In almost the same breath, he had reached into his pocket. A gun gleamed in his shaking hand. He fired twice.
The ant on the wall seemed to scream its defiance, and came closer. Another ant followed, sliding up the tunnel wall to gigantic size, almost filling it.
“I hit him and it went right through him!” yelled the first Morgan. He fired again and again.
The ants roared and kept coming. They came in increasing numbers, filling the cave, crowding the walls.
Arthur Shelby had come up and was staring at the walls, a curious expression on his pale, freckled face. Both Morgans were firing now.
“Giant ants coming out of the walls,” the bigger Morgan yelled. “The bullets don’t bother them. Get us out of here, Shelby!”
Shelby shrugged and stared at the moving ants on the wall.
The second Morgan grabbed him, brandishing his pistol. “Open the wall, Shelby, or I’ll let you have it. We’re getting out of here!”
Shelby looked at him coldly. Then, with a shrug, he reached into his pocket. A thin, tubular object appeared in his hands. He put it into his mouth.
Bob and Jupe waited for the shrill sound of a whistle. They heard nothing. They saw the wall slowly open.
“Come on, Jack!”
The Morgans ran for the opening, firing wildly at the ants on the wall screaming back at them. In another instant they had gone through the huge walls.
“Run, you fools!” Arthur Shelby said mockingly. He looked up at Bob and Jupiter, a curious appraising look on his face.
“Very clever,” he said drily. “But a little too clever, my young friends. You’ve cost me a fortune, and I don’t see how I can decently let you get away with that.”
He reached into his other coat pocket. This time he held a more frightening object. His eyes glittered.
“Don’t shoot,” Bob gasped.
Shelby coldly nodded to them. “Step down, please.” And as Jupe came down, followed by Bob, Shelby added, “The next time you try to appropriate a bus-like vehicle, I strongly suggest you learn how to double-declutch when you change gear. Stops stalling you see.”
Both boys climbed down. Shelby turned towards the darkest corner of the wall and the cone of light. “And you with that projector,” he called. “Shut off that film and come over here, at once! I’ve a gun in my hand, I warn you!”
The screaming in the cave stopped. The ants flickered on the wall and then disappeared.
“D-don’t shoot!” Pete yelled. “I’m coming.”
He came up slowly, looking wonderingly at Jupe and Bob standing beside the still dragon
“It’s really not real?” he asked Jupe.
Jupe shook his head.
“No more real than your giant ants,” Shelby snapped. He looked at the boys and then at the gun in his hand. “I regret this, boys, really I do. But you had no business interfering — ”
He halted suddenly, his arm extended and trembling. A loud eerie moan floated through the tunnel.
“Oh, no! Not again!” Shelby cried. Quickly, he reached into his pocket and produced the slender object he had used before. He put it to his lips. Again it made no sound.
The huge walls rustled and closed.
Jupiter, listening intently, smiled. He flicked on his torch.
Caught in his glaring beam, they saw huge, leaping shapes coming at them, their eyes glowing, their jaws open, sharp teeth menacing.
“Look out!” Pete yelled. “Those furry animals — ”
Then he gasped and grinned sheepishly. “I mean, dogs,” he added. “Wow! What a dope!”
Arthur Shelby groaned too. “Too late,” he sighed.
The first animal bounded up to them, barking happily. Its long, brushlike tail swept back and forth in a feverish arc. Its dull reddish coat gleamed.
“Red Rover!” Jupe exclaimed. “He’s come back.”
The big setter ignored Jupe’s outstretched arm and leaped for Shelby. The red-headed man backed off, holding his gun outstretched.
“Go away, Rover,” he snapped. “I’m warning you — for the last time — go home!”
The big dog shook its head and whirled round the man. The other dogs came at him, too, backing him up to the wall.
They leaped happily at the man, growling and barking, their tails wagging. Once more, Shelby waved at them with his gun. His face was pale, shining with sweat.
“It’s no use, Mr. Shelby,” Jupe said. “You can’t shoot them. You like dogs too much. And they’re certainly crazy about you.”
The thin, red-headed man regarded the leaping animals and lowered his gun.
“Yeah,” he said morosely. “Crazy about me. That’s it, all right.”
He looked blankly at the slender metal object in his hand, then shrugged and put it back in his pocket. He put his hand down and almost, unconsciously stroked the heads of the happy dogs.
“Now what?” he asked, speaking to himself.
“I’ve an idea, sir, if you care to listen,” Jupe said.
“You have?” The pale eyes stared at the stocky boy.
Jupiter Jones nodded. “Yes, sir. It’s based largely on the idea that you’re really a practical joker, not a greedy criminal. Would you care to hear it?”
The red-haired man nodded curtly.
“Put everything back. We’ll help you, if you like,” Jupe said. “You might want to leave the hole you drilled in the wall, just as it is. It will be your joke on them. That you had the chance to take all that gold, and you didn’t. We won’t tell, and they’ll never know who did it — or rather who nearly did it!”
When Pete, Bob and Jupiter entered Alfred Hitchcock’s office two days later, the famous director was seated at his desk, reading a newspaper. He motioned them to his big, comfortable chairs.
“Sit down, boys,” he said. “I’ll be with you as soon as I finish this interesting article in the papers.”
They sat and waited patiently. Finally, the director folded the paper and put it aside on his desk.
“So!” he boomed in his hearty voice. “I suggest a case for you concerning the missing dog of an old friend. And what happens? Not only his, but several others are returned. I also see a column in the Seaside newspaper telling of some bizarre plot to rob a large bank. The heading reads: ‘BANK OFFICIALS PUZZLED BY CONTRITE AND CONTRARY CROOKS!’ Was this all your doing? I must admit I am puzzled, too.”
Jupe cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. It was. They were — I mean, sir — yes, we’re kind of responsible for everything.”
Mr. Hitchcock held up his hand. “Your modesty, lad, is most laudable. Still, I would rather hold my own praise in abeyance until I completely understand how you three solved this unique mystery of the missing dogs.”
“Well, sir,” Jupe said. “Actually you helped us a great deal in solving the mystery, sir, when you showed us that old film Mr. Allen made with the dragon.”
“Ah, yes,” Mr. Hitchcock said. “And, as I recall, there was some talk about you boys actually encountering one of those rather fantastic beasts.”
“We sure did,” Pete said abruptly. “And we’re lucky to be alive to tell about it. Even if it
