the motor, and sped off toward Barmet Bay.
'We've sure wasted a lot of time,' he remarked. 'I wonder how Frank and Joe are making out.'
'Hope they found Mr. Hardy,' Chet added.
There was no more conversation until the boys turned into the bay. The Coast Guard station for the area
was a short distance along the southern shore of the bay and Tony headed the Napoli directly for it. He
pulled up at the dock, where two patrol boats and a cutter were tied.
The two boys climbed out and hurried up to the white building. As they were about to enter it, Chet and
Tony were amazed to find Biff Hooper
and Phil Cohen coming out of it. Jerry Gilroy, another Bayport High friend, was with them.
'Well, for Pete's sake!' the three cried out, and Biff added, 'Boy, are we glad to see you! Where are
Frank and Joe?'
'Still hunting for the smugglers,' Chet replied. 'What brings you here?'
Biff explained that an hour ago Mrs. Hardy had telephoned him to see if he had heard from Frank and
Joe. She confessed to being exceedingly worried about her sons. Mrs. Hardy knew they had gone to
look for their father and she was in a panic that they had been captured by the same men who were
possibly holding her husband.
'I told her I'd round up a couple of the fellows and go on a hunt,' Biff went on. 'Jerry thought maybe
Frank and Joe had come back to town and were somewhere around. We looked, but we couldn't find
them anywhere, s(r) we borrowed Mr. Gilroy's car and came out here to tell the Coast Guard. They're
going to send out boats. You'd better come in and talk to Chief Warrant Officer Robinson yourself.'
The boys hurried inside. Quickly Chet and Tony told of the Hardys' suspicion that they had found the
entrance to the smugglers' hide-out.
'Can you send help out there right away?' Chet asked. 'We'll show you where the secret tunnel is.'
'This is astounding,' said Chief Robinson. 'I'll order the Alice out. You can start within five minutes.'
