can slide down the pipe.'
'How long do you think we should wait before trying to break out of here?'
Joe asked.
Before replying, Frank pondered the situation. Not knowing anything about
Hobo Johnny's habits, he wondered how far away from the tower the man
would go. If not far, the boys might find him waiting below and a tough
person to handle. Finally, Frank decided that since the tramp had said he
would return in an hour, he must be planning to go some distance away,
perhaps to get a couple of his hobo friends to come back and help him.
'I'd say that if we leave in fifteen minutes we'll be safe,' was Frank's
conclusion.
Every second seemed like an hour, but finally when the fifteen minutes were
up, the boys lifted a plank and tried to push up the trap door. It would not
budge.
'Where do we try next?' Joe questioned.
Frank was examining the seams around the trap door with the flashlight.
Presently he pointed out a section where the wood looked completely dried
out.
'It shouldn't be too hard to ram a hole here, Joe. Then you can boost me up,
so I can reach through and turn the handle on the lock.'
Joe picked up a crowbar and jabbed the sharp end between the edge of the
trap door and the board next to it. There was a splintering sound. He gave
the tool another tremendous push. The seam widened. Now he and Frank
together wedged the end of the crowbar up through the opening.
In a few moments they had sprung the two boards far enough apart so that
Frank, by standing on Joe's shoulders, could reach his arm through the
opening. He found the handle which locked the trap door and turned it. Joe
pushed up the door with the plank.
The boys were free!
Frank pulled himself up through the opening and hurried to the edge of the
roof. He looked all around below. Hobo Johnny was not in sight; in fact, there
was no one to be seen anywhere.
'Clear field ahead I' he announced.
Now the boys began to carry out their original intention of removing the
stolen property from the old water tower. Frank went back to the trap door
and Joe handed up the sack, then joined his brother on the roof. The older
boy went down the ladder quickly and his brother tossed the treasure to him.
Joe lost no time in following.
'We'd better get away from here in a hurry!' Frank advised, and both boys
sprinted to their motorcycles.
'Let's divide this stuff. It'll be easier to carry,' Frank suggested.
He opened the sack and handed Joe the bundle of securities, which the boy
jammed into his pocket. Frank stuffed the sack containing the jewelry into
his own side pocket. Then they hopped onto their motorcycles, stepped on the
starters, and roared down the road toward Bay-port. It was not until they
were several miles from the old water tower that the Hardys relaxed. Grins
spread over their faces.
'I don't know who's going to be the most surprised-Hurd or Adelia
Applegate, or Chief Collig or-'
'I have another guess-Dad!' said Frank.
'I guess you're right,' Joe agreed. 'And the most disappointed person is
going to be one Oscar Smuff!'
'What clue do you suppose he wanted us to follow?'
'It's my idea he didn't have any. He just wanted to hook on to us and then
claim the glory if we found the treasure, so Collig would give him a job on the
force.'
'Where do you think we ought to take these valuables?' Joe asked
presently.
The boys discussed this as they covered nearly a mile of ground and finally
came to the conclusion that since Hurd Applegate had given their father the
job of finding the stolen property, the detective should be the one to return it
to the owners.
Half an hour later the brothers pulled into the Hardy driveway and soon were
overwhelming their parents with the good news.
'It's wonderful! Simply wonderful!' Mrs. Hardy cried out, hugging each of
her sons.
Their father's face wore a broad grin. 'I'm certainly proud of you,' he said,
and slapped Frank and Joe on the back. 'You boys shall have the honor of
making the announcement to the Apple-gates.'
'How about Chief Collig?' Frank asked. 'And we'll report Hobo Johnny to
him.'
'And we'll invite the Robinsons to hear the announcement,' Joe added.
The detective said he thought there should be a grand meeting at the
Applegates' home of everyone involved with the tower mystery. He suggested
that when the boys called up, they try to arrange such a meeting for that very
evening.
Frank was selected to make the report to Hurd Applegate; the others could
hear the elderly man exclaim in amazement. 'I didn't think you'd do it!' he
said over and over again.
Shouting for his sister, he relayed the message, then said, 'Adelia wants me
to tell you she's the most relieved woman in all of Bayport. She never did like
any of this business.'
The Applegates readily agreed to a meeting at their home early that evening
and insisted that Mr. Robinson be there. Mr. Hardy was to see to it that Chief
Collig released the man at once.
'This is going to be a lot of fun,' Frank declared at supper. 'Mother, I think
you should come along? Will you?'
'I'd love to,' Mrs. Hardy replied. 'I'd like to hear what the Applegates and
Mr. Robinson and Chief Collig are going to say.'
'And Chet should be there too,' Joe said. 'After all, it was his stolen car
that gave us the clue to Red Jackley.' Chet was called and gave a whoop of
delight. He agreed to meet the Hardy family at the Tower Mansion.
'There's one more person who ought to attend,' said Frank with a twinkle in
his eye. 'Oscar Smuff. I'd like to watch his face, too.'
'At least we should tell him that the mystery has been solved,' Joe spoke up.
Frank waited until his father had phoned Chief Collig, who promised to
release Mr. Robinson at once and bring him out to the Applegates' home.
Then Frank called Detective Smuff. He could not resist the temptation to
keep Smuff guessing a little longer, and merely invited him to join the
